Not Your Average Paradisal Photography

From left: Marvin Bartley, Marlon James, Alex Smailes, Abigail Hadeed, O'Neil Lawrence, Rodell Warner. Photographers featured in the new Caribbean photography book, Pictures From Paradise


Learn more about these guys and the book launch from my article published in May 6, Sunday's edition of the Jamaica Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120506/arts/arts4.html

Six Days of Trinidad and Tobago—A time well spent

After clearing customs, having our luggage scanned then hand checked by security, Marvin Bartley and I exited the airport in Port of Spain, Trinidad to be greeted by one of our lovely hosts, Richard, who along with Mariel, offered us a place to rest our weary heads.

And, the reason for our visit? Marvin’s work has been featured in a new book called Pictures From Paradise: A Survey of Contemporary Caribbean Photography and we were there for the book launch. The book was made possible by a Trinidadian team: Co-edited by Melanie Archer and Mariel Brown, designed by Richard Mark Rawlins, published by Robert and Christopher Publishers, and has a beautiful opening essay by Jamaican Assistant Curator to the National Gallery of Jamaica, O’Neil Lawrence, whose work is also featured. 

At the launch of Pictures From Paradise photography book, Medulla Art Gallery

From left, back: Marvin Bartley, Marlon James, O'Neil Lawrence, Alex Smailes, Mariel Brown

From left, front: Melanie Archer, Abigail Hadeed, Richard Mark Rawlins

Pictures From Paradise still sealed in their packages during the book launch

From left: O'Neil Lawrence, Marvin Bartley, and Abigail Hadeed offer their signatures to book buyers

Get a peek at the pages here: http://richardmarkrawlins.blogspot.com/

Three of the Jamaican photographers out of the six that have been featured were decked in their sharpest for the night of the launch that was held at the Medulla Art Gallery on Fitt Street on Thursday April 26, 2012. The reception and support was overwhelming and Marvin (M), O’Neil Lawrence, and Marlon James shined, modestly signing signatures and posing for photographs. We also managed to make a few friends, chatting up with the other featured photographers that were in attendance, namely Alex Smailes, Abigail Hadeed, and Rodell Warner, all of Trinidad origin or by familial affiliation.

Three of Jamaica's finest photographers show their mirth at the Medulla Gallery, Port of Spain
What's up with the gun salute guys?? 

After the launch M and I took advantage of the NGC Bocas Literary Festival, which ran for four days from Thursday to Sunday, and were chaperoned by Mariel, Richard, Rodell, and Brianna McCarthy. We had the pleasure of meeting celebrated authors like Kei Miller and Earl Lovelace.

What we noticed about Port of Spain, Trinidad:

The country prides itself on huge land space, but their roads are particularly narrow! And narrow roads spell very skilled and polite drivers. Everyone is surprisingly courteous. So much so, that one day as M and I took our promenade through the neighbourhood’s skinny road, we were verbally attacked with a powerful “Good morning!” from a woman who was quite offended we didn’t address her first. To my defence, even today, I have no idea what she looks like, because I didn’t see her. Nonetheless, we continued our stroll and readily greeted everyone we passed and, naturally, they responded.

I really wanted a better shot of these cute girls, but didn't want come off as creepy. So I stood my distance

Nearly everything is cheaper when compared to the Jamaican and US dollar. There are beautiful modern and antique buildings and for some reason the inhabitants never turn their lights off. When we queried this—because we could never dream of doing this in Jamaica—we were told that the electricity bill is moderately low. Yes, so low that we can stand across the street from a department store called Francis Fashion, which has four sets of continuously running escalators, and literally feel the heavy chill of the AC that was blasting through the almost-never-closed glass doors. The benefits of the country owning oil and natural gas rigs.

Double Take!

The highlight of my trip, apart from hanging with some cool peeps, was this young and hip fashion store (which reminded me of Forever 21) called Bang Bang, where I got a pair of aqua blue skinny jeans and bangles. Then there were the delicious roadside delights like “Doubles” and “Gyros” from friendly vendors, who take hygiene very seriously. Finally, I enjoyed soaking in the sing-song accents and expressions of exclamation, like “Eh Eh!” and natives ending their sentences with “boy.”

Chicken Gyro (aka chicken wrap)

My fave, "Doubles!"

IMPORTANT TIP: How to eat Doubles.

Step 1: Roll it up like so.... Then devour it like a real Trinidadian would. Also if you have it spicy, ensure to spread the sauce around before you roll.

