Scharad Lightbourne 7/11/21 Scharad Lightbourne 7/11/21

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.

Scharad Lightbourne 1/13/21 Scharad Lightbourne 1/13/21

Naomi Campbell Inspired Fashion Shoot

Georgie and I worked together a lot in 2020 and coming up on the last shoot of the year, she wanted to do something exciting and epic. We searched the internet for days trying to find inspiration when she came across a photo that supermodel Naomi Campbell had posted. The image itself was very controversial because of what she spoke about. She received many negative comments due to the subject matter, but I loved the dress for me. Georgie loved the dress, and she told me she wanted to have it made and do a shoot somewhere in the now-infamous "dress."

Naomi Campbell photographed by Ethan James Green

So firstly, I am NOT a morning person but I told Georgie because of the nature of the dress, morning light would be incredible. We set call time for 6 am and my team and I drove to the location waiting on the arrival of our model.

Georgie showed up a few mins later and we all walked over to a beach where there was an amazing rock structure that I would put the model against. It would be the perfect backdrop to juxtapose her against.

I used a one-light setup, probing my Godox AD600 pro with a Glow beauty dish on a light stand to illuminate the model. I could have easily used natural light but I wanted more contrasting and “punchy” lighting.

Georgie hit pose after pose with the waves crashing behind her. She climbed the rocks, lay on the rocks and shed any fear she had of heights to get great shots again, and again, and again!

Check out this behind the scenes photo of our location and what it looked like shooting this upcoming talent. Please view the gallery below and enjoy. Drop a few comments or questions in the section following this article.

Be creative!

Scharad Lightbourne 12/4/19 Scharad Lightbourne 12/4/19

Signature Styles Holiday ’19: “Lady in Red” Collection

Words by Sherron Young

The product of two authorities stemming from two completely different industries, fuse for an electrifying reveal.

Scharad Lightbourne, renowned Bahamian Photographer has established quite the name for himself, introducing photography in lighting that forces all eyes.

As a pioneer in his industry, Scharad re-invests heavily into budding photographers, mentoring them all while capturing stunning polaroids of some of the largest names in the Region.

While immersed in his work which dictates a rather overwhelming schedule, it leaves very little time for projects of the heart. He says being the creative that he is first, sometimes leaves him famished for a creative project, one that he can call his own and that is born from a pure passion in photography.

This collection was precisely that, a birthing of a veteran photographer's soul; bringing it to life, however, would call for a clothing line that was expansive in its collection yet exquisite, bearing fierce variables and a team whose fashion sense purely distracts.

Mitzi Turnquest, fashion connoisseur and founder of Bahamian Fashion Empire; Signature Styles, partnered with the noble photographer for the capturing of her brand's 4 tiered holiday collection which features bold reds among other holiday looks. As her brand moves to onboard an international line, Turnquest thought it the perfect timing for a peak in the brands look and feel in the changing of the company's entire branding scheme, logo, inter-store cosmetics among other upgrades. This photo-shoot would serve as just another feature to the brands full overhaul and seal her efforts placing Signature Styles in due position as the leading ladies’ fashion brand.

She along with her team collaborated with Lightbourne on a set that looked like we were in Miami South Beach, bearing floor to ceiling glass walls and a memorizing view of the Nassau Harbour. The ambiance alone was a sight to behold, amplified by model and social influencer; Denise Francis.

This campaign showcases the profound power of collaboration but more importantly raises the bar in editorial fashion locally. The collection definitely opens your senses for a better product in 2020 as they have certainly outdone themselves this year. All looks are available within the Marathon Rd location commencing 10:00 am December 3rd with a sip and shop experience. All are welcomed.