Skillnaija All courses →

My First Client Shoot: Capturing a Nigerian Small Business

The capstone project for Photography & Videography — a free Creative course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

A Google Drive link containing 3 best edited photos (JPEG/PNG) and one edited video (MP4) of your chosen Nigerian small business.

What to do, step by step

  1. Find a local Nigerian small business (e.g., a roadside food vendor, a tailor, a salon, a 'mama put' stand, a local artisan) that you can approach to offer a free photo and short video shoot. Explain that you are a student learning photography and videography and want to help them showcase their business.
  2. Plan your shoot: Discuss with the business owner what they want to highlight. Think about the best time for lighting, what angles will make their products or services look appealing, and what story you want to tell. Remember to use your phone!
  3. Execute the shoot: Take at least 5 high-quality photos and record a short video (1-2 minutes) that captures the essence of their business. Focus on good composition, natural lighting, and clear audio for the video. Get close-ups of their products, shots of them interacting with customers, and their workspace.
  4. Edit your work: Use free mobile editing apps (like Snapseed, Lightroom Mobile, InShot, or CapCut) to enhance your photos and video. Correct colours, crop, and add a simple intro/outro to your video if you like. Ensure the final output looks professional and appealing.
  5. Present your work: Share the edited photos and video with the business owner. Get their feedback. Then, upload your best 3 photos and the edited video to a Google Drive folder and share the link for submission.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 6 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
Quality of Photos (Composition, Lighting, Clarity)35%
Quality of Video (Storytelling, Visuals, Audio, Editing)35%
Relevance to Business & Client Satisfaction (Demonstrated by choice of shots and overall presentation)20%
Technical Execution (Editing, file formats, submission adherence)10%

You need 70% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Photography & Videography before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Photography & Videography is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 70% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 5 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

More Creative projects

Ready to earn this certificate?

Photography & Videography is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

Start learning free