Felix ‘Crown’ Adebayo, award-winning artistic photographer, AI fanatic, and founding father of Felix Crown Fotografi. He’s a artistic strategist shaping the way forward for visible storytelling via his lens.

On this interview with Chisom Michael, he displays on his journey from NYSC to constructing a premium artistic model. He shares ideas on the evolution of images, the function of AI, and the worth of genuine storytelling. He additionally highlights how he mentors younger creatives to navigate the business. Excerpts:

Are you able to describe the transition out of your Nationwide Youth Service Corps expertise to establishing your self as an expert photographer?

NYSC was the turning level. I wasn’t simply serving; I used to be additionally finding out folks, understanding what moved them and what they valued. That was the season I realised images wasn’t simply an artwork kind; it was a enterprise of notion. I began charging throughout NYSC, even when the pay was low, however I confirmed up like I used to be value 10x. That mindset made the transition smoother. I didn’t look forward to an ideal second; I constructed as I grew.

With over a decade of expertise in images and artistic technique, how have you ever seen the business evolve?

It’s modified drastically. Again then, it was about proudly owning a digital camera. Now, it’s about proudly owning a imaginative and prescient. Purchasers are extra knowledgeable, aesthetics are sharper, and digital storytelling has taken over. We’ve gone from simply taking photos to creating full experiences. The most important shift? Individuals now purchase the way you make them really feel, not simply how good the picture seems.

How do you outline a shopper’s ‘pure essence,’ and in what methods do you seize or mirror that in your work?

Essence is who they’re when the world isn’t watching. It’s of their pauses, their insecurities, and their confidence. I hear earlier than I shoot. I ask questions that don’t have anything to do with photographs. As soon as I perceive who they’re, I let that lead the route, mild, styling, expression, posture, every part is formed round that reality.

In what methods do you imagine AI is remodeling the connection between the photographer and the topic?

AI is forcing us to rethink and elevate. However that’s not a risk, it’s an invite to deepen connection. If used properly, AI doesn’t substitute intimacy, it enhances expertise and storytelling. It may possibly take away technical distractions so I can focus extra on the particular person. The error is considering AI ought to lead the method. No, it ought to serve it. It’s simply one other software.

How do you guarantee authenticity in your work whereas integrating superior applied sciences resembling AI into your artistic course of?

Authenticity begins from intention. Each AI software I take advantage of is guided by a transparent artistic goal. I by no means let the tech drive the story, I let the story dictate the tech. Whether or not it’s enhancing a background or manipulating lighting, I make certain the ultimate picture nonetheless has the human story. It has to evoke one thing actual. If it doesn’t, I discard it.

Might you elaborate on the strategic concerns you apply when selecting tasks or collaborations, particularly early in your profession?

At first, I regarded past cash. I requested: Will this construct my credibility? Will it align with the model I’m constructing? Some tasks are paid in visibility, others in relationships. However I used to be at all times intentional. I averted jobs that diluted my imaginative and prescient simply because they paid. That’s how I stayed constant and constructed a premium notion from the bottom up.

What challenges have you ever encountered in elevating industrial images requirements for main manufacturers, and the way have you ever addressed them?

Many manufacturers didn’t perceive the worth of premium visuals at first. They had been used to amount over high quality. I needed to educate, not simply execute. By exhibiting real-life examples and creating moodboards, I gave context to every picture. And most significantly, I aligned the visuals with their model targets. As soon as they noticed that nice images might increase notion and gross sales, the dialog shifted.

How do you mentor younger creatives to navigate the evolving panorama of the artistic business?

I train them to assume past the lens. Grasp your craft, sure, but additionally perceive branding, techniques, and psychology. I’m huge on serving to creatives construct construction. I don’t sugarcoat the journey, however I present them that with readability and technique, they don’t should starve to be artists. Most significantly, I lead by instance. They see my course of, not simply the outcomes.

What insights are you able to share about leveraging images as a software for storytelling in model campaigns?

Storytelling is the distinction between a photograph that appears good and a photograph that works. I ask manufacturers: What would you like folks to really feel, keep in mind, and act on? As a result of photographs don’t simply freeze reminiscences, they form notion. Whether or not it’s a style label, a celeb rebrand, or a company marketing campaign, I create pictures that reinforce identification and spark connection. That’s the place storytelling begins, within the particulars.

Wanting forward, what future traits excite you probably the most in artistic providers, and the way do you propose to guide or affect these developments?

Three issues excite me: immersive visuals, AI-human collaboration, and model personalisation at scale. I see a future the place artistic providers are extra experiential, like interactive galleries, hyper-realistic digital units, even branded AI avatars. However whereas the tech will evolve, the human story should keep central. That’s the place I are available in. I plan to guide by mixing emotion, innovation, and cultural relevance, creating legacy visuals that transfer folks and shift notion.