Steem4nigeria Accelerator Contest Week 96: This is Me.

Good afternoon everyone! ☀️

I’m really happy to be part of this amazing contest, and I want to sincerely thank @steem4nigeria for organizing and hosting this beautiful opportunity for us.

Though I’m coming a bit late, I’m truly glad to still be here. Now, here’s my little piece… 💛

What's something that always makes you smile?

To be honest, it’s the little things that get to me. I don’t always need something big to smile sometimes, it’s just when someone remembers something small about me, or when I randomly hear children laughing in the distance. That laughter, especially the way it’s full and unbothered, it reminds me that there’s still joy left in the world.

But if I’m really being honest, there’s something else that always makes me smile, it’s when I go back to the photos I’ve taken, especially during the time I worked in the studio. Even the ones I took with my phone, raw and unedited they make me smile. Not just because of how they look, but because of what they remind me of: a time when I was learning, trying, and daring to believe that I could create something beautiful.

Sometimes I look at a photo and smile, not because it’s perfect, but because I was the one who took it. I captured a moment that will never come back again. There’s a quiet joy in that. A photo can freeze a second of joy, a second of light, a second of hope, and that’s something worth smiling for.

What's your favorite way to spend a day off?

A perfect day off for me is not noisy or packed. It’s calm. It’s quiet. It’s a day that allows me to breathe and just be myself without pressure.

I’d probably start by not rushing out of bed. I’d stretch, maybe listen to soft music or scroll through pictures on my phone especially the ones I never got around to editing. I’d pick one or two, open Snapseed or Lightroom, and just play around with the lighting, the tone, the feel. Not for anybody, not for posting, just for me.

Photography has a way of calming me. Even if I’m not out shooting, just looking through my gallery brings back memories. Sometimes I take a walk with my phone, looking out for soft light, shadows on a wall, or
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something random but beautiful and I snap. People don’t always understand it, but that’s what makes me happy.

Later in the day, I might prepare something simple to eat maybe a chilled drink and puff-puff then just relax. Watch a film, or listen to someone talk about creativity on YouTube. That’s how I refill myself. That’s how I come back to life after a long week. No noise, no stress, just quiet joy.

Is there any skill you'd love to learn and why?

Yes, the skill I really want to learn properly is mobile photo editing. I’ve touched it before. I’ve tried things here and there on Snapseed and Lightroom, especially during my studio days. But now, I want to take it seriously.

I want to understand how to tell full stories with my edits. How to bring out the beauty in a photo even if it was taken with an ordinary phone. I want to understand light, color grading, skin tones, and how to edit naturally without losing the soul of the image.

Why? Because it gives me a voice. When I edit a photo, I’m not just adjusting brightness or contrast. I’m controlling how a memory will be remembered. I’m saying something without even speaking. That’s power.

And honestly, I want to be able to rebuild myself with what I have. I don’t have access to fancy equipment now. The studio gear I once used wasn’t mine. But I still have my phone, and I still have my passion. Learning editing deeply would mean I can keep creating, keep expressing myself, and even open doors again even if no one is supporting me right now. I want to be able to grow with what I have. That’s why I want to learn it.

What's that something you're grateful for and why?

I’m grateful for the version of me that never gave up, even when I felt like everything around me was falling apart.

There were times when I wanted to give up completely, times when I felt like I had nothing left in me. No support, no encouragement, no proper tools. I had dreams, but no one to help me chase them. And yet, somehow, I still woke up the next day and tried again.

That kind of strength? It’s not loud. It’s not the type people clap for. But I know it’s there. I see it in the way I still talk about photography even when I’m not holding a camera. I feel it in the way I still take photos with my phone and try to edit them, even if I’m just sitting alone, with tears dried on my cheeks.

I’m grateful for the me that still believes. The me that sees beauty even when things feel ugly. The me that’s trying not perfectly, not loudly but sincerely. That quiet strength is the reason I’m still here, still dreaming.

What's the favorite memory you have of yourself?

One of my favorite memories is the first time I was left alone with the camera in the studio. I still remember how nervous I was. My boss had stepped out and said, Just continue try and shoot something small.

I was shaking inside, but I picked up the camera. The softbox was already on. A little girl in a pink dress was waiting, smiling shyly. I gave her gentle directions, adjusted the lens like I’d seen others do, and clicked.

Later, I sat down to edit that picture. I adjusted the tones, softened the highlights, and added a bit of warmth. When I showed it to her mum, she said, “This is the best picture anyone has ever taken of her.”

That day, I felt something shift in me. I felt seen. I felt capable
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. That memory is still the reason I believe I can do this. Even now, when I feel like I’m starting over from scratch with only a phone and no equipment I still think about that moment. I remind myself you’ve done this before, and you can do it again.