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Nigerian Bread Hawker Stumbles into Modeling Fame, Accidentally Photo Bombs Singer’s Shoot

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Ty Bello

Photo by TY Bello

Olajumoke Orisaguna was a hair stylist from the Osun state in Nigeria before making her big break into modeling. Recently, she moved to Lagos to make extra cash hawking bread in order to help her family. She is married and has a 14-month-old daughter and 5-year-old. Orisaguna’s eldest child is currently with her husband in Osun.

British-Nigerian recording artist Tinie Tempah was in Lagos shooting with fellow Nigerian, photographer TY Bello, when Orisaguna photobombed the shoot last week. Instantly, the photo below went viral among Bello’s fans.

They wanted to know more about the beautiful woman in the image and overnight Orisaguna’s life changed for the better.

Bello got in contact with the woman and shared her story with all of her Instagram followers.

So I found her …our beauty from the @tiniegram shoot and boy have I got a fantastic story to share with you all. Right here is an amazing 27yr old mother of two , Jumoke Sunday with an incredible life story .I called on three amazing artists @bimpeonakoya for beautiful makeup .. @zubbydefinition for hair and @emaedosio to make a short documentary about her .. Every one gave a yes !on the spot . They were all at the studio within an hour and we had the most amazing shoot with her. I've also spoken to a few people about the best way to help move her forward and reunite her with her family . … The process has already begone and I'll figure out the best way to have anyone who wants to be part of the journey .Meeting and photographing her has inspired us all and we can't wait for the good that will come to her from all of this to unfold . She doesn't speak English well but here ,she was explaining how she found us . I had sent an assistant , as many of you advised ,to leave a message with the people in the area where we photographed her… So here she is .. #Olajumoke #tybellophotography #findingjumoke #thebeginning

A video posted by TY Bello (@tybello) on

Bello writes:

“As I listened to her, I wondered if the beauty I had seen on my screen as I edited my image was a fluke, well until she smiled, I realized that I was wrong, I had in fact, underestimated the beauty of this 27-year-old woman. As always, it was her eyes and of course, her perfectly chiseled features that jumped out at you when she chuckled. This lady belonged in front of my camera. After a conversation with her husband telling him the story of our meeting, I decided I was going to photograph her that very afternoon. Within an hour, Bimpe Onakoya, one of Nigeria’s leading makeup artist, and Zubby, one of my favorite hairstylists, were at my studio to work magic. They had both followed the story online and were more than happy to put in their very best for her.”

Orisaguna’s success story has resonated with other Nigerians and she has become an inspiration to others via social media. One photo has essentially launched the career of woman trying to provide for her family with odd jobs.

Getting that bread.

A photo posted by Tinie Tempah (@tiniegram) on

OLAJUMOKE SUNDAY ORISAGUNA : A PORTRAIT WITH GRACE – part 1 I only recently started thinking it was important to make 'behind -the – scenes videos of my photography sessions . I hardly , however make time to go through the footages simply because I find it uncomfortable looking at my self on screen and for the obvious fact that I sound wierd and embarrassingly loud when I shoot . Yesterday how ever I sat with filmaaker @emaedosio as we combed through go-pro footages to see if we captured the very moment .. Olajumoke a bread hawker from the Sabo market bakery , walked entirely by coincidence unto our set of our Thisday style shoot for @tiniegram The moment didn't look special at all. If anything she stood there a little confused .. Some people asking her to leave the set and others asking her to stay . I signaled if it was ok to take her photograph and she agreed and I pressed on my shutter so she could move ahead . My main subject of interest was the Okada driver that had slowed down just before she arrived .Okada riders have that cool lagos vibe and always happen to add a bit of swag to street portraits. I was wrong to have paid her such little attention. Ever frame with her in it was perfect .. I had found a second subject in the Tinnie's story .. A young beautiful hawker who could have served as a love interest of some sort .Digitally I made the red in her dress match @tiniegram sleeves to create a connection between them . When the magazine came out last week and the images hit social media , I was proven right this girl split the limelight with the main subject effortlessly ..questions and comments started to fly : Was she a model ? How did we convince the model to balance all that bread on her head . The buzz about her multiplied when I clarified that she indeed wasn't a model at all but simply stumbled on our set. I immediately begone my search for her .If so many felt she was beautiful enough to be a model.. Then maybe she was mean to be one .I was going to find a way to make it happen .I had assistants leave word with people in the area we shot her and to my delight the very next day , she showed up at my studio .. (To be continued )

A photo posted by TY Bello (@tybello) on

Many people on Twitter are impressed by her story. Some see it as an act of good fortune and others are impressed by her beauty.

Orisaguna is currently signed to the Nigerian-based Few Model Management Boutique and Scouting Agency.

@olajumoke__o fittings today for @AprilByKunbi collection covered by CNN #Lookbook #Few✨✨

A photo posted by Few Model Management (@fewmodels) on

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