Scharad Lightbourne 2/23/21 Scharad Lightbourne 2/23/21

CHALLENGE Yourself! You can shoot anywhere!

Often, I'm asked, "How do you come up with your locations?"

My answer is always the same. I get in my car, drive around town and pull out my iPhone when I see a place or space that looks interesting. I am under the mindset that you can shoot anywhere and make it look great with a little improvisation and creativity. My goal for this post was to push and challenge any of my readers who find it hard to find exciting and different space to shoot their subjects.

My client, Le’Annka, wanted to do something different. She didn't wish to studio portraits. She wanted to be creative and diverse, and so she was adamant that we shoot outdoors. When she and I met for a consultation, I showed her my plans for a shoot to take place in tall blades of grass one would find in nature.

Now, living on a small island presents its issue with always having somewhere new to photograph. New Providence, the island that I live on, is only 21 miles long by 7 miles wide, and there are few public spaces one can gain access to. Some areas are overused repeatedly because of convenience, flexibility and can we say lackadaisicalness?

I knew I wanted to shoot Le’Annka in the "bush" on the side of the road, reminiscent of my earlier days of being a photographer. I had no studio, so I used the beaches, bushes and nature as my set. I thought to use a stunning hand-painted canvas backdrop I'd ordered from Portrait Drops on location, sort of a makeshift studio, and I knew I’d mix ambient lighting with my strobe.

Le’Annka was a great subject to photograph. She was easy to direct and her innocence complimented the images that I tried to capture. The natural and ambient light, grass and overall styling created this ambience that I only could find on Pinterest. Still, here I was, capturing these beautiful images in a location that many of us would simply drive past.

Check the images and my first YOUTUBE video for the year. I knew this topic would be relatable to many photographers as its something I'm challenged with. Let me know what you think in the comments, and I'd love to find out other topics you find interest in.

SEE THE GALLERY

Leannka Rigby 📸 by Scharad Lightbourne⁠

Makeup by @ravensimone_mua⁠

Florals: @kvrh1984⁠

Styling: @hannahnsimone⠀⁠⠀⁠

Grip: @tpetithomme⁠

Dress: @rackconsignmentboutique⁠

Backdrop: @portraitdrops⁠

Video: @truevisionFSC

Scharad Lightbourne 2/16/21 Scharad Lightbourne 2/16/21

Neil Dames for Gustavus Augusta, photographed by Scharad Lightbourne

Grand Bahama native, Gustavus Cox, the creative director of Gustavus Augusta and I sat down in September of 2020 to plan and produce this shoot. One of the first challenges we had was finding the right male model to fit the looks. We had cast about 3 guys prior to. I didn't think about Neil Dames until later in the creative process so when I showed Gus Neil’s social media profiles, he exclaimed, “we need him, he’s perfect for this!”

I wasn't sure that Neil would even agree to do the shoot. He’d retired from modelling for some time now, but I thought he could pull this off. I reached out to him on Facebook and told him what I wanted to do, and Neil immediately said yes...reluctantly. Neil said jokingly, "Now, I'm not as young and fit as I use to be Scharad, so you will have A LOT of work to do!"

He was in love with the idea that we could collaborate together for a local brand and of course, he'd get to wear custom suits!

We did an initial tape up where Gus got to sit down and chat with Neil. After taping him up, Gus assured me that he would have samples ready in two weeks. However, he clarified for me that the first fitting session would probably call for adjustments. Surprisingly, when we met again for fitting, the suits fit Neil perfectly! Both jackets and pants from each look fit him as if they were sewn directly onto his body. Perfection!

On the day of the shoot, everyone was excited to work. Neil followed direction very well and moved very quickly and kept reminiscing on his former days as a model. We even laughed about his grey hair and tattooed covered body, which worked well with the shoot's overall aesthetic. Neil was still in good shape and his genes had kept his frame, lanky and slim.

I kept the lighting dramatic and the background simple and focused on getting great shots with Neil that showed these amazing handmade suits.

Have a look at the work below, leave a comment or two. I’d love to hear from you.

Model: Neil Dames // Stylist + Designer: Gustavus Augusta // Accessories: The Pico Brand

Scharad Lightbourne 2/1/18 Scharad Lightbourne 2/1/18

House of Hanna Campaign

Presenting the world premiere of the new collection from HOH boutique. I had the amazing pleasure of directing and shooting both the motion and still images for the boutique and worked with an amazing team for the final results. Please enjoy responsibly.

I had the amazing pleasure of directing and shooting both the motion and still images for HOH boutique and worked with an amazing team for the final results. Our location was truly unique and our team of stylists hit every look with flying colours literally, giving this inaugural campaign a bold, fresh and sexy aesthetic.