The business of pictures

By LEMACH LAVARI
WITH the introduction of mobile phone devices and the internet, Papua New Guineans, especially those in urban centers are storing more personal data online, especially pictures.
Moreover, the art of photography is gradually growing as a portion of urban internet users invest in high end devices equipped with cameras capable of capturing images in high definition.
Social media platforms Facebook and Instagram are the common places where many store their personal data. Anyone with access to internet and a Facebook or Instagram account can confirm that there is a growing number of photography pages and accounts set up by local photographers.
With PNG having a traditionally oral society, where information about our cultural history is passed on verbally through songs, chants, tales and teaching, many of our cultural aspects are at the risk of being lost as society changes.
Therefore, the significance of this photography trend is that through these online pages and accounts, Papua New Guineans can document aspects of our traditional history.
In addition, these photographers upload pictures of PNG landscapes and culture and it is available to a global audience.
One such photography page is ADirua Photography (www.facebook.com/adirua.photography). ADirua Photography was created by Alistairs Dirua of Chimbu in 2016. Currently, Alistairs and his two younger brothers, Malcolm Dirua and Ayang Dirua assist with the photography and picture framing for the business.
I came across ADirua Photography last year on Facebook through an image posted by a friend. The image was of the ADirua Photography stall built for the Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Expo. In visiting the stall that weekend, I found it to be unusual and unique, and a work of art in itself.
The walls (three in all) of used pallets gave it a rustic feel, with added black stripes giving it a resemblance of an old fire-damaged shack.
Beautifully-captured images, on beautifully-framed images didn’t fail to catch the eye of the public who were looking through the displays.
Pictures of PNG landscapes, people in traditional bilas (attire) and portraits printed on canvas and on photo paper adorned the walls.
Building frames is an edge the company possesses, and this didn’t go unnoticed with ADirua Photography winning the prize for the most creative stall at the expo and receiving prizes from Digicel worth K10, 000.
“We don’t really have a theme. Anything that inspires us makes for a photo opportunity,” Malcolm said.
The initial idea to go into photography was Alistairs’.
Alistairs was formerly the Information and Technology (IT) manager for Christian Health Services PNG.
“My previous job gave me the opportunity to travel and see this country in its raw form. It was then that I started developing my photography skills,” he said
In 2016 Alistairs won first prize in the Commonwealth Photography Competition for the Pacific region category. The competition sought to inspire people throughout the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth to hone their camera skills and capture striking images that reflect that year’s theme of ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’.
Alistairs’ winning picture was of the fireworks display during the 2015 Pacific Games opening ceremony in Port Moresby.
“Thinking back now, as a child I have always had this interest in cameras. I wondered what the world would look like through the lens of a camera. That passion for photography was always there.”
Malcolm was a graphic artist and photographer for a local advertising company. It wasn’t until he started work with a former MP that his interest in photography grew. The idea to create picture frames followed.
“I had the privilege of travelling around the world as part of work and therefore was able to buy tools and other necessary equipment for making frames.
“I also noticed that not many people printed pictures on canvas, unlike overseas where it is popular and decided to incorporate that as well.”
The idea to do that led him and his brothers to teach themselves woodworking skills as well.
Alistairs bought his first camera- a Cannon EOS 1100D – on Ebay in 2014. He now uses a Cannon 5D Mark 2 as the primary camera.
“In 2015 my wife and I had the privilege of witnessing the opening ceremony of the Pacific Games at the Sir John Guise stadium in Port Moresby. We sat at the grandstand and had an amazing view of the opening ceremony.”
That night he took the picture of the fireworks that later won first prize in the Commonwealth photography competition.
“I was ecstatic to find out later that my entry had won first prize in the Asia Pacific region. I won a cash prize of £500 pounds, around K2000.”
The SME Expo was a two day event that showcased the businesses of more than 40 Papua New Guinean entrepreneurs. It was also an avenue for information-sharing between SME business owners.
Alistairs said the event gave their business a much needed exposure.
“People who visited our stall were impressed with our concept. I was approached by several large organizations to provide our photography services for their events,” he said.
The show garnered a lot of public interest and was a game changer for them.
“Someone even asked if they could buy the walls,” he quipped.
That experience has convicted Alistairs to register ADirua as a formal photography company.
Malcolm is confident of the opportunity to go online to sell to overseas clients.
“In a way too we will be promoting PNG. We have friends overseas that want our framed pictures. We had started doing photography out of love for the art and turning it into a business does not change that. We love what we do. The smile on the faces of our clients is reward enough to us,” Malcolm said.