Beauty hidden in plain sight, captured in the heart of the bustling and sometimes mundane Woodbrook, has inspired a new and budding community of regular but like-minded people from all walks of life.
Over the past month, in celebration of World Photography Day, photographers Corri Latapy and Haydn Gonzalez, fuelled by a shared passion, organised a pair of initiatives that not only showcased the latent talent among aspiring photographers but