Ghanaian-born Photographer and Creative Director, APM World, has advised that young creators and photographers do not need expensive equipment to get started in the creative field.
In an interview, APM World alias Emmanuel Mensah Sasu Agbeble, said that the journey for a young photographer can begin with the phone camera already in their hands.
“We started shooting basketball freestyles on an old Sony camera and a Samsung phone back in the day,” APM World said, stressing, “You don’t need a 2,000-dollar camera, you can start with the phone.”
APM World’s advice counters the common misconception that professional-level cameras are necessary to break into commercial photography.
However, the international creative director points out that the skills behind the work is the most important and not necessarily the equipment.
“The camera is not as important as the skills behind it when you’re first starting out,” he said.
“Learn composition, lighting, storytelling with the device already in your pocket. That smartphone can take you far if you maximize its capabilities,” he added.
Now celebrated for his evocative portraits and documentation of African music stars, APM World rose to prominence by leveraging platforms like Facebook and Instagram to share his early mobile photos. He has worked with several renowned African artists including Stonebwoy, Burna Boy, Black Sherif, Gyakie, Asake, Davido, M.anifest, and other non-African artists Rick Ross, Lil Wayne and institutions such as NBA, NHL and BMAC.
APM World’s recent work was the cover image of Burna Boy on the “ItoldThem” Mag and Grammy-nominated Album.
His photography hobby transitioned into an international brand when he started directing creative works for African superstars, including Burnaboy, Davido, Asake, Bnxn (fka. Buju), Stonebwoy, Wizkid, Black Sherif, Ruger, Kwesi Arthur, Gyakie, Show Dem Camp, M.anifest, Firebwoy among others, during their American/European tours especially in New York since 2015.
APM World won for himself the notable Ernie Paniccioli Award for Best Photographer by the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) in 2023. The international filmmaker and photographer has been involved in creative projects for Festivals & Concerts such as Rolling Loud, I told Them Tour, Twice As Tall Tour, Coachella, Flytime Festival, Afro Punk, Afro Future, Afro Nation, Yemi Alade Concerts, 5th Dimension Tour, Governor’s Ball, Hip Hop @50, Canadian and South American tours, NBA, NHL and many others.
