A FASHION SHOOT: HOUSE OF RAPHELITA SS21 by David Rolle

March 14, 2021 in Fashion, People

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

February 16, 2021 in Fashion, People

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

Lifestyle Photography with Carolyn Carter

May 28, 2017 in Lifestyle, People

Carolyn Carter, Miss US Virgin Islands visits Nassau a couple times a year and every time she comes into town, we always set up a photo-shoot. Carolyn loves lifestyle photography, and so do I. I love the free flowing natural of this particular style and that would make it easy to shoot someone who equally felt the same.

We took a boat out and ventured into the Lyford Cay area to find the perfect spot to shoot several different looks. Being the unapologetically impatient photographer that I am, I began to shoot Carolyn onboard the boat!

Being an island girl at heart, Carolyn pulled looks from brands like BHLDN, LikeToKNowIt, Solid and Striped and Isabella Rose Swim, which helped us get some great shots around the key. The beach was beautiful and has spaces full of character on which to shoot my model against including and old dock which I thoroughly enjoyed retreating under for shade! Overall the shoot went great and using natural light, we got some really nice photos.

Image: Scharad Lightbourne // Swimsuit by: Isabella Rose Swim

Athleisure Fashion Shoot

April 25, 2016 in Fashion

When I first concocted this grand idea that I could do a fashion shoot in the National Stadium, I second guessed the thought several times. Somehow I knew with the right connections, I could make it happen and once I found those, I was determined to pull off this momentous feat.

I called on stylist Lavonne Alexis of ShoptheCC and when I threw this idea in her face, she was immediately ready to strap on her tape and clothes pins. I told her I wanted to shoot both a male and female with multiple looks in what to me was a curious trend occurring in the fashion world called "athleisure." Now according to fashion culture, the term is used to describe looks or outfits that would normally be found in the gym, styled for social occasions like shopping, lunch, running errands etc...casually athletic in so many words!

Lavonne thought the idea was hot and we brought on stylist Vuitton to assist with our male model's looks. They both sourced pieces from all over, mainly Dkylpse Swimwear, ShoptheCC and The Sports Center so for me everything was coming together. Storyboard after storyboard and mood board after mood board, we laid out the entire shoot with confirmed models Davin and Laura.

Shoot day was amazing, killer team on deck and the stadium was nothing short of a masterpiece to shoot against. The architectural prowess, with clean lines and repetitious patterns made for amazing frames shooting the models in, around, under and over all the amenities the stadium provided.

Photography: Scharad Lightbourne

MUA: Lincey Carey . Hair: Raquel Pinder

Styling: Vuitton Bain, Lavonne Alexis . Assistant Styling: Waydell Ingraham

Clothing: ShoptheCC, The Sports Center

Models: Davin Johnson, Laura Megan

Grips: Shawn Hanna, Aaron Davis, Malik Smith, Terrel Carey, Tamara Flemming, Cee Jay Jermaine