Step 2: Roll that paper into a tiny crumple and discard it in a bin. 

Step 3: After successfully not making a mess, celebrate with your friends.

Step 4: Then wash your hands!

 Roadside sanitation at its best! A creation by a Doubles vendor on Ariapita Ave

Now that you’ve read my experience, what was yours like? And if you have none, you should definitely visit this lovely country. I endorse it!

Here are some more Pictorial Highlights. 

The Cool Buildings!

The Red Building (abandoned House of Parliament building under renovation, for a while now...) 

Looking up, up, up, into the National Library of T&T

The Medulla Art Gallery

The crazy cool friends and our fashion!

Me and Trinidadian artist, Brianna McCarthy

Casual Funk

Cosmopolitan

From left: Marvin, moi, Brianna, Rodell in the basement of the Medulla Art Gallery, Port of Spain

O'Neil in the middle

If you're friends with me on Facebook, you can find the rest of my images there!

Captured By A Quiet Soul

Images by Shameer Khan

"...focus on the positive things in life"

We meet outside the Starbucks on 14^th Street and introduce ourselves. He gives me a gentle hug and smiles. I smile back. After luckily finding a free table we sit across from each other. His eyes suddenly squint in seriousness and he stares me down. Somehow I feel like an ant being examined by a zealous teenager with a magnifying glass. I want to look away, but I know that I shouldn’t.

This scoping of my face goes on for seconds, though it feels like minutes. In a subtle voice he instructs me to turn my head slightly to the side. I do that and his thick eyebrows wrinkle. He's pensive. I’m told to turn my head to the other side, but his expression doesn’t change. I'm thinking this meeting is going so well. Maybe I'm not as striking.  Finally I'm told to suck in my inner cheeks. “Like this,” he says and assumes the perfect angular face with pouted lips.

Inwardly I’m saying to myself, this guy is crazy! But he seems to know what he’s doing and trustingly, I try it. Those black brows wrinkle, animatedly again, as he shakes his head no. Apparently I’m trying too hard. “Like this,” he re-demonstrates. I make another attempt and this time he nods with satisfaction.

“Okay good.  Let’s go,” he finishes.

I follow him out the Starbucks and seconds later we enter a building that’s his friend’s studio. The temperature has dropped tremendously so it’s too cold to shoot outside.

His name is Shameer Khan, a Trinidadian native living in New York. At the time we met, he was on the cusp of his teenage years. For his age he is extremely knowledgeable about the fashion industry, in particular—what model agents want. He reels out—in a non-bragging fashion—a list of girls he got signed with agencies like Elite and IMG. There's something about his photographs that captures the pure essence of a model, even the ones with the slightest potential. Now these agencies send him their models when they need development test shoots done.

As I was instructed, I keep my puffy extensions straightened. The weave is so well done, that it looks like I was born with that full head of hair. He presents an H&M bag with clothes he bought from the store and I dress in an orange leotard and black leggings. This outfit is much simpler than my usual shoots, but he reminds me that it’s about my body, not about the clothes. I already have on a light foundation, but Shameer applies an extra layer, still enough to look natural, and surprisingly, applies my eyeliner, lip gloss and uses the eyeliner to contour the sides of my face. Taken by the comfort of his actions, I ask him where he learnt all this. He explains that sometimes stylists and make-up artists are a no-show to his test shoots and so, eventually, he learned to do everything himself. I am very impressed.

The end result of my shoot with Shameer

He patiently directs me into the poses, in an almost-soft-spoken voice. The movements are not sudden or dramatic. Very simple. Just enough to highlight my length, my features and that I can, at least, pose. I suck in my cheeks just like we practiced and he snaps away. The easy-going Shameer is smiling and that is a sure sign that the images are good. After a few changes the shoot is over and I’m looking forward to the possibilities.

It’s hard to count how many models Shameer has discovered, but it’s safe to say at least twenty—males and females combined, and that’s just being modest. One of his greatest finds is Diandra Forrest, an albinistic model, who captivated interests by fashion agents right away.

In no time the Trinidadian born photographer realized that he was good at what he did. When others took notice, he quickly became a respected name in the New York fashion niche, receiving special features on models.com and publishing editorials in UMag, Hommestar—The Pop Magazine, and Highlights Magazine, just to name a few.

Shameer…

What’s the first thing you usually do when you wake in the morning?

First, I thank God that I am alive, then I reach for my phone!

What can’t you leave the house without?

