I shot my first fragrance campaign!
There aren't any words that can express how excited I was when I got the call from Bahari.
“A fragrance?? I asked?
“You need an ad campaign?” I asked?
I was over the moon because ever since I became a full-time photographer I would drool over magazine ads displaying different fragrances and colognes and I would marvel at how awesome the photography was. So, to now have an opportunity to photograph my own was mind-blowing. I was happy that Bahari was continuing to push the envelope and produce more incredible products for fans of the brand.
With two incredible models as part of my arsenal, the team and I created images against a romantic and irresistible background. The lighting was perfect, hair and makeup were on point and the team, as always, worked seamlessly to get the job done. What was even better was the chemistry between our models. They were uber professional but followed direction to the letter. This was obviously not their first time working together and by jumping from frame to frame, that very same chemistry carried over every time.
I styled, photographed and directed both the still images and video needed for this campaign. Something I’m trying to do more of. Please enjoy.
WATCH THE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO
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Bahari Season 14 Swimwear Campaign
In 2014, I got an email from a new clothing brand based out of a small kiosk in Circle Mall Freeport. As with all my first-time clients, I was excited and intrigued by how this company would make a mark, or if they even would, in a then void-market for ready-to-wear Bahamian clothing. Four years, 11 Campaign Shoots, 14 Collections and 3 Stores Later; Bahari is now the country's Premiere Clothing brand. Needless to say, the pressure was on for The Season 14 Swimwear Campaign.
Anytime I shoot for Bahari, it's always a large production with many different moving parts. A production that requires a few weeks of planning and production. A location has to be found, models sourced and a style team put together. These photoshoots last 8-12 hours easily and require dedication, creativity and the will to push through until the very last shot is taken. Mentally and physically, its taxing on my team and I but the results are great.
The models were a strong lineup, diverse in size and skin tones and we were excited after seeing the sample suits that mixed with an incredibly scenic background, the shoot would be nothing short of amazing. The team was stacked, the pieces had arrived and the models were excited, certainly for a call time of 8 am, which was not so bad compared to photoshoots I'd done before with much earlier call times. The weather was proving to be perfect and the style team got to work putting the girls' faces and hair together while styling fitted the girls and accessorized them.
We shot non-stop, on a marathon of locations and spaces, poses and sessions with both still and film cameras. The team literally felt like they were on fire. We were moving constantly, changing our looks, models, suits, scenes, etc...We even made a joke because it rained twice that day and we felt it was God's way of cooling us down before we overheated.
At the end of a long day, we were exhausted but happy and feeling satisfied that this would be the best Bahari shoot to date. Please enjoy the images and the official promo video below.
Photography: Scharad Lightbourne | Video: Ashley Whitney | Styling: Cardell McClam
Hair: DC Trends | MUAs: Glamourholics + Makeup by Char
Grips: Tariq Cartwright, Seven Thomas, Rayandra Nairn
BTS Video + Pics: Tyreke Butler
Season 10 from Bahari photographed by Scharad Lightbourne
Season 10 from Bahari Bahamas was a very hard campaign to produce. Designs were redrawn and fabric samples tested multiple times. Being the brands chief photographer, I get a first hand preview before it hits the market. The brands CEO trusts my input (sometimes) and values the feedback that he gets from me. My first response after seeing final samples were, "this is the most mature collection from Bahari yet and I know people are going to love it, its a step in the right direction. " Their newest collection has been a long time coming and shows tremendous growth from the brand.
In planning the campaign photoshoot, there were certain elements that always play an important role in the success of the images. The right team had to have been assembled, the right cast and most importantly the right location. Bahari always seems to discover or use its resources to secure pretty mazing location on the island and this one was no different. our scenic view of beautiful blue Bahamian waters, modern architecture and textured backgrounds gave me all the inspiration I needed to put the mood board together. Once approved, I eagerly awaited shoot day.
My team and I worked consistency throughout the day using the sun to our advantage, and fully making use of the property. Along with the YNGDGRTS team, everything ran smoothly and with great ease from location to location. Shooting in direct sunlight is no joke but I was able to use modifiers, a fan and a powerful strobe to achieve the looks the client approved. See some of the images from the campaign below along with the cinematic shoot video below and do enjoy responsibly.
...until the next post! See you guys again and thanks for reading.
Photography: Scharad Lightbourne
MUA: Erinn Treco
Hair Stylist: Jameelah Thompson
Styling: ProductJoint
Video: Ashley Whitney
Photo Assistants: Kenzi Thompson // Jayden Mcintosh
SEE THE COLLECTION
SEE THE CINEMATIC VIDEO
Bahari Spring 2016 Campaign
With the rise of this local clothing giant, Bahari Bahamas Ltd releases their 2016 Spring Campaign. The campaign was shot in Nassau, The Bahamas at The Cliffs. With the talents of Miss Bahamas Universe 15/16 Toria Penn and male model Endierich Rahming, the bright and bold styles of their pieces strike lightning again!
I had the opportunity to preview the pieces for the spring collection before hand and I immediately got excited because every collection, the company seemed to improve tenfold from the last. My team was equally excited and impressed on shoot day agreeing that in fact, to date, this collection has been Bahari's strongest.
The set was alive with great electric energy from our team and models. We had our home base blasting music like we were in the club and with charismatic chatter, strong models and a hype crew, we rocketed through the looks shooting frame after frame with unbelievable precision shouting out ecstatically once achieving that "money" shot.
Photography + Creative Direction: Scharad Lightbourne
MUA: Ts Artistry
Hair: Yonarda Beneby
Styling: The Style Diaries
Models: Toria Penn, Endierich Rahming
Grips: Aaron Davis, Malik Smith