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
Lisa Nichols and Marcellus Hall Engagement Shoot on the island of Eleuthera
I remember getting a call from Lisa Nichols quite early one Sunday morning. She told me that she'd been approached by several publications to use her and Marcellus Hall’s official engagement photos. She said, " Scharad, before I start, I just need you to say yes!"
I didn't hesitate either. I said, "Lisa, whatever we do, we can't shoot in Nassau. We need to go to Eleuthera!"
I told Lisa that shooting in Eleuthera would give me a playground of different locations that I'd photographed before but not enough. Eleuthera is in my top 3 most beautiful islands in our archipelago. Lisa told me she’d never been, but she trusted me with her vision.
On day 1, we took Lisa and Marcellus near the Hatchet Bay Silos. It was a beautiful sight to see this couple move alongside the road. They were talking and smiling together, embracing and overall having a great time with these impressive structures in the background.
This was one of many locations we used on the island. We shot in Gregory Town, Queen’s Bath and on the beautiful Gaulding Cay Beach. I don’t know if my team were more excited about the images of the couple or about discovering all these picturesque pockets of Eleuthera.
WATCH THE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO
📸: Photography by: Scharad Lightbourne
🎥: Videography by: TandT Media
👗: Stylist: Anastarcia Palacious
💄: Makeup: Torkel Dawkins
✊🏾: Grip: Tameka Petit Homme
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
Portraits of Realtor. Private Banker & Watch Collector, Bobby Chen
“Working with Scharad was a cakewalk. He’s a consummate professional full of creative energy along with the perfect timing to capture the essence in every shot. He went above and beyond to ensure that the environment and creative process brought out the best expressions in me and my wife. An absolute pleasure to work with and the finished products are indeed timeless to say the least.”
I met Bobby Chen a few years ago when I did some headshots for the real estate firm he worked for, and he seemed to be a pretty cool dude. As I followed his career path, I noticed he had an interesting portfolio that included cryptocurrency, private banking, and more so, a love for collection luxury and vintage timepieces.
You see, photographers are always looking to add more exciting people to their portfolios. Bobby seemed intelligent, accomplished and we both shared similar interests.
I reached out to Bobby via social media and asked him if he would shoot with me. After explaining my concept some more, he eagerly agreed. I explained to him I would photograph him in a way that timelined what a possible day would look like for him. I made up this story that he’d wake up, take a morning swim, have coffee in bed with his wife before heading to work and I also threw a pseudo modelling career for fun and date night with his beautiful wife, Patrice. We all felt this was going to be a great shoot to execute.
The shot list was simple enough, but I called on friend/stylist Shan Oliver to put all the looks together. Bobby had multiple options for wardrobe from his own closet, so we simply pulled from that to make it work. Working with a stylist is very important; I showed Shan a mood board of looks that I liked, and she was able to put pieces together based on my vision and used her expertise to make each outfit pop. She knows my style is clean and straightforward, so she made the styling the same.
The shoot went relatively smooth and we shot the entire day. Bobby got through it like a champ and with his wife by his side, he was able to confidently knock and model his looks out the park. The team had a great time working with this multifaceted Bahamian.
Bobby Chen by Scharad Lightbourne
Styling: Shan Oliver
Grip: Tameka Petit Homme
Grip: Sammy Rutherford
MUAs: Torkel Dawkins- Patrice’s morning look
MUA: Raven Forbes - Patrice’s evening look
Running a portrait session with Olympic Gold Medalist Steven Gardiner
This title is so fitting because I had no time to photograph gold medalist Steven Gardiner. When I tell you the lengths I took to photograph Steven, you might not believe me, but I will tell you how this opportunity came to me to photograph “Speedy Stevie.”
Here we are, The Bahamas, a country hyped, and excited, fresh off back to back wins in the men and women's 400-meter race by local track athletes Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo. The whole country was excited for them to come home, and a light bulb went off in my head. I wondered, "wouldn't it be an honour to photograph either one of them? Cementing them in the fabric of Bahamian Photography?"
I'll be honest with you, I had connected with Steven a few years prior because I wanted to photograph him shortly before he won his first Olympic medal. This Abaco born son holds numerous Bahamian records amongst his other accolades, so I felt my role was to make sure unique and driven Bahamians like him are photographed for historical purposes.
Let's get back on track. (pun intended)
I was determined to photograph Steven and Shaunae on their return trip, and once I saw the welcome celebrations at the airport, I got on my mobile phone and started my search to contact either athlete. I am not exaggerating when I say I called the entire country to reach Steven. I felt he may have been more accessible than Shaunae. Yes, I did have his contact, but it was a US number, and he wasn't answering texts. I contacted people close to him who never followed up. I called EVERYONE but, to my disappointment, I struck out with the opportunity to photograph him, and I watched everyone get their 5 seconds with the two and then they were gone.
But…one day, on a Tuesday afternoon, something told me not to give up. I texted Steven, and he responded! I congratulated him and told him what I wanted to do. I threw out the question, "when would you be in town again?" to which he responded, "Thursday." I gasped, thinking he meant a week from that day, but he meant 2 days away! I had an hour of his free time, and I had to make it count!
I scrambled to think of a concept. Steven was down for whatever I came up with. After crossing out a million ideas, I just decided to keep it simple. I would take my backdrop outside and use natural light. Less fuss, less clutter, just clean and simple.
Steven brought a few clothing items, ones he'd packed prior, so I didn't style him; I just picked out a few pieces I thought may have been great on camera. I wanted to call my stylist badly, but there was no time. I had to think quick. I had no mood board, shot list, or planned anything, just me, my Nikon, and the subject.
Steven was surprisingly awkward in front of the camera. A far from his natural environment of running on the track. But that pushed me to direct him more. I was happy with what I got in a short time, and hopefully, these images last forever. Plus I got to hold an Olympic medal!
Please enjoy!
