Scharad Lightbourne 2/10/20 Scharad Lightbourne 2/10/20

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.

Scharad Lightbourne 1/14/20 Scharad Lightbourne 1/14/20

Fitness Shoot Branding (BTS)

We postponed this shoot nearly 5 times before we finally got everything lined up to shoot fitness trainer and lifestyle brand Latoya Moxey. Latoya called me months before to ask me if I'd be interested in helping her create her new fitness brand and before she could finish asking I eagerly agreed. I love shooting lifestyle and fitness was always something I was interested in so it was a win-win for me looking at the bigger picture.

Before shooting we met up to go over outfits at her home and Latoya must have brought out a million and one pieces of fitness apparel, in every color and shade with athletic shoes to match. I found myself surrounded by nothing short of a sporting brand factory store and we quickly narrowed down several options that would give our shoot a palette of diverse styles. Old Fort Bay was our locale of choice as it provided many different scenic areas for backdrops. I’d shot here a handful of times so I was no stranger to the property and I felt, at first, Id be challenged trying to find unique spaces for Latoya but the team and I worked through to find some incredible spot to compliment our subjects look and styling.

We shot throughout the day, capturing lifestyle poses as well as some using motion and exercise. I shot all-natural light with my Nikon D750 and a Sigma 85mm f1.4 lens and the lighting all around the property was buttery smooth and hit all the right angles creating light flares and hazes that one just couldn't create in post. (I mean you could but it looks so much better when It's natural)

Overall, I enjoyed working on these images, more so because I chose a very minimal setup, I used a diffuser to block the subject from too much light and a reflector to help fill in darker areas of her face and body. In most cases, I found that shooting wide open (f1.4 - f2.8) would prove to be too intense but shooting at smaller apertures (f3.5 - f4) helped me maintain sharpness on the subject and keep some blur on the backgrounds. Please enjoy the images below and be sure to watch the BTS video!!

Styling + Photography: Scharad Lightbourne

Hair: Skyline Designs

MUA: LooksbyChar

Grips: Catina Ferguson + Rayandra Nairn

Scharad Lightbourne 1/2/20 Scharad Lightbourne 1/2/20

I shot at the dopest wedding location ever! Leo & Keva Creary

Last year Leo, Keva and I had a meeting to discuss their wedding day. It was full circle for me in many aspects because I’d mentored Leo for many years and he’d come to me for a long time whenever he wanted photos of himself. This time was different though. It was his wedding day and I was so honored that he and his fiance asked me to be their wedding photographer. The first question I had for the couple was; “Is it going to be in Bimini?” because I knew of a dope location, a shipwreck on the island that I KNEW I had to use as a backdrop.

So…I’ll skip all the bells and whistles and get right to it. It was particularly exciting for me because I’d done my fair share of weddings, but this backdrop was going to be the delta of wedding locations for me. I told the couple we’d have to shoot at sunset because their wedding was earlier in the day.

I shot in and around the boat and used a strobe to assist me with the lighting. The location and natural light were incredible. The couple even agreed to go in the remains of the ship, part of which was partially submerged in the sand. The images were magical and I was so happy to capture this couple in a way that made me happy as well.

After being featured in both Essence and Adriana Magazines, I now have the chance to post these. Be sure to check out the behind the scenes video below.

Scharad Lightbourne 12/22/19 Scharad Lightbourne 12/22/19

THE HINSEY'S: STYLED HOLIDAY PHOTOSHOOT

For the second year in a row, The Hinsey family has charged me with shooting their holiday photos. This time around we all discussed a different approach. Honestly, D’Vanya had everything planned out. I gave my input and we agreed to be on the same accord. She wanted something very upscale and stylish and I knew why. Last year, we shot a pajama themed concept in their home so it only felt natural to move to the opposite end of the spectrum.

D’Vanya had her dress picked out, she had sent me photos earlier and I knew that I wanted to put the men of the household in suits but accessorize them differently. Dad aka KJ would wear a turtleneck under his black suit and the boys would stand between suspenders and a three piece. We took is a step further by taking them to a tailor to have him cut the suits down some more. So the boys came through with the right fit!

Shooting the family was awesome. In real life, we’re like family being so closely knit, so the chemistry and energy was natural. I love and play with the boys as if they were my own kids so it was exceptionally easy to direct them. Keeping things simple this round by shooting the family in studio worked even better. I used both white and black backdrops to really get great contrast in the images. I loved how the photos came out and they were as well.

Be sure to check out the Hinsey VLOG of their shoot day.

WATCH THE HINSEY’S VLOG

Scharad Lightbourne 8/4/19 Scharad Lightbourne 8/4/19

Tony & Geena: An Engagement Session

I was just as elated as the rest of you when I happened to scroll social media and saw a video Geena had posted where Tony planned a surprise engagement for her. Tony and I worked together several times and I the same with Geena as she modeled for a few of the brands that I have worked with. I was excited for these two. So much that I called a meeting with them both and talked about gifting them with an engagement session.

In our meeting, I laid out my points for what I wanted to capture. I told them exactly what I felt based on their personalities. With Tony being the quiet, shy and subdued individual while Geena being the social, outspoken and expressive member of the bunch, I had the notion to shoot two looks. One of them being a more chill, homely and casual look, fitting Tony’s speed while the other being more fashion-based which would fit Geena’s personality perfectly. In the meeting, the couple laughed over and over as I hit all my points like a hammer to a nail.

I told Tony that he’d have to dress up because if you know Mr. Williams, a pair of dark shorts, a t-shirt and some tennis shoes are his life. This only made Geena excited because she expressed getting her now fiance´ to dress up was always a challenge. Tony agreed and the planning began.

With the help of Realtor Phillipa Newton of C.A. Christie, we found the perfect home to which would serve as the backdrop for their e-session. TONS of natural light flowed through the home and using my mirrorless Z6, I was able to focus more on creating my shots allowing me more time to manipulate, highlight and create a mood to the photos that simply worked. I used a reflector to help me fill in the dark areas, high ISO to let in tons of light and as I directed the two I felt like it was easy because I’d known and worked with them for some time so it was familiar to both parties.

I hope you enjoy the images.

Clients: Tony Williams + Geena Thompson

Photographed + Styled by: Scharad Lightbourne

MUA: Alexandria Miller

Grips: Dayna Pratt

Set Asst: Caneasha Carrol

Scharad Lightbourne 7/24/19 Scharad Lightbourne 7/24/19

Shooting a Naturalista ft Rache Josey

Most times, when shooting a client, they often start by saying, "Now I’m not a model, inferring that they have no idea what to do or that they won’t appear as beautiful. I believe that as a photographer, its ones job to make every client look and feel good. It's an art to pull something from the average person and make them appear in a whole different light. Such was the case with Rache.

When we first met up for her consultation, the first thing I noticed was her natural hair and I asked if it was all hers to which she replied, “yes” but she seemed not to care too much for it. I was shocked considering it was so much! She took it down and I knew right away that I would focus this shoot around her hair. I had a makeup artist and hairstylist who wanted to work on someone natural not taking away from their skin or hair and Rache was perfect.

She asked about clothing and I didn't want anything too fussy, I kept things simple; a summer dress and I liked the idea of overalls. I wanted a summer theme in a garden photoshoot. My client, Caribbean Landscape graciously lent me their premises to complete the shoot. This was a great shoot, natural, effortless and free.

Enjoy the images and the cinematic BTS video below.