The Odili's COVID Relief-New Studio
Donation protected
My name is Charles Ikechukwu Odili. I have been married to Peyton Henrietta Odili for a year and a half. We have a wonderful son, Liam Odili, who is just 8 months old. All my life I have been involved in artistry and painting and I love to create. I started and owned my own photography business and was successfully providing for my family doing something I love. The fallout from the coronavirus caused the building housing my studio to be sold, unexpectedly putting me out of work. Since then our family has been trying to find small ways to get by and feed our son, but our goal is to reopen a studio to continue the work we were doing before the pandemic.
The items we need to restart work in a new studio are:
Thank you for your support and kindness, it means a lot to my family and me in this exceptionally difficult time. Feel free to follow along our path of rebuilding by following us on instagram!
Short Bio:
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I find photography to be a means of expressing our feelings and sharing beauty with others. In 2018 I completed a course on media production with Afrinolly, which exposed me to the world of photo and video production. I then learned photography with Studio 24 in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria for 6 months, supplemented with my own personal research and experiences with other photographers.
Initially I did a lot of free shoots, with a few jobs here and there until 2019 when I was given the incredible opportunity to set up my own studio. The space was small but well-utilized. We started producing amazing photographs, while slowly building up our network pool with outreach to content creators, makeup artists, fashion designers, and our satisfied customers. I also had two interns working with me who I was training to become photographers. Our business thrived, extending to weddings, fashion, lifestyle, and portrait shoots.
Then in a brief moment everything changed. When the pandemic started things became difficult, especially in Nigeria, where a lockdown closed the studio for over 2 months. When the restrictions eased few people were interested in taking photos. Desperate for money, our landlord sold his building where I had my studio space, kicking out all occupants. Without a studio, people are not comfortable hiring our services.
The lack of work has had a devastating impact on my family, especially trying to care for our son. Our previous success operating the studio has intensified the subsequent loss of income. Since Nigeria has no business recovery plan or bailout, we’re asking for help to repair the damage caused by the coronavirus. With your help we can re-establish our studio, providing us with the income we need to feed our family, as well as the people we work with.
On a personal note, your charity helps me continue with my own passion as well. The studio allows me to improve my photography every day, practice my skills, and master my camera settings. I love the people around me, and photography allows me to express that love. I’m happy while taking photos and editing. Beyond the camera, I love preparing, creating, and adding my artistic skills to each shoot, finding ways to make every shot a success--each one is my best work. I hope to set up a studio where families and individuals can walk in and get a mind-blowing experience. One that's fully equipped and organized, where I can also train and nurture others, providing employment to those with the zeal to become great photographers.
The items we need to restart work in a new studio are:
Thank you for your support and kindness, it means a lot to my family and me in this exceptionally difficult time. Feel free to follow along our path of rebuilding by following us on instagram!Short Bio:
__________________________________
I find photography to be a means of expressing our feelings and sharing beauty with others. In 2018 I completed a course on media production with Afrinolly, which exposed me to the world of photo and video production. I then learned photography with Studio 24 in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria for 6 months, supplemented with my own personal research and experiences with other photographers.
Initially I did a lot of free shoots, with a few jobs here and there until 2019 when I was given the incredible opportunity to set up my own studio. The space was small but well-utilized. We started producing amazing photographs, while slowly building up our network pool with outreach to content creators, makeup artists, fashion designers, and our satisfied customers. I also had two interns working with me who I was training to become photographers. Our business thrived, extending to weddings, fashion, lifestyle, and portrait shoots.
Then in a brief moment everything changed. When the pandemic started things became difficult, especially in Nigeria, where a lockdown closed the studio for over 2 months. When the restrictions eased few people were interested in taking photos. Desperate for money, our landlord sold his building where I had my studio space, kicking out all occupants. Without a studio, people are not comfortable hiring our services.
The lack of work has had a devastating impact on my family, especially trying to care for our son. Our previous success operating the studio has intensified the subsequent loss of income. Since Nigeria has no business recovery plan or bailout, we’re asking for help to repair the damage caused by the coronavirus. With your help we can re-establish our studio, providing us with the income we need to feed our family, as well as the people we work with.
On a personal note, your charity helps me continue with my own passion as well. The studio allows me to improve my photography every day, practice my skills, and master my camera settings. I love the people around me, and photography allows me to express that love. I’m happy while taking photos and editing. Beyond the camera, I love preparing, creating, and adding my artistic skills to each shoot, finding ways to make every shot a success--each one is my best work. I hope to set up a studio where families and individuals can walk in and get a mind-blowing experience. One that's fully equipped and organized, where I can also train and nurture others, providing employment to those with the zeal to become great photographers.
Organizer
John Morris
Organizer
Provo, UT
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