Bringing a Vision to Life in Toronto’s Graffiti Alley
MUA: @mitzcarbajal_mua
Video: @jasondpham
Talent: @morganmodelmgmt
Stylist: @hashtag_legends_stylist
Model: @mariana.proks
BTS: @dreyspar_photography
Toronto’s Graffiti Alley has always been on my list of dream locations for a shoot. As often as I’ve traveled to this incredible city, I never had the chance to make it happen—until now. This vibrant, ever-changing street art canvas provided the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable session.
What made this shoot truly special was the team behind it. From the stylist’s keen eye for detail to the model’s effortless presence, and the makeup artist’s ability to create magic on the spot, every person played a crucial role in bringing this vision to life. The energy was electric, the creativity boundless—a true celebration of artistry and collaboration.
And of course, no shoot is complete without a little adventure—huge shoutout to Tim Hortons for letting us turn their shop into a makeshift makeup studio. Sometimes, the best moments happen in the most unexpected places! 🤣
This experience reminded me of why I love what I do—capturing people, energy, and stories in their purest form.
📸 Capturing the new Bahari Kaftan Collection
Bahari Models: Loretta Butler-Turner, Christine Carey & Loleta Dixon
Photography plays a vital role in marketing and branding by telling compelling stories. In this article, I share insights into the creative process and the magic that happens when passion meets the lens, taking you behind the scenes of a recent photoshoot for Bahari Bahamas.
The first step in any successful campaign is planning and conceptualization. Collaborating with the creative team is essential to understanding the brand's identity, target audience, and the message they want to convey. Makeup, hair, and styling are all critical parts of the success of any photoshoot, and the Bahari team gets it right every time! Next, casting suitable models and styling them is essential. The models should embody the brand's essence, and the styling should reflect the latest trends and complement the brand's aesthetic.
No photo shoot is without its challenges, and adaptability is key. Being able to pivot and find solutions on the spot is part of the job. We realized that the models did not need precise poses. Once we allowed them to be free and “let loose,” photographing them became effortless.
Post-production is where the magic happens. Editing, retouching, and colour grading refine the images to align with the brand's visual identity.
In conclusion, photographing this new campaign was a journey of creativity, collaboration, and adaptability. The behind-the-scenes effort, passion, and dedication are the threads that weave together Bahari’s visual tapestry, making these pieces desirable!
MUA: Geah Smith
Styling: Lavonne Alexis
Art Direction/Photography: Scharad Lightbourne
Photo Assistant: Samiah Rutherford
Motion: Sherard Campbell
Old Master's Portraits with Olivia Dorsett
Olivia is the type of client who gives me 100% creative control when she comes to me with another opportunity to photograph her. This occasion was no different. She asked if I had anything new I wanted to try because she was “in the mood” for another portrait session. I told her I always wanted to recreate a portrait similar to that of the old portrait masters like Rembrandt, Caravaggio and Da Vinci.
I had to research the lighting extensively because I knew those painters used a specific style of light in their portraits. My setup was simple, where I only used a 2 light layout; a largely diffused modifier for fill and another large modifier for my key (leading) light.
Olivia trusted my vision, and I put together an incredible team once I knew the direction I was taking. I was very direct and specific. I knew what I wanted from makeup and hair, and even the colour dress and design of the gown I chose were intentional.
The table and background were already in the studio while we imported other props. The fruit we used was sourced locally, which was a challenge because, initially, finding the pomegranate was challenging! Once I completed the set, and we got our tethering setup, the shoot flowed seamlessly. The lighting was ideal for the direction of the shoot, and I was so happy that we had put so much time into our pre-production.
Olivia was a great muse. She knew her angles and followed my direction to the letter. Below is the hard work of a team of passionate people who came together to bring this vision to fruition.
Let me know what you think of our work in the comments below.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Photography: Scharad Lightbourne
Muse: Olivia Dorsett
MUA: Cody Rolle
Hair: Denise Francis
Designer: Ria Smith
Cinematography: Emmanuel Petit Homme
Assistant: Shavonne Strachan
Olde Town Lady: A Historic Collection of Modern Day Portraits.
