Today we’d like to introduce you to Ikechukwu Dike.
Hi Ikechukwu, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My photography journey began in Spring 2016 — toward the end of my freshman year of college at Texas Tech University as I was studying Mechanical Engineering. Through that year, I’d taken up an interest in photographing and documenting my experience and surrounding, mostly using my phone. A friend of mine who’d had some photography experience suggested I pick up a DSLR to step of the quality of my photos and from there, the fire was ignited. I spent most of my free time learning from videos and articles how to improve at photography and create better images.
My photographic subject interest has always been in portraiture, so while in school, I’d shoot mostly my friends as well senior photos for people in the community. During my time in school, I’d also photographed events for local organizations, and worked at the student-run news publication, The Daily Toreador, eventually becoming its multimedia editor until I graduated in December 2019. After graduating, I returned to Houston to continue shooting, focusing on fashion and beauty projects which is what I am continuing to photograph presently.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In any journey, there will inevitably be some bumps in the road. There’s an initial learning curve as well as the continual learning of the craft that comes as one grows. I think one area for myself that has not always been smooth is creating photography for myself—personal works and projects. There’s a lot of inspiration an artist can take in from the world, and I myself am still learning not only what inspires me most, but now I want to inspire others.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At this point in my photography career, I choose to specialize in fashion and beauty portraiture. Of course, the path of an artist is fluid and can change at any time. I hope to introduce fine art to my work. I think what I’m most proud of is the continual growth I’ve had year over year and how well I’ve been able to capture people — especially Black people. I love sharing Black beauty in my photography and I think this is evident in my work.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I’d say I was quiet yet curious in a hands-on way. Academically I enjoyed math. I also just enjoyed learning about things and how they worked. My interests ranged from video games to sports, automotive, and sneakers, and more. Whatever it was, I was interested in. I’d always learn as much as I could about it.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@ikechukwudike.co
- Website: www.ikechukwudike.co
- Instagram: instagram.com/ikechukwujdike
Image Credits
Ikechukwu Dike
