Struggling mom-of-2 selling bread on streets accidentally photobombed a picture— and it changed her life

Sometimes, life’s greatest transformations unfold in the blink of an eye. It only takes one bold decision to trust an unexpected opportunity. We often assume the version of life we’re living now will continue much the same way tomorrow, but research suggests that belief is misleading. A large-scale study published in Science surveyed more than 19,000 people and found that individuals consistently underestimate how much their lives will change in the future, even though their past decade proves dramatic shifts are common. The researchers called this tendency the “end of history illusion,” describing how people wrongly assume their personal growth and circumstances have mostly settled.

A similar fate befell Olajumoke Orisaguna, a young mother of two struggling to make ends meet. Her financial situation was so dire that at 27, she left her family and moved to Lagos to work at a relative's bakery. But little did Orisaguna realize then her decision would transform her from an ordinary bread seller to a fashion model overnight—All thanks to professional photographer, TY Bello (@tybello).

After working with several international personalities like Beyonce and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bello was in Lagos for a photoshoot with British rapper Tinie Tempah. While Orisaguna was selling bread on the streets, she unknowingly photobombed their professional shoot. Initially, Bello didn't notice anything remarkable, reported HuffPost UK. However, trusting her instincts, Bello asked Orisaguna if she was comfortable being photographed. Once she agreed, Bello began taking pictures and was stunned by the results. "I was wrong to have paid her such little attention. Every frame with her in it was perfect," she revealed. 

The photoshoot was over but Bello could not take the mysterious woman out of her mind. She was drawn towards her beauty and perhaps her confidence. "She walked onto our set and magic happened. It wasn't planned at all. I didn't even know I nailed the narrative until I edited it a few days later," Bello wrote in her Instagram post where Orisaguna stood beside Tempah, looking absolutely stunning. The post received an overwhelming response on social media with lots of people appreciating the bread seller for her beauty, confidence and aura.

For instance, @salhernandez wrote, "Her confidence in herself while selling bread and probably not knowing how stunning she is is gripping on my heartstrings. Such a strong and absolutely stunning woman!" @kimberlymitchum commented, "This woman is so lovely! Beautiful photo. God bless her abundantly." Meanwhile, omotena_1 wrote, "Something about this bread seller really, she has this pose and elegance even with the tray of bread balanced on her head. Favour indeed."

After tracking down the bread seller, Bello delighted everyone by revealing the cover of the Nigerian magazine 'This Day Style,' featuring Orisaguna. "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," Bello revealed. And just like that, an ordinary woman who accidentally walked into Tinie Tempah's photoshoot was transformed into an international model.

You can follow TY Bello (@tybello) on Instagram for more such photography-related stories.

This article originally appeared 1 year ago.