Beauty Photography In A Pool

in ,

I was the first photographer to take professional images of Candice, nearly 9 years ago! A lot has changed since then. We have both grown as individuals and as creatives. Candice, undeniably so has been photographed by nearly every photographer on the island so I knew my approach had to be different, simple, easy...you know, my style! I spoke to Candice and she agreed and she became elated because we hadn't shot in such a very long time.

I wanted to keep things simple. My lighting, styling and even the models hair and makeup I wanted to keep clean and light. I wanted to put the focus on her face because she has such interesting features. She has a timeless and classic beauty reminding me of an actress from the 60s. So using my homemade scrim and a circular reflector, I was able to control the light and get great frames while shooting.

Candice was great, she knew how to angle her face so that I got the looks I had envisioned. In post after retouching, I added some Lightroom magic and it really gave the images the finishing look they needed.

Photography + Styling: Scharad LightbourneMUA: T's ArtistryGrips: Tariq Cartwright + Malik Smith 

Photography + Styling: Scharad Lightbourne

MUA: T's Artistry

Grips: Tariq Cartwright + Malik Smith 

Manipulating Natural Light for Portraits with Simple Modifiers

in ,

I woke up one morning and decided that I wanted to shoot some natural light portraits and I scrolled through my Instagram to see who I could ask randomly. It's great when you can find someone who actually models and acts also. Elena Bargo was just that person that I had in mind to shoot for such an exercise so when I reached out to her and mentioned what I wanted to do, she happily agreed. We had tried working together before but busy schedules and that cup of tea made it tricky at times. So when I finally locked her down, I think my finals words to her in my pitch were, "let's make it happen!"

Elena mentioned that she lives just off an old golf course and in my head, the greens, trees and foliage would be perfect for the shoot. So after sending her a mood board and agreeing on wardrobe, my team and I set out to capture Elena and shoot a tutorial video at the same time.

Armed with a simple setup, I used two modifiers; 1 large diffuser and 1 collapsible reflector,  manipulating the light on the golf course and illuminating my subject who gave me great looks the entire set. We shot at different points on the course and even threw in a few small props just to give the shoot more of a lifestyle feel. Light retouching and small presets in Lightroom produced a look that I am more than pleased with and I think Elena was too with the entire experience. Watch the Video below and subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more videos.

Image: Scharad Lightbourne // MUA: Erinn Simone

Image: Scharad Lightbourne // MUA: Erinn Simone

WATCH THE TUTORIAL VIDEO. SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE

Video: Tony Williams Media. Editing: Scharad Lightbourne

Lifestyle Photography with Carolyn Carter

in ,

Carolyn Carter, Miss US Virgin Islands visits Nassau a couple times a year and every time she comes into town, we always set up a photo-shoot. Carolyn loves lifestyle photography, and so do I. I love the free flowing natural of this particular style and that would make it easy to shoot someone who equally felt the same.

We took a boat out and ventured into the Lyford Cay area to find the perfect spot to shoot several different looks. Being the unapologetically impatient photographer that I am, I began to shoot Carolyn onboard the boat!

Being an island girl at heart, Carolyn pulled looks from brands like BHLDN, LikeToKNowIt, Solid and Striped and Isabella Rose Swim, which helped us get some great shots around the key. The beach was beautiful and has spaces full of character on which to shoot my model against including and old dock which I thoroughly enjoyed retreating under for shade! Overall the shoot went great and using natural light, we got some really nice photos.

Image: Scharad Lightbourne // Swimsuit by: Isabella Rose Swim

Image: Scharad Lightbourne // Swimsuit by: Isabella Rose Swim

Lifestyle Portraits of Artist in The Bahamas

in , ,

I'm a part of an industry where there are some pretty amazing creatives, many whom I've had the pleasure to photograph. I've known illustrator and painter,  Philece for quite some time and I've always admired her creativity. Her illustrations match her personality, soft, vibrant with an energy you have to see in person to believe. 

I called her and said "Philece, let's shoot!" and with little to no reluctance, she adamantly accepted my offer. I told her I wanted to shoot her in her environment, the studio, her front yard with simple styling but capturing her personality and energy.

My approach as the photographer was to capture her in bright surroundings with clean bursts of light and pops of color that would portray Philece the way I saw her. I knew many of the shots would be "in the moment" and with her quirky, awkwardly funny and an aesthetic that bleeds creativity, I knew I'd capture her candidly and create images that truly represent the artist. 

Photography + Styling: Scharad LightbourneMUA: Makeup by LilyGrips: Keron Wood // Video: Tony Williams

Photography + Styling: Scharad Lightbourne

MUA: Makeup by Lily

Grips: Keron Wood // Video: Tony Williams

Braneka Bassett photographs with Bahamian photographer Scharad Lightbourne

in , ,

Braneka Bassett, a former Miss Bahamas was flying into Nassau and contacted me asking if I wanted to shoot. Braneka, being local to LA, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to work together. We had tried so many times to collaborate but due to equally busy schedules, we never got the chance until now.

"Sure!" was my response of course and I spoke to Braneka about what type of look we could shoot because we only had a few hours with her! She even had a location secured before flying in and she told me that I'd love it; a house on Lake Cunningham.

With literally an hour before sunset, an incredible suit from Beach Bunny Swimwear, and a few simple Aldo accessories, the team and I captured Braneka doing what she does best and effortlessly at that! We got great frames and everyone was excited to shoot with this Bahamian beauty. 

Photography + Styling: Scharad LightbourneMUA: Antonya Jenoure // Hair: Kelly Pinder Grips: Malik Smith + Kenzi Thompson + Tariq Cartwright

Photography + Styling: Scharad Lightbourne

MUA: Antonya Jenoure // Hair: Kelly Pinder 

Grips: Malik Smith + Kenzi Thompson + Tariq Cartwright

WATCH THE FILM BELOW

Filmed by Tony Williams, Directed by Scharad Lightbourne