A FASHION SHOOT: HOUSE OF RAPHELITA SS21 by David Rolle
HOUSE OF RAPHELITA SS21
David Rolle, creative director of House of Raphelita, wrote me one day asking if I'd be interested in shooting his new collection, to which I adamantly told him, "Yes!" David and I worked together for some time now, and I actually pushed him to finish his new collection. We met sometime back in 2020, but that year doesn't count, so David told me he would be ready in the first quarter of 2021 with his new collection.
"You think I should get the 66 Steps for the shoot?"
That's what David texted me one day about a possible location, and I replied,
"Why are you even asking me? That location would be epic!"
The 66 Steps or Queens Staircase, as its historically titled, is actually 65 steps that are carved out of solid limestone in the downtown Nassau area. The steps were carved out by some 600 slaves as an escape route from Fort Fincastle, which sits above, back in the 1700s.
So after that history lesson and seeing some of David's pieces, this was going to be the most PERFECT place to photography the new HOR collection. Topped with David telling me he wanted to use signature models in the country and incorporate straw, the goosebumps on my arms became more visible as the concept developed.
On location, David pulled out all the stops, completely reserving the site for his team, the models and my team, complete with catering and preferred parking! We had a makeup background built just for aesthetics, and I chose to go with a 1 light setup for the shoot. Working with 6 professional models had its benefits as well. The girls shifted, posed and walked into these marvellous compositions. The pieces fit each model as if they were made just for her frame and combined with very Avant grade makeup and hairstyles; the photoshoot's designer, David, took on the form of a master composer.
Thank you so much for sticking to the end of my story. You will find images and a BTS video below. Enjoy!
House of Raphelita SS21 GALLERY
SHOOT HIGHLIGHTS (BTS) House of Raphelita SS21
Design House: @raphelita_
Photography: @scharadlphoto
Video: @truevisionFSC
Production assistant: @alyssaholiic
Hair: @metamorphosis_bs
MUA: @kabukipaint
Accessories: @harltaylorbag
Shoes: @shoeluxxe242
Models
Jessica Frances-Thompson
Kejuana Beneby
Shauntae Miller
Tara Miller
Selvanique Wright
Milan Georges
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
Romantic Lake Engagement Session - Ceron and Tyrina
Our first attempt at this romantic lake themed engagement session was a huge fail!
Yes…I am serious. Tyrina, Ceron and I had a consultation about a month back to discuss photographing them around the story of engagement. From our initial talk, everyone was over-hyped about the idea. Actually, it was Tyrina who brought the idea to me.
Here I am thinking, “hmmm, a lake, a boat, flowers, at sunset? This is perfection!”
So we began the creative process. We spoke about the time of day, the boat itself, the type of flowers. Everyone is amped up, especially me and I literally counted down the days until we were able to shoot.
On the day of the photo shoot, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. The lake was glassy smooth, not a cloud in the sky and the team was all prepped and ready. The forces that be had other plans, though. When we arrived on set, our boat had challenges getting into the lake due to its design and the depth of the water. Everything seemed to be going wrong, including our boat captain leaving his cell phone ashore, so we had no way to contact him. In summary, the boat was piloted to the wrong end of the lake, the sunset earlier than we thought and the energy of the location, the team and our clients were swallowed up like a good plate of guava duff. Not to mention the swarm of sandflies who had us for dinner!
We were defeated. The shoot was a dud, and we had no authentic images to be proud of.
Something, however, hit me. While we packed up, I walked over to the couple, and I said to them we should reshoot at no cost. The concept was terrific, and as a creative, I didn’t want to give up on it. Tyrina, who was clearly disappointed and upset about the entire ordeal wasn’t sure at that moment, but I told her to think about it and let me know her final decision. Thankfully, after a few hours, she called me to say, “let’s do it.”
Fast forward to a day before the rescheduled shoot, Tyrina called me in excitement, “Scharad!” she says “ ’ve found the perfect lake and the perfect boat!”
After which, she sent me photos and videos via WhatsApp, and I replied with a few exclamations and expletives (well not really), but I did a few backflips in my head after seeing the visuals she sent to me. Utopia Gardens was going to be the PERFECT location!
So we tried again…
My team and I arrived at the location realizing that it’s even more stunning in person. My adrenaline started rushing and the team set up while Kandice Hanna, a super creative floral artist dressed up our tin rowboat. The clients were ready and eager to begin shooting as we worked quickly to set the scene.
