Ever since I started this blog, I’ve been watching mini-documentaries about photographers. A common thread amongst most is that they were introduced to photography from a young age; as young as nine years. This made me think what were the clues that I was going to take this path. 

Maybe it was seeing my dad placing his Nikon camera with a 24-105mm lens zoom along with a Panasonic VHS camcorder under lock and key in a glass cabinet for all to see but he rarely used them. It was only after purchasing my own camera, Minolta X7000 and being gifted one, Nikon F with several lenses and filters from Uncle Jimmy that I got the chance to use my father’s camera…which I graciously accepted. Or maybe it’s those late nights when Dad will wake me up to watch kickaz after midnight on JBC TV. What was a nice father-son activity later became him reprimanding me for always watching and knowing movies and shows better than I knew my books. I cannot blame him, I did and still do devour a lot of movies.  

Next to doing photography my undeniably favourite thing to do is watch shows, movies and most importantly music. I can live without movies because I have grown to love reading more but music is a constant desire like drinking water. All this to say, when and how did these loves help me want to become better at my craft? Regarding TV shows and movies I get a lot of inspiration when it comes to understanding lighting and its ability to create mood next to observing body language from the actors in the various scenes. I will admit that in the beginning, as a youth, I never thought of anything except enjoying the story unfold before me. After a while my attention moved to the use of colour and lights in a scene, I was enjoying observing, figuring out and understanding the process behind the scene than the storyline and actor, believing almost everything was possible once we could think it. I believe this was the first subconscious clue that I would end up in the arts. 

Detail of contact sheet for Jabari, 2007

The next ones were my neighbours. I grew up in a townhouse complex and I had neighbours who were sculptors, painters, architects, and singers. While in high school they all played a part in my upbringing and appreciation for the arts. For example, Uncle Mark is an architect by profession but has a wealth of knowledge that shared constantly to me and his children. He had a way of commanding your attention with his stories exactly exactly so maybe you could put something like that you know a lot of times in the Caribbean we talk about you know not positive role models don’t only come from within the household. I was lucky because I had it in my father, but I also had a neighbours and teachers and these are all the way so this way it shows that you’re kind of continuing you know masculinity boy by the manhood so thinking about there’s a thread in Paragraph and a way of dropping clues for the overall reason of the monologue. You would hang on to his very word given his oratory skill,  sometimes complemented or enhanced by gesticulations to enhance the meaning that’s the narrative. He recognised my potential and affinity with drawing and guided me to pursue Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts first before chasing a career in architecture; I’ve always been grateful for the wisdom he shared with me.

Or maybe the true instigator for my journey into the arts was my high school art teacher, Mr. Rohan Goldsmith. He started to teach me when I was twelve, showing me and allowing me to experiment with different mediums and techniques. So much so, that he would get me to assist in doing school posters for bake sale, car wash and for particular school and sports events. He believed in me so much that he requested the principal at the time, Roy J. Ebanks, to allow me to do extra classes at a neighbouring school in preparation for CXC, Caribbean Examinations Council, arts at the age of fourteen. Unfortunately, it was denied but Mr. Goldsmith’s faith in my ability made me more confident that I was on the right path. 

Quick sketches from photos and memory.

In doing this reflection I now realise that I had quite a of positive male role models growing up. From my father’s bonding moments that sparked my interest in the field of photography and movies, my uncle Jimmy who assisted in my development as a photographer, Uncle Mark’s encouragement to pursue higher education in the arts and Mr. Goldsmith who planted and nurtured my earlier days in high school. As a young man, these things were meaningful in ways I didn’t realise at the time. I had a community of men who helped to shape me. We always talk about how important it is to have positive role models and influences without realising that for many of us, they’re there in small and big ways, steering, moulding, training you for life.

So what were your clues? Do you think you can retrace what steps that led made to where you are now?