In recent years, professional studios have lost ground to independent photographers. Notwithstanding the challenges faced by several such freelancers, promising youngsters continue to spring up, giving crisp and clear photos like never before. One such talent is Valerie Dike, Owner of the Dval Photography brand. VALERIE DIKE Valerie was raised in the suburbs of Ojo in Lagos, Nigeria. She has a BA in Internal Studies and Diplomacy from The University of Benin. After graduation, she became interested in photography and took paid online and personal classes. She further honed her skills through many photography trips across the country. Her photography spans many genres, including street photography, portrait photography, and wedding shots that last a lifetime. Currently, her focus is a series of candid portraits of everyday Nigerians who want to have a piece of cherished memories. The smile is the window to the soul for Valerie, who uses pop colors to accentuate and bring life to her portraits. She has turned her lens to using her photographic artistry to document and educate women on being unapologetically themselves. When asked how she ventured into her craft, Valerie had this to say, “I started my photography brand toward the end of 2019, right after my studies at the University. As a woman, finding someone willing to let me practice and grow under their tutelage was difficult. “I initially worked in front of the camera. I tried a couple of video blog sessions and face modeling. But soon enough, I got bored with posing and became more curious about standing on the other side of the camera. So slowly, but certainly, I started my own way in the big universe of photography.”
DVAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Since returning to live and work in Lagos as an adult, she has created photographs that bring to light the
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