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

Naomi Campbell Inspired Fashion Shoot

January 13, 2021 in Fashion, People

Georgie and I worked together a lot in 2020 and coming up on the last shoot of the year, she wanted to do something exciting and epic. We searched the internet for days trying to find inspiration when she came across a photo that supermodel Naomi Campbell had posted. The image itself was very controversial because of what she spoke about. She received many negative comments due to the subject matter, but I loved the dress for me. Georgie loved the dress, and she told me she wanted to have it made and do a shoot somewhere in the now-infamous "dress."

Naomi Campbell photographed by Ethan James Green

So firstly, I am NOT a morning person but I told Georgie because of the nature of the dress, morning light would be incredible. We set call time for 6 am and my team and I drove to the location waiting on the arrival of our model.

Georgie showed up a few mins later and we all walked over to a beach where there was an amazing rock structure that I would put the model against. It would be the perfect backdrop to juxtapose her against.

I used a one-light setup, probing my Godox AD600 pro with a Glow beauty dish on a light stand to illuminate the model. I could have easily used natural light but I wanted more contrasting and “punchy” lighting.

Georgie hit pose after pose with the waves crashing behind her. She climbed the rocks, lay on the rocks and shed any fear she had of heights to get great shots again, and again, and again!

Check out this behind the scenes photo of our location and what it looked like shooting this upcoming talent. Please view the gallery below and enjoy. Drop a few comments or questions in the section following this article.

Be creative!

Romantic Lake Engagement Session - Ceron and Tyrina

December 16, 2020 in Creative, People, Fashion

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.”

— Tyrina Neely

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

Rapper/Singer Chase Fernander kills in ROYALTY: A Maternity Editorial

October 25, 2020 in Creative, Maternity, People, Fashion

I wanted to work on something that I'd grown to love in my work. Maternity has been a growing part of my portrait work, and I felt the need to shoot a series that would tie in all the things that are apart of my overall style as a photographer. Lisa Sands, MUA and I have wanted to work together for a while, and when I pitched the idea to her, she loved it. It's just that we needed to put together a team to thoroughly execute the production, oh and we needed a muse!

Several weeks later, during lockdowns and quarantines, we finalized our team and after multiple screenings, decided to approach Chase Fernander, a larger than life rapper/singer here on the island of New Providence. We just needed the ok to meet in person to start work on, ROYALTY.

Our first two looks were edgy, bold and to me, very sharp. Shan, our stylist, really flexed her talent on them so when it came down to look three, I knew I wanted something comfortable, painterly and feminine.⁠ In fact, this look was nearly scratched because initially, the team felt it wasn't complete.

The overcoat was mine that conveniently hung in the studio, I usually keep a few pieces for when I shoot male clients. We knew we wanted to use it for the series. So literally minutes to call time I asked Chase in our WhatsApp team group if she'd bring jeans from home. She regrettably had none that fit. I don't know why I asked her to, but I realized that pairing jeans with the coat would be the look I wanted. Shan jumped in and said that she'd turn around, go back home and grab the "perfect pair!" ⁠⠀

This entire shoot was a collaboration between very talented creatives and the planning and time that went into producing the shoot was a massive factor in the success of these images.

ROYALTY ft Chase Fernander⁠
Image: @scharadlphoto⁠⠀⁠
Styling: @_thestylegroup⁠⠀⁠
MUA: @lisa_sands_beauty⁠⠀⁠⠀⁠
Hair: @metamorphosis_bs⁠⠀⁠
Dress: @javiebethell⁠
Props: @jlavishaccents⠀⁠⠀⁠
Film: @truevisionfsc⁠⠀⁠⠀⁠
PA: @amaris_touch @kcbferguson⁠⠀

VIEW THE GALLERY

ENJOY THE “ROYALTY” REEL from TRUEVISION

Portraits of Influencer Kate Knight

March 11, 2020 in Fashion, Beauty, People

Many people refer to influencer, Kate Knight as a mermaid. She’s ALWAYS in the water. Whether the beach or a pool or some body of water, she loves posting images displaying her love for the water. Kate and I discussed doing a shoot that shared the same theme but something more artistic, something anti-swimwear with a “mood” that could be translated to an effortless and whimsical photo shoot.

I called on a colleague and amazing fashion designer Ria Georgina, commissioning her to create a dress for our “mermaid” to wear. Once I explained the vision to Ria, she sent samples of fabric and colors and this glittery, semi cheer golden fabric that was perfect…so much, it was almost like she had read my mind!

One of the things I am a perfectionist with as a photographer is where I shoot. 80% of the time, the client has no idea where to shoot but once Kate explained to me what she wanted to do, I knew the cliffs at Clifton Pier would make for the perfect backdrop. We also chose dusk as the time to capture the shots as well. There was something about the mood of the light around that time that I knew would add to the overall aesthetic.

Kate brought her A-game, moving effortlessly from frame to frame. Our MUA, Y.Aysia placed a palette of bronze and natural colors on the models face that seemed to be barely there. We weren't going for high fashion but a more natural look and she achieved this look perfectly. This combined with the location, wardrobe, and lighting all worked out to be a wonderful shoot.

Please enjoy the images below.

Styling + Photography: Scharad Lightbourne

Dress: Ria Georgina

MUA: Y.Asia MUA

Grips: Stephen McKinney Jr

Signature Styles Holiday ’19: “Lady in Red” Collection

December 04, 2019 in Fashion, Lifestyle, Beauty

Words by Sherron Young

The product of two authorities stemming from two completely different industries, fuse for an electrifying reveal.

Scharad Lightbourne, renowned Bahamian Photographer has established quite the name for himself, introducing photography in lighting that forces all eyes.

As a pioneer in his industry, Scharad re-invests heavily into budding photographers, mentoring them all while capturing stunning polaroids of some of the largest names in the Region.

While immersed in his work which dictates a rather overwhelming schedule, it leaves very little time for projects of the heart. He says being the creative that he is first, sometimes leaves him famished for a creative project, one that he can call his own and that is born from a pure passion in photography.

This collection was precisely that, a birthing of a veteran photographer's soul; bringing it to life, however, would call for a clothing line that was expansive in its collection yet exquisite, bearing fierce variables and a team whose fashion sense purely distracts.

Mitzi Turnquest, fashion connoisseur and founder of Bahamian Fashion Empire; Signature Styles, partnered with the noble photographer for the capturing of her brand's 4 tiered holiday collection which features bold reds among other holiday looks. As her brand moves to onboard an international line, Turnquest thought it the perfect timing for a peak in the brands look and feel in the changing of the company's entire branding scheme, logo, inter-store cosmetics among other upgrades. This photo-shoot would serve as just another feature to the brands full overhaul and seal her efforts placing Signature Styles in due position as the leading ladies’ fashion brand.

She along with her team collaborated with Lightbourne on a set that looked like we were in Miami South Beach, bearing floor to ceiling glass walls and a memorizing view of the Nassau Harbour. The ambiance alone was a sight to behold, amplified by model and social influencer; Denise Francis.

This campaign showcases the profound power of collaboration but more importantly raises the bar in editorial fashion locally. The collection definitely opens your senses for a better product in 2020 as they have certainly outdone themselves this year. All looks are available within the Marathon Rd location commencing 10:00 am December 3rd with a sip and shop experience. All are welcomed.

Photographer: Scharad Lightbourne

MUA: Y. Aysia

Model/Hair Stylist: Denise Francis

Styling: Mitzie Turnquest

Styling Assistant: Cordero Toussaint

Grip: Tariq Cartwright / Stephen McKinney