CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS WHO SEE NO BOUNDARIES.

Name: I am a Shinobi named Tobi otherwise known as Tobi Shinobi

City: London raised me but Chi Town pays me.

Current Employment: Senior Content Creator, working for Havas Chicago. My job entails, taking photos, making videos and editing.

What do you shoot with: I shoot mainly on my Sony A7r3, I use a Mavic Pro 2, a Go Pro Hero 7, and a few other things can be found in my utility belt. As far as lenses go, the desert island lens (as in if I had only one to use for the rest of my life) is my Sony 35mm 1.4 closely followed by my Sigma 14mm 1.8.

How did you get started / Was there a moment you remember first falling in love with photography?

I remember it clearly, I was out in East London, Shoreditch to be specific and I stumbled across this derelict area covered in graffiti. There were all these crushed spray paint cans, surrounded by broken glass, nails and the like. The cans were rusted through and just discarded with reckless abandon.

The area itself was this surreal broken down remains of a train bridge spray painted with this huge piece of art. The work in itself was inspiring but the crushed cans were what caught my attention the most for the shot. I remember getting really close to one of the cans with the camera. It was my first time playing with depth of field with an subject matter that had an interesting enough background to make it matter. I pressed the shutter button, reviewed the shot and that was pretty much it. My first hit of bokeh and I was hooked.

What was your first big gig?

My work on the Adidas NMD campaign was the first one that I felt solidified my status even though I’d worked with them before a few times, this one sticks as a personal fav as it was after I took the leap to go full freelance and I still have love for that work.

http://www.tobishinobi.com/adidas-nmd/

What are some opportunities you’ve had that wouldn’t have happened without sharing your work on Instagram?

I was headhunted to work for Havas Chicago, as a result of my work on Instagram. I moved here two years ago and it’s not an understatement to say that it’s changed my life. Since starting photography I’ve travelled the world, visiting over 50 cities, attended movie premieres, been in magazines, documentaries, won awards, made some of the best friends and met some of the most inspiring people and had the opportunity of being able to inspire others all while having a fun time. It’s hard work but it’s been a blessing.

Describe your current style.

Simply complex perspective. My style is a manifestation of the balance I try to achieve in life. I just want you to see what i see.

What other Artists are you currently following?

There’s too many to mention and I apologise to any I immediately forgot but recently these people have been killing it:

@littlecoal /@itsreuben / @andyto / @visualmemories / @rontimehin / @mabdulle / @danorst / @badluckbae / @ddesigns / @demas / @itchban

What are some of your goals for 2019?

Travel more and spread good vibes. Oh and visit down under.