I shot my first fragrance campaign!
There aren't any words that can express how excited I was when I got the call from Bahari.
“A fragrance?? I asked?
“You need an ad campaign?” I asked?
I was over the moon because ever since I became a full-time photographer I would drool over magazine ads displaying different fragrances and colognes and I would marvel at how awesome the photography was. So, to now have an opportunity to photograph my own was mind-blowing. I was happy that Bahari was continuing to push the envelope and produce more incredible products for fans of the brand.
With two incredible models as part of my arsenal, the team and I created images against a romantic and irresistible background. The lighting was perfect, hair and makeup were on point and the team, as always, worked seamlessly to get the job done. What was even better was the chemistry between our models. They were uber professional but followed direction to the letter. This was obviously not their first time working together and by jumping from frame to frame, that very same chemistry carried over every time.
I styled, photographed and directed both the still images and video needed for this campaign. Something I’m trying to do more of. Please enjoy.
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RED OCTOBER sets field on fire in this editorial
Model: LV Adderley
Photographed + Styled by: Scharad Lightbourne
Grips: Rayandra Nairn. Tariq Cartwright
For many years, I’d drive past this open field and always marvel at how interesting it looked. I loved the overgrown grass, the wide openness and there was an old Infiniti Q45 sitting abandoned and derelict in the distance. It was a set waiting to be photographed. Now, don’t chastise me for taking this long to shoot there but I needed a good reason too and finally, I had one!
Just like the field, I’d known LV for some time as well. We use to work together on a digital magazine some years ago and he’s always expressed admiration and respect for my work. He lives in Canada now but he told me he was coming to Nassau for the holidays and I jumped at the opportunity to photograph this fashionable dude.
Before he arrived we would speak online discussing looks and how we could style him. I had always been inspired by monochromatic fashion so I suggested we shoot him in this theme. We both agreed on a red suit, something that would be clean and very minimalist but I knew with the red in the field, composition-wise would make for some pretty cool images…and yes, LV surprised me on set with a broken wrist and large cumbersome brace around it but I simply looked at it as if were an accessory.
It was great working with LV. He was easy to shoot and ultimately pose and the car was an incredible prop to juxtapose with the model. We even got in some great video with my iPhone Xs Max and DJI Osmo Mobile and I threw together a quick something. You can enjoy the film and images below.
Enjoy!
Beautiful couple shoot whimsical maternity photos at Ocean Club Bahamas
Photography + Styling: Scharad Lightbourne
MUA: Regina McCook
Grip: Wayde Stubbs
BTS: Rayandra Nairn
Location: Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort
Heading into the latter part of December 2018, Brent and Kim Mayson approached me about doing a maternity session for them and immediately my first reaction was, “you guys already look like supermodels so that's half the battle!” After sharing that laugh, they were both over the moon with excitement and we began to hash out ideas, looks, concepts and location for this Mayson Maternity session.
I had an “ah-ha” moment and I asked Brent, “Do you think Ocean Club would allow us to photograph on premises?”
He confidently responded, “Bro-skee, if that's what you want, its a done deal!”
Photographers around the world go bananas for a beautiful location and I am certainly no different. At this point, I was literally a minute away from doing a triple back summersault! You have no idea how badly I wanted to do a shoot like THIS on THAT property. Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort would prove to be the amazing canvas on which I would photograph this session.
Now…Kim was beyond prepared bringing her girl scout mentality to our initial brainstorm meeting. She told me she’d already secured several looks, an MUA, made her hair appointment and only needed to know what my team and I ate on set so she could provide catering…talk about a superwoman!
Shoot day was nothing short of breathless, frame after frame, Kim (for the most part) served effortless and beautiful poses. Clearly, her background as a flight attendant helped. I helped put together a few looks for Brent as well and on the brink of becoming a new Dad, I wanted him to be in some of the shots just to validate his existence. We both admitted midway through our shoot that he was just a prop.
“These pictures are beyond amazing!!! We are so incredibly happy we have such beautiful memories and will value them forever ❤”
This was an incredible shoot for me. It took me weeks just to curate the images posted on the blog. It felt different, not the typical “maternity” session. I felt like it was my voice as I checked my camera’s display screen. That was important and I had great clients in Kim and Brent who gave me the creative freedom and the connections to shoot on this property to creatively execute this maternity session. I truly enjoyed working on this.
Please enjoy the images below.
Keith Hinsey photographed in "Under Armour" inspired campaign at The National Stadium
I love branding and as a commercial and advertising photographer, I get to photograph commercial images for many brands from investment firms to lifestyle bloggers to fitness trainers. Keith “KJ” Hinsey is a very close friend of mine who happens to train me and in his evolution as a world-class trainer, his brand is growing every day. Keith, being the supportive friend that he is consulted with me to help him build a new website and images to match.
