Kwesi Arko
A wise man once said, that when someone gets a hold of a group photograph, the first question they ask themselves is, “Where am I?”
When it comes to an individual’s photo, renowned Swiss-American photographer Robert Frank had this to say, “There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment.”
That seems to be the guiding principle of Kwesi Arko, Ghana’s fast-rising sports photographer.
Kwesi Arko ensures that the subjects of a particular photograph do not just admire that piece of artwork in their hands; they fall in love with what they see of themselves in the photo.
Who is Kwesi Arko?
Born Bernard Kwesi Arko a little over three decades ago, this prolific captor of enthralling images had his primary education at Mystical Rose Academy in Sowutuom, Accra, and proceeded to Deyoungsters International School in Nima for Junior High School.
St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School birthed his vision for a profession in the Visual Arts sector, having pursued that course there.
His strong passion for art and, for that matter, photography, is the driving force behind his performance. Evidence of this passion came to the fore very early during his secondary school days. The lot fell on him to design the 60th Anniversary Cloth of Aquinas in his final year. And guess what? He aced it. A feat that gives credence to the credo that ‘coming events cast their shadows.’
Undoubtedly, it takes a high dose of passion to make the image of an ordinary Ghanaian delicacy, a bowl of Banku and Okro stew, shot on Monday, 18th June 2018, trend in the digital space for days.
A thoroughbred visual artist
Aside from passion, Kwesi Arko’s excellence in photography is rooted in his innate creative abilities.
He started photography in 2018 with his phone and sought tutorials from YouTube on how to operate a ‘borrowed’ DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) from a friend.
“That’s how my professional photography journey started,” the young lover of cameras recounts.
That aforementioned passion drove Kwesi Arko to teach himself all that he knows about photography: video production, graphic design, and social media marketing.
Expectedly, his passion-driven abilities have attracted big brands such as MTN, Infinix, Uber, and TECNO, whose assignment briefs he nailed effortlessly. And ooh! Riel Films is where Kwesi Arko honed his filmmaking skills. Needless to say, they did a fine job at refining the raw gem in him.
Prior to venturing into sports and wildlife photography, he had shot weddings, portraits, and commercials for individuals and companies but wasn’t fulfilled. Kwesi Arko therefore sold all his equipment at some point.
This momentary hold-up was followed by a period of self-introspection. Then, eureka!! That light-bulb moment occurred: “I realized I’ve always gravitated towards action and wildlife—shooting action sports and wildlife always made me fulfilled.”
He does not carry those huge lenses for nothing. As a FIFA, CAF, and AFC-accredited sports photographer, attention to detail is his hallmark.
This earned him the accolade 'Details man' from his colleague photographers during the African Games held recently (March 2024). That’s because all the photos in the top trends online were shot by one photographer: Kwesi Arko.
The icing on the cake was the use of most of his photos by some local media houses and some renowned sports journalists adjudging them as “the best from the event.”
Among the tournaments that Kwesi Arko has had the privilege of covering are the WAFU U-17 Championship in Accra, the Women’s FA Cup Final, the Ghana Women’s Premier League Final, and the FIFA World Cup qualifier between the Ghana Black Stars and the Central African Republic.
The future can only get brighter
With a 5-year-old career that has taken him to places across Ghana and abroad, Kwesi Arko sees himself covering the World Cup in his dreams. But they say dreams come true, so...
“In the next five years, I see myself covering the World Cup and other big sporting events,” Kwesi Arko envisions.
If you need photography services, the choice is obvious: Kwesi Arko it is. The brand promise is “Photos that tell your story.” Thus, if you are a sports fan or wildlife enthusiast, the details you see in Kwesi’s photos do not make you regret missing the live scene.
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