Can’t leave without putting on my Chanel Homme Sport cologne that I got as a gift from one of the models I work with, Michelene.

From left: Oscar Reyes, Iman, Shameer, Joan Smalls

Give us an idea of your typical day?

Wake up, brush my teeth, make coffee, check my emails, visit my favorite blogs, then plan out my day, jump in the shower, get ready and head to the city. Some days I may have a shoot, other days—a meeting, or maybe just shopping or something.

Do you believe you have found your calling and when did you realize that?

Yes I think I have. When I was 16 years old I got my first camera from an MTV event and I fell in love with photography. Unfortunately I was robbed and that camera was stolen, but eventually, my parents later got me a professional camera because they saw how much I loved photography.  I still us that camera today. I never liked school so I didn't apply to college because I knew that this is what I wanted to do, for sure.

Anybody famous or intriguing you’ve met or come across in your career/life? What was that experience like?

I’ve met Tyra Banks through a very good friend of mine Oscar Reyes, who was her agent at Elite. She took us out for Frozen Yogurt and then to a comedy club. It was fun. She's actually an amazing person.

Who do you hope to meet or work with one day? And why?

I hope to work with Nicki Minaj lolll… I would love to shoot her one day. We are both from Trinidad and both grew up in the same neighborhood (Southside Jamaica Queens)

How do you usually end your day?

I just grab my favorite snacks, chocolate, and soda, jump on the couch and fall asleep watching TV.

Is there anything that has happened to you in your life that has sobered you up, or has impacted on your life today?

Just moving to this country at the age of 9, and going through a lot of struggles when my family and I got here, my parents sacrificed a lot to give me and my brother a better life.

What philosophy do you live by?

Take life one day at a time and focus on the positive things in life; and forget about all the negative things.

Any closing words from your awesome self? Like maybe your goals for 2012 and beyond? Anything!

My goal for this year is to travel and see the world. I haven’t been back to my country in 13 years and I plan to go very soon to see my family. Then I plan on going to Europe! Especially London and Paris, because I have a lot of friends there :)

Shameer's Portfolio:

See more of Shameer's work @ http://shameerkhan.blogspot.com/

A Night Out into the Town...Downtown, Kingston

Earlier this month I, along with a few friends, decided to treat one of our visiting photographers from Long Island, New York to a photography night out. He's a very successful Photojournalist and we considered that the beardedness of Downtown Kingston would appeal to him. 

I guess it's only natural that after dating a photographer for more than four years, taking photos would rub off on me somehow. For now, all I care to own is my SONY DSC-WX9, which is a nifty point and shoot that actually gives you some amazing photos.

It was around 8:30 at night when we jumped into our cars and found ourselves on East King Street. In no time we took to our feet and trotted through the streets, hoping to find something memorable. Something quaint. Something strange and intriguing. Something worth capturing.

After walking around and snapping for ten minutes that foreboding facade that the city sometimes masks itself with was easily shed and the four of us Jamaicans, along with our visitor were like tourists in our own country. The streets were mostly empty and carried its usual rugged and isolated exterior.  I even pounced upon feces in a box, which I photographed, then later deleted for good reason. I should commend the doer for having the good sense of sparing us the horrific experience of greeting his/her defecation with our feet. That would not have been pretty.

We arrived at the square and the night finally came alive. To see a group of five all carrying cameras with no interest in supporting any sales, it was no surprise when we received curious and unwelcoming stares. No one likes to be documented, at least not without reason. So while some individuals eluded our cameras--though we concentrated on capturing objects not people--some boldly demanded what our intentions were. I guess it's hard for some to believe that we just wanted to take pictures for the sake of taking pictures.

Nonetheless, the tense energy we were greeted with quelled when everyone sensed we meant no harm. One guy even offered to have his stocks taken, so as long as he was not in it. When we had our fill, we circled the square and settled by the harbour to soak in the night lights dancing against the dark waters. And I discovered light painting for the first time. No one could figure out how I got what looked like a tiny star explosion in its galaxy.  Really cool!

The night ended well. Our American friend was pleased and for a first-timer like myself, capturing downtown in the night was a titillating escape. I toyed with the colour of some of the images in a program called Lightroom and got some cool results. My little SONY point and shoot isn't so bad after all.  What do you think?

Definitely find a group of trustworthy friends and capture your own moment. There are so many interesting and picturesque places in Jamaica that have yet to be discovered. As you can see above, a point and shoot is just as useful as a film or a DSLR camera. So grab your camera and go discover!