I kept things simple using 1 light and a large modifier. The lake was murky and the bottom was muddy and difficult to walk in but we ignored it all, stepping on slippery stones, tying a rope to the boat so it didn’t float away, along with other dangerous elements. We did so much to capture this beautiful couple in this new setting and it worked! The light was perfect, the scene was perfect, my team were amazing at helping me get the shots I wanted and a whole other set of support staff. Here’s what my clients had to say,
“We had a specific vision for our engagement session and Scharad’s energy from our initial consultation added to our excitement. Prior to the shoot, Scharad sent a detailed mood board with the specific shots we would capture. His attention to detail, positive energy and skill make working with him an absolute pleasure. He went above and beyond to execute the vision and totally exceeded our expectations.”
At the end of the shoot, everyone clapped because we knew what we went through to get to this point. My clients were overjoyed. My team and I felt accomplished and we got all the shots we wanted to capture.
SEE THE GALLERY
Client: Tyrina Neely + Ceron Rolle
MUA: Raven Simone
Grip: Tameka Petit-Homme
Grip: Kenton Ferguson
Floral Art: Kandice Hanna-Cargill Creative
Location: Utopia Nursery + Gardens
"MARCH ON!" Bahamian Flag Inspired Beauty
Model: Tarea Sturrup
Working with a talented makeup artist is always an incredible experience for me. I get these really crazy ideas, and it is still great to know an artist who can help bring your ideas to life. I’ve known Italia of Eye Candy Makeup for some time now, and we’ve worked on epic projects before. We were both coming off a slump due to being quarantined, but when I gave her this idea to collaborate on a shoot where the theme would center around the colours of the Bahamian flag, she did not hesitate.
There was no one else that could do this besides Tarea Sturrup, the reigning Miss Universe Bahamas. We saw via Instagram that she had recently cut her hair too, so her look was perfect for the concept. Italia’s studio was perfect for doing everything. Our concept involved applying dramatic makeup to the model layered with various sizes of gold glitter. I watched her (Italia) like a kid at Disney World for the first time, my mouth hung, seeing her apply everything to the model. It was indeed about an hour and a half build-up that I could appreciate. We sometimes have no idea how much time goes into works of art but experiencing this in person was definitely an eye-opener.
For my lighting, I used a 3 light setup. (see photo) One strobe overhead the model fitted with a blue gel to cast the light over the model's torso while another strobe sits behind the model to her right fit with an orange/yellow gel as an edge light. Another strobe was placed behind me to give the model’s face some fill and what you see are the results are exactly what I wanted. Tarea put the modelling background to the test! I gave minimal direction. Once the flashes began to fire, she moved and danced, slithered and sauntered her head, shoulders, hands and eyes into mystical frames.
I did a BTS (behind the scenes video) of the set so that you guys could see the shoot in its entirety from application to shooting. Please enjoy the images and video. Feel free to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what you think!
WATCH THE BTS VIDEO
10 TIPS: Being creative during COVID-19
I’ve been trying to think about how I can help others during this time of social distancing and self-quarantine and now a NATIONAL CURFEW (yikes!). This year has felt surreal and in my lifetime I've never experienced anything on this level. It’s affecting everyone especially from an economic standpoint. As an entrepreneur in a creative field, it is already challenging keeping one's income steady but I wanted to turn the negative into a positive. I posted a status on my personal Facebook page a few days ago and got a surprising amount of feedback. Here’s what I said;
“This is the perfect time to collaborate! Update websites. Plan new projects.”
After I posted the status, many people asked me for tips on how they could use the time to better their businesses and being someone who feeds off knowledge, I knew whatever education I had would help. Here are 10 tips to combat this time at home…
MAX OUT. It’s like you’re in school all over again, schedule your day from waking up to sleep. Don't forget to throw in meal times, short breaks (for your eyes) and recreational time as well i.e. fitness, family time, time with a spouse.
ONLINE MEETUPS. You don't need to physically meet in person to get work done. There are tons of methods that allow you to meet face to face with potential or existing clients, colleagues and team members. Apps like FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype and Zoom all make it possible to have productive meetings.
ONLINE BANKING. If you’re living in 2020 then you must know about the world of amazing online banking. Most banks offer this feature now and businesses can accept and transfer money without leaving home! Clients can pay you wit ease especially if you both share the same bank and I believe some banks will let you transfer funds from your account to another account from a different bank.
BRUSH UP OR LEARN NEW SKILLS. I’ve bought a ton of online courses from photographers whose work I admire and I watch them, mostly at night when the house is asleep and it gives me a chance to brush up skills that I lack in. This applies to anyone in any field. My excitement levels only rise because I'm eager to apply them to my work.
BRAND REFRESH. Are you not happy with your logo, website, branding materials like business cards, contracts or social media posts? Call on a skillful friend who can help you freshen things up or take on the task of teaching yourself. This isn't an overnight process if you're a perfectionist like me so it'll take a few weeks to freshen things up. Then when work resumes back to normal, you’ll have a cleaner, healthier brand to display.
EXERCISE. I mentioned this earlier in the discussion but find 30mins to an hour to get in some physical activity. A quick jog, jump rope, plyometric movements can all be done inside or in the backyard. You will release endorphins into the body, boost the immune system and just feel good once you’re done. Since most gyms have closed and training sessions have ceased, this is still no excuse to not workout at home. There are also apps (mostly paid) where you can download workouts at home. Like my trainer friend KJ says “Y'all know the mission…HARD WORK!”
PLAN YOUR NEXT PROJECT. With planning comes inspiration. Usually, I see something that sparks my interest and I want to shoot something based on how it makes me feel. For that reason, it’s why I am addicted to PINTEREST. I spend hours a day looking through images I love. I plan my shoots and I build mood boards on Pinterest using images that I come across.
REASSURE CLIENTS. By now most clients have either postponed or canceled work altogether. Call or email them letting them know that you understand the seriousness of COVID-19 and reassure them that if they still want to do work, that it comes with taking certain precautions in place. As a photographer, that’s no more than 10 people on set including the client. Reschedule them to a time when officials say and let them know you’re still very much interested in working with them.
STAY HYDRATED. Just because this is as important as anything else. Am I the only one who, once in a creative zone shuts the outside world out? I have to remind myself of the basic necessities my body needs to function like drinking water and eating good food.
STAY POSITIVE. The mind attracts that which your own thoughts project.
Bahamas Masqueraders Official Costume Photoshoot
So…I know what you all much be thinking…Scharad shoots a Carnival Band?
Mr. "anti-soca" himself?
Well if you must know, contrary to popular belief, regardless of the genre or scenario, I will always be 100% an advocate for creativity. My impartial favor towards Soca music has nothing to do with the fact that the Masqueraders Carnival Band approached me to shoot their official images and sitting in our meeting, my ears perked at the sound of the phrase, “we want to give you 100% creative control.”
I mean, would you turn away an opportunity like this?
I wanted to see what I was capable of capturing. I knew the costumes would be detailed, intricate and awe-inspiring, all things that I find inspiration from as a photographer so I connected with the concept on a completely artistic level. Can you imagine, showing up at our location, the band’s warehouse to see so many moving parts? Personnel running around trying to get each detail ready? Designers putting the finishing touch on their section costumes. Models arriving to be escorted into makeup and hair? Staff on-call preparing food, snacks, and drink for everyone present. Tractors, trailers and heavy equipment preparing for the Band’s lunch? It was truly a circus and my team and I set up in the middle of all this creative chaos!
The 16-hour shoot proved to be a marathon of lights, cameras and tons of action. The band featured 4 sections, Oriental, Mayan, Grecian and African themes. For someone not immersed in the cultured, I was amazed at the amount of work and detail that went into the designing, building and finishing these jaw-dropping pieces.
One by one, we shot, re-lit, composed and constructed section after section, models both male and female were posed and pushed to give energetic, artistic and fierce stances. We added fog and colored gels for our close up shots just to make them more dynamic. To keep the models energized and hyped, there was a 6 speaker system setup worthy of any fete or concert blasting some of the hottest soca tracks…the entire time! What a time!
The energy was incredible and everyone fed from it. Section leaders, designers, staff, models, and my team all cocooned in what was occurring. The shoot was simply amazing. Once the call “Its a wrap” was made, we all cheered in excitement. We knew we achieved what we set out to, with all the hard work from every single person on board. The band will launch its website soon but in the meantime, please enjoy the images below and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram.