Keith is a huge fan and follower of the Under Armour brand and knowing this I immediately researched the UA brand and what their approach to imagery looked like. I studied the brand for months and KJ and I would watch youtube videos and pin images on Pinterest because this was going to be the direction for him and the Physique Total Fitness brand.
I advised Keith on styling, getting a few extra fitness articles of clothing, props, athletic shoes and lastly the location…
I knew the National Stadium was the only place I would want to shoot this campaign. I didn't want the conventional gym or studio as a backdrop. The only challenge would be getting permission to do so. However, after calling someone who knew someone who knew the General Manager, the National Sports Authority eagerly agreed and assisted in giving me full access to the stadium and its grounds.
There was one more piece of the puzzle that I needed to make this campaign extra special and that was a cinematic promotional video. I came across Jiggy Productions some time ago and I had a sit down with cinematographer Kyle Ferguson to help me communicate the concept through moving visuals. Kyle was excited and really wanted to get his creative teeth into such a project.
Shooting was great, we ran KJ though a multitude of routines, reps and active poses. Calling on his expertise as a trainer and using some of his own training equipment to assist us. We even added one of his clients, Kristen to a few frames to show him training an actual client. Look…I could talk about this shoot for hours but I filmed a video to show you guys just how I setup shoots like these.
Kenton Ferguson fashionably conquers Downtown Nassau in "9-5"
Kenton Ferguson approached me several months back to help him produce a model portfolio for him. He’d been on this fitness journey for some time and he was starting to get some attention from agencies both local and abroad but the one thing they kept telling him was that he needed more photography. More photos they said! We did a few headshots, simple studio shots and a few lifestyle images of the upcoming model.
So if you press fast forward a few months later, Kenton said that he’s ready to build his portfolio again but with fashion images outside of the studio. As the light bulb goes off in my head, I'm 10 steps ahead of him, thinking of the perfect location and looks Id want him to wear. I told him that this was definitely possible and that we could start planning right away. All the key pieces were already in place.
I had wanted to produce and style a men’s shoot for some time involving suits and style them with multiple pieces and so in this case, Kenton would be my muse. Fine Threads, one of my long-standing clients provided clothing for the shoot and I would call on some of my fashionable friends like Kedar Clarke, Giorgio Knowles, Relish Socks and The Pico Brand to fill in the gaps.
Only 1 thing was missing…a female accomplice for one particular scene. You see, I set up the concept to involve Kenton as a working professional in the Downtown Nassau area. So the frames would consist of him in and around downtown, tagging his co-worker along the way. After we cast Katrina to play the role, local Boutique Chic Couture added specific looks for Kenton’s partner in crime.
2 and a half days of shooting, 1 damsel in distress, nearly 20 hours and 2000 frames later, this is perhaps the biggest shoot I’ve produced for the year. The team came together to kill (figuratively speaking) each set. A water ferry, scooter, closed streets, coffee shops and a trained beast all pieced together this smorgasbord of photography.
It was perfect.
CREDITS
Photography + Styling: Scharad Lightbourne
Model: Kenton Ferguson
Model: Katrina Toothe
Men’s Clothing: Fine Threads
Men’s Accessories: The Pico Brand
Men’s Accessories: Relish Socks
Women’s Clothing: Chic Couture
MUA: Charlene Rolle
Hair: Whitney Miller
Canine: Savage Bullies Kennel
GRIPS
Rayandra Nairn. Tariq Cartwright. Tameka Petithomme. Lynden Gibson. Malik the Photographer
SPECIAL THANKS
Kedar In Style, Giorgio Knowles. Starbucks Bahamas
I rethought maternity sessions after this one!
Tonya Lightbourne
As an artist, I never want to get comfortable with my skill set. I want to push myself, think out the box, challenge my clients and my own creativity. I want to embrace my fears and take risks with a team who will trust me and follow my lead.
I strayed away from maternity sessions for a long time because I felt I couldn’t be creative enough in a genre that is widely popular. I kept seeing the same themes over and over but i knew I wanted to create something different and equally as beautiful. I needed the opportunity and the universe listened.
When my wife and I found out we were with child, one of the first things I thought was “I know she’s going to ask me to take pictures of her once we’re in our third trimester.”
My wife challenged me to think outside the box. To, “do something different.”
Now, you know this was an opportunity for me because wives rarely listen to their husbands (lol) but she allowed me to push my creativity. The location I had in mind was a very risky one but I knew she would be a tough camper to get the shot. I had shot at Clifton Heritage National Park before and the cliffs were the perfect place to put my near parturient partner.
1 dress later via Amazon, some extra fabric, a few safety pins, an incredible floral artist and MUA were the perfect additives to bring my vision to life! The results left me and the team breathless as we climbed, jumped, lifted and risked much to capture these divine images of Tonya.
Please enjoy.
📸 Scharad Lightbourne
MUA: Ge-Ah Smith
Floral Stylist: Marie Buds
Grip: Travis J Bastian RayAndra Nairn