A Romantic Couple's Photoshoot on a Stunning Island 📸
Steffon Cooper & Melissa Rolle
I met with Steffon and Melissa in October of 2023 at this intimate coffee bar on the western side of town. Melissa, who had initially reached out to me, wanted to take romantic, beautiful and editorial portraits with her beau, Steffon. So, in our early discussion, we went over a few concepts that would make them both happy. Melissa told me how long they had dated and that they had no images to speak for their relationship. She was focused on taking official photos to celebrate their love for one another.
During our meeting, I almost enforced that the photoshoot should be unique and different. I don't know what made me say it, but in explaining my creative process to the couple, I told them we needed to shoot somewhere different, not on the island (we all lived in New Providence) but on another island with a stunning backdrop. I almost jumped out of my seat when the thought hit me. I said, “Let's go to Exuma!"
The couple looked at each other, and while I thought the budget would not allow for such a production, they looked back at me and said, "Yes, that's an amazing idea!"
We worked together to figure out a date, styling and logistics for pulling this whole thing off. Luckily for Melissa, her cousin was one of the country's most talented stylists, so I didn't worry too much about that aspect. I had a few colleagues in Exuma who gave me insight on where to shoot and how to get there, and so, together with the couple, we made arrangements for a boat to take us to one of the sandbanks near Rolletown, Exuma.
This photo shoot had been postponed twice due to bad timing or bad weather, and by the time we finally got around the concrete time, it was 2024! January 16th was the new date, and everyone was sure this would be amazing due to all the previous setbacks. My assistant Tariq and I arranged to get there by plane, only a 30-minute ride, and we found an Airbnb only 3 minutes from the dock! The night before we shot, the team met up to go over the art direction for the shoot. Everyone chipped in and gave commentary to make the couple feel more confident going into the photoshoot.
Shoot day was nothing short of incredible. The weather was perfect, the water looked unreal, and the couple were perfectly styled. We found a sandbank when we left the marina and positioned the couple. I was shooting with natural light, so I had more time to focus on posing and positioning. The boat captain pulled us right up to the bank, and I even left him in some of my frames to show the context of where we were. Steffon and Melissa were amazing to photograph because they didn't pretend much to like each other. You could see that they genuinely enjoyed each other's space, and as a photographer, that helps when capturing portraits of two people together.
The couple had a second look, and we brainstormed on where to photograph them. The team agreed that we didn't want to shoot them out in the water again, so I suggested shooting them in a town near all the hustle and bustle of Georgetown's main settlement. I love locations like these because there is a lot of energy surrounding you. People, cars, dogs and birds are all moving around you. Georgetown gave me so many different spaces to capture Stef and Mel, and I loved that they stood out in stylish clothing against the town's backdrop. This shoot, if any indication of how the year will pan out, excited me, and I loved working with the couple to produce these images.
Please enjoy.
Photography & Art Direction: Scharad Lightbourne
Styling: Shan Oliver ( The Style Group)
MUA: Valincia Rolle
Hair: Tara Miller (Metamorphosis)
Stef’s Hair: Tilly Balinese
Grip: Tariq Cartwright
An aerial view of us on the sand bank with the couple.
Creating New Beauty Portraits!
I have always wanted to push myself as a portrait photographer. Beauty portraits are one of my favourite genres to shoot, and when you have a fantastic team of makeup artists and hairstylists, it makes these sessions incredibly rewarding. We all are very clean and minimal in our styles, and we like to keep stunning but straightforward aesthetics in our work. Cody Fountain and Aline Charles were the perfect pairings for this portrait session.
So to get this ball rolling, we wanted to select a diverse range of models to style for hair makeup and, ultimately, the photo. I think we did a great job choosing women who’d had little to no modelling experience. From natural hair to stunning blue eyes, the portfolio of subjects who confirmed excited us and we were ready to get to work in the studio right away.
Cody, Aline and I worked closely together even before the shoot to figure out what looks we would create for each model.
We threw in stylist/designer Ria Georgina who put the finishing touches on each model, and the shoot went over really well. From the hair to eyeshadow and more, the team was confident that we’d keep things simple while enhancing each woman.
© 2022. Scharad Lightbourne
Portraits of Realtor. Private Banker & Watch Collector, Bobby Chen
“Working with Scharad was a cakewalk. He’s a consummate professional full of creative energy along with the perfect timing to capture the essence in every shot. He went above and beyond to ensure that the environment and creative process brought out the best expressions in me and my wife. An absolute pleasure to work with and the finished products are indeed timeless to say the least.”
I met Bobby Chen a few years ago when I did some headshots for the real estate firm he worked for, and he seemed to be a pretty cool dude. As I followed his career path, I noticed he had an interesting portfolio that included cryptocurrency, private banking, and more so, a love for collection luxury and vintage timepieces.
You see, photographers are always looking to add more exciting people to their portfolios. Bobby seemed intelligent, accomplished and we both shared similar interests.
I reached out to Bobby via social media and asked him if he would shoot with me. After explaining my concept some more, he eagerly agreed. I explained to him I would photograph him in a way that timelined what a possible day would look like for him. I made up this story that he’d wake up, take a morning swim, have coffee in bed with his wife before heading to work and I also threw a pseudo modelling career for fun and date night with his beautiful wife, Patrice. We all felt this was going to be a great shoot to execute.
The shot list was simple enough, but I called on friend/stylist Shan Oliver to put all the looks together. Bobby had multiple options for wardrobe from his own closet, so we simply pulled from that to make it work. Working with a stylist is very important; I showed Shan a mood board of looks that I liked, and she was able to put pieces together based on my vision and used her expertise to make each outfit pop. She knows my style is clean and straightforward, so she made the styling the same.
The shoot went relatively smooth and we shot the entire day. Bobby got through it like a champ and with his wife by his side, he was able to confidently knock and model his looks out the park. The team had a great time working with this multifaceted Bahamian.
Bobby Chen by Scharad Lightbourne
Styling: Shan Oliver
Grip: Tameka Petit Homme
Grip: Sammy Rutherford
MUAs: Torkel Dawkins- Patrice’s morning look
MUA: Raven Forbes - Patrice’s evening look
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
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.
