Arteh Odjidja Explains Why the Last Shot Is Often the Best Shot

Arteh Odjidja is a portrait and documentary photographer and teacher whose work has been exhibited at the likes of the Tate Modern and the British Museum.

On this episode of Them Frames That Make Us, he walks me through three images that have shaped his journey. We start with a photo of his father, a Ghanaian filmmaker who trained in London and worked for the BBC, and Arteh opens up about their relationship, the stories he gathered at his father’s bedside, and how that led to his book, Fear and Dreams.

From there, we head to the Niger Delta, where Arteh documented the impact of decades of oil spills in a project that was featured in The Guardian.

We also talk about the confidence it takes to deliver for a client, and we close with a never-published image from Sierra Leone that raises big questions about power, influence, and who gets to shape a young generation’s future.

It’s an honest and thoughtful conversation, and I’d encourage you to watch it through to the end.

You can see more work by Arteh via his website and Instagram.

Author

  • Dan Ginn

    Dan Ginn is an Arts and Technology journalist specializing in photography and software products. He’s the former Arts & Culture Editor at The Phoblographer and has also featured in Business Insider, Digital Trends, and DPReview.