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.
Neil Dames for Gustavus Augusta, photographed by Scharad Lightbourne
Neil Dames in Gustavus Augusta
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
Portrait of a Filmmaker: Lavado Stubbs
Getting the chance to photograph another artist is very important to me and so when filmmaker, Lavado Stubbs approached me about doing portraits of him, I was elated at the opportunity. I'd known Lavado from when I first began my career in photography 10 years ago. He was involved in another creative venture back then but we'd always kept in touch and I watched him grow into an amazing film maker and director with his brand "ConchBoy Films."
Lavado wanted something simple for his portraits but at the same time he wanted there to be some style elements present. Using a mood board, I decided to incorporate some of his signature pieces in the photography like his fedora, tropical print shirt and vintage frame glasses. The only request from the artist was that he wanted a photo of himself enjoying a handmade cigar from Greycliff.
He also mentioned that he was nervous as he was used to being behind the camera. So I told him to trust me and just let the creativity flow. I think that put him more at ease and as his excitement grew, so did mine. So excited that I had to stop him from buying all new clothing for the shoot, even down to a simple white tee!
We got great frames with Lavado as his personality came through on set, sometimes emotionless while other times joyful and full of laughter. Check out some of my favorite shots from shooting this filmmaker.
“I have known Scharad for several years and always admired and respected his craft as an amazing photographer. I was delighted when I finally got the opportunity to be photographed by him. It was great to see another artist’s process and get a feel of how it is to be a subject. Scharad truly made this entire experience comfortable for a filmmaker like me who lives behind the scenes.”
Photography + Styling: Scharad Lightbourne
Grip: Aaron Davis, Malik Smith, Antonio Miller • Video: Ashley Whitney • BTS: Keisha Oliver
WATCH THE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO
Theodore Elyett, Fashion Designer Lifestyle Shoot
Theodore Elyett has been a premier designer in The Bahamas for quite some time, so when he approached me about shooting new lifestyle images of him for a brand, I felt honored to do so. Theo has won countless awards, been featured in multiple publications and was the 2015 winner of Mission Catwalk, a reality show competition for caribbean designers held in Jamaica last year.
Theo and I had several brainstorming sessions and we mapped out the look and feel for his shoot. His looks were going to be simple with monochromatic styling and different fabrics that ranged from plaid to houndstooth to tweed. Theo worked with fashion stylist Igee Okafor to help complete the looks. Very clean, very "artsy."
Our location, Harry's Haven was the perfect setting for the shoot combining both victorian and an "island chic" decor. We had really great spaces to work with and TONS of natural light, which I always embrace with a big smile. Theo took direction like a professional and threw in spots of his fun, outgoing personality which made for great frames.
Video: Ashley Whitney
Styling: Igee Ofakor
Grip: Malik Smith
Grip: Shawn Hanna