MIMI's Hot 21: Obi Somto: The Drama King (No. 007)

Written By: MIM!—Learn more about photographer Obi Somto, who we dubbed as the Drama King of MIMI's Hot 21 as he completes 10 sentences that reveal more about his Soul. Substance. Style.

1. I knew my career in photography and me were meant to be when ... I've always been art inclined, and I always thought it would be lovely if I could make a living through my arts... I guess I knew it was going to be photography when my friend and manager said to me, "Somto, we have to start making money from your photographs" the next week I got a job to do a models portfolio.

2. The last time my breath was taken away was ... Hmmmmm, errrmmm, funny it was very recently, I was watching Aljazera, the Eye Witness programme I think. It was a story of an American dentist who's passion is photography. He's been taking pictures of the world trade center, which was the tallest building in the world at the time for many years now. He has about 50000 pictures of the world trade center before it was destroyed and the last photo he took of it was a week before the september 11 attack. He has been selling photos of the world trade center and donating the proceeds to the new york fire dept fund since the 9/11 attack. My mouth was open the whole time I was watching the documentary so its safe to say that was the last time my breath was taken away.

3. My fictional hero is ... Superman. Any photographer would or should totally adore the man of steal. He is just awesome, come on, having all his powers, you would be able to make any photograph you think of without limitations, it would just be uber awesome.

4. The person I look up to the most is ... Hmmm. Well Jesus is not a person right? It would have definitely been Him. I don't look up to any one person in particular, though I look up to certain things or qualities from different people to make the ultimate person. Some of these people are, my big brother, Kelechi Obi, Jide Alakija, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Annie Leibovitz, Yervant and my uncle, Sir Nnamdi Obi, just to mention a few.

5. Africa is ... the Mother Land, its all about us.

6. The thing I value most in life is ... probably my freedom. I've never thought of this till now (laughs).

7. I wish I could change ... When you come to think of it, nothing really. I'm grateful to God Almighty for everything, there is a reason why things are the way they are.

8. My motto is ... the best or nothing.

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Watch this space to see Obi Somto's work, and for more from him, visit his official website www.ObiSomto.com.

(Photo Credits: © Obi Somto)