Today we’d like to introduce you to Scharad Lightbourne.
Hi Scharad, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
After obtaining a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design, I moved back home and immediately found work in my field. Albeit the corporate sector, I was able to move up quickly, and by my 3rd year back home, I was running an art department for a primary ad agency.
After some time, I picked up a camera, began exploring more ideas and concepts, and even conducted professional sessions with clients referred to me. Somehow though, the corporate sector became very daunting as new ideas were not welcomed, and I started to feel stunted in my growth as a creative professional. Not long after, I decided to quit my full-time job to pursue photography.
Over time, I grew from becoming one of my generation’s most influential photographers to now being a Bahamas-based Award-winning portrait and lifestyle photographer with a great + deep passion for capturing the natural aesthetic of subjects.
I am particularly interested in capturing people with central themes in his work. My clean, artistic approach is credited to my innate talent and extensive graphic design background.
My quick-witted, candid personality is manifested in my work and allows me to forge lasting relationships with clients and be influential to my colleagues.
My work has appeared in numerous fashion and lifestyle publications, advertising campaigns, and exhibits abroad and locally in the Bahamas.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It definitely could have been a smoother road. Starting out, I struggled to make a name for myself and earn an income. Yes, the talent was there, but I was venturing into a new type of photography outside the studio that many people were not privy to.
Justifying cost and overall respect for my craft was difficult. Even to this day, I still battle to explain why my work is of a specific value but initially, trying to get my feet wet in a new industry was very hard.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love portraiture, and being creative with who I shoot and how I shoot is what I’m known for.
I’ve photographed many public and non-public figures across my career and I’ve always been able to find ways to add little things to make the work stand out. From lighting to colour to composition, I always like my work to be clean, concise, and creative.
I do consider myself a storyteller so in my work, I’m sure to always make sure there is some type of storytelling element.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I had to pivot during the pandemic and found that my talent wasn’t just for taking photos.
So many people wanted to learn more about the business of photography, how to take better images using the camera in their pockets, and so much more. I was able to run online seminars and share tips, tricks, and insights that gave people the knowledge they were hungry for.
Once I monetized this, I found that this is what my brand was lacking.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.scharadlphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scharadlphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scharadlphoto/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scharadlphoto/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/scharadlphoto/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/scharadlphoto/