OLDE TOWNE LADY is a series that brings the stories of different generations of Bahamian women out of the shadows and analyzes how they collectively contributed to the culture and traditions that are common and upheld in our Bahamian society today. We aim to theorize and construct the historical knowledge of Bahamian Women through Oral Histories and Creative Interpretations.
Francine Russell in “Olde Town Lady”
OLDE TOWNE LADY is a series that brings the stories of different generations of Bahamian women out of the shadows and analyzes how they collectively contributed to the culture and traditions that are common and upheld in our Bahamian society today. We aim to theorize and construct the historical knowledge of Bahamian Women through Oral Histories and Creative Interpretations.
These women existed in everyone’s family, but their narratives are often overlooked and under-valued. They carried out the underappreciated and undermined labor that was key to sustainable development and the well-being of the family and community. They also protected and transmitted the cultural and social heritage of The Bahamas, with hopes that their labor and stories were not in vain.
Francine is a Co-Principal of The Heritage Partners - a professional services agency specializing in Heritage branding, research, and management.
SHE’S ROYAL
However, to put on a more dignified or elegant appearance. slaves had to fend for themselves. A large part of the small sums of money earned through extra work or selling produce went in purchasing a pair of shoes and at least one set of decent clothing for dances, funerals, or church-going...for the women, a dress and petticoats of good East Indian cotton, a colourful handkerchief for head ties.
Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People. Vol. 1, from Aboriginal Times to the End of Slavery. Athens, University Of Georgia Press, 1999.
CHURCH LEADER
Despite the predominance of men as priests and pastors, all churches provided opportunities for women to participate, enhance their respectability, and even lead. In the Anglican and Methodist churches alike, women outnumbered men as Sunday school teachers, and they were invaluable in organizing annual bazaars, fete, and other fund-raising functions.
Craton, Michael, and Gail Saunders. Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People. University of Georgia Press, 1998.
BLACK WOMEN SUSTAIN COMMUNITIES
Far fewer women worked as plantation laborers, and most of the men became transients, living in barracks or strange villages during crop-time and being unable to form permanent or stable attachments while women provided the only permanence and stability for children.
Craton, Michael. “Changing Patterns of Slave Families in the British West Indies.” Journal of Interdisciplinary History, vol. 10, no. 1, 1979.
SHARING AND BARTERING
As in Africa, marketing played a large part in the lives of all black New Providence “villagers, and most of the vendors were women. Some sold vegetables and fruits from door to door, others from small stalls outside their yards, at the end of their lanes, or in Grant’s Town small formal market.
Craton, Michael, and Gail Saunders. Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People. University of Georgia Press, 1998.
SUBSISTENCE FARMING
The slaves themselves (of whom three-quarters lived at Clifton) had twenty-two family allotments, totalling sixty acres, well planted in-ground provisions. Though much of the area on each farm was "white land" or swamp, and the slaves' provision grounds were not in the best locations, it was possible for a family to sustain itself through the labor of the women and children alone, and the more industrious families produced considerable surpluses for the market in Nassau. Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People. Vol. 1, from Aboriginal Times to the End of Slavery. Athens, University Of Georgia Press, 1999.
FROM FIELDS TO FORTUNE
Similarly, the more fortunate and industrious slaves would boast a pitiful handful of extra possessions and marginal luxuries: scissors and dressmaking materials, some specialist tools, a glass or two, and some chinaware (some of it cracked or chipped and passed on from the master), a mirror, combs and trinkets, and a store of clay pipes (which were smoked by women and men alike when they could). Islanders in the Stream : A History of the Bahamian People. Vol. 1, from Aboriginal Times to the End of Slavery. Athens, University Of Georgia Press, 1999.
SEE THE FULL GALLERY
WATCH THE BTS VIDEO
SHOOT CREDITS
Model: Francine Russell
Photographer: Scharad Lightbourne
Stylist: Shan Oliver
Dress Designer: Theodore Sealy
MUA: Ruth Ash Rolle
Hair: Jamell Dawkins
Video: Tony Williams
Video Editor: Craig Walkine
BTS: Rayandra Nairn
Kid Model: Dane Marshall
Male Model: Ricardo Hepburn @DR3amMEdia
Contributors: Dru Hepburn / Maria Hall
Special Thanks
The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas
The Heritage Partners
UB Art Students
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
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