Lisa Nichols and Marcellus Hall Engagement Shoot on the island of Eleuthera
I remember getting a call from Lisa Nichols quite early one Sunday morning. She told me that she'd been approached by several publications to use her and Marcellus Hall’s official engagement photos. She said, " Scharad, before I start, I just need you to say yes!"
I didn't hesitate either. I said, "Lisa, whatever we do, we can't shoot in Nassau. We need to go to Eleuthera!"
I told Lisa that shooting in Eleuthera would give me a playground of different locations that I'd photographed before but not enough. Eleuthera is in my top 3 most beautiful islands in our archipelago. Lisa told me she’d never been, but she trusted me with her vision.
On day 1, we took Lisa and Marcellus near the Hatchet Bay Silos. It was a beautiful sight to see this couple move alongside the road. They were talking and smiling together, embracing and overall having a great time with these impressive structures in the background.
This was one of many locations we used on the island. We shot in Gregory Town, Queen’s Bath and on the beautiful Gaulding Cay Beach. I don’t know if my team were more excited about the images of the couple or about discovering all these picturesque pockets of Eleuthera.
WATCH THE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO
📸: Photography by: Scharad Lightbourne
🎥: Videography by: TandT Media
👗: Stylist: Anastarcia Palacious
💄: Makeup: Torkel Dawkins
✊🏾: Grip: Tameka Petit Homme
Leo Creary, wedding photographer models in editorial for his 30th birthday
Leo Creary, a gifted wedding photographer, called me very excited about his 30th birthday. In fact, every year, I shoot Leo for some occasion but turning 30 was a milestone for him, and he shared a few concepts with me. I’ve photographed Leo for years, and you may recognize our work together from shooting him and his wife Keva’s fantastic wedding in Bimini, The Bahamas. I enjoy working with Leo as he always gives me creative control for photographing him, and it didn’t take me long to come up with styling for the photographer.
I wanted a rugged background because Leo was going to be styled in some pretty dapper suits. A cream, pinstripe, and 3-piece suits, but there was one more piece missing. I thought a vintage Land Rover would have been perfect, and in my search, I could not find an owner willing to let me use their vehicle. So I moved onto plan b to source my dream SUV, a Jeep Wrangler JL. I called a buddy of mine who I knew would say yes right away…and he did!
Once we arrived at our location, I tested a few shots with artificial light, but I decided to shoot natural. I hadn’t shot natural for some time. I’ve become a strobe nut, and I’ve been shooting more studio work, but being outdoors in that fantastic location just sparked that in me. The area we shot at was primarily used for landfills, and the white limestone rocks bounced light all around me. It was heaven. I photographed Leo in and around the vehicle, trying to tell a story with the images.
Leo was natural, posing and moving his body to complement the lens. We did shots still, moving and took risks climbing the limestone to get great pictures from different perspectives. I loved how the images turned out. Please enjoy them below.
THE HINSEY'S: STYLED HOLIDAY PHOTOSHOOT
For the second year in a row, The Hinsey family has charged me with shooting their holiday photos. This time around we all discussed a different approach. Honestly, D’Vanya had everything planned out. I gave my input and we agreed to be on the same accord. She wanted something very upscale and stylish and I knew why. Last year, we shot a pajama themed concept in their home so it only felt natural to move to the opposite end of the spectrum.
D’Vanya had her dress picked out, she had sent me photos earlier and I knew that I wanted to put the men of the household in suits but accessorize them differently. Dad aka KJ would wear a turtleneck under his black suit and the boys would stand between suspenders and a three piece. We took is a step further by taking them to a tailor to have him cut the suits down some more. So the boys came through with the right fit!
Shooting the family was awesome. In real life, we’re like family being so closely knit, so the chemistry and energy was natural. I love and play with the boys as if they were my own kids so it was exceptionally easy to direct them. Keeping things simple this round by shooting the family in studio worked even better. I used both white and black backdrops to really get great contrast in the images. I loved how the photos came out and they were as well.
Be sure to check out the Hinsey VLOG of their shoot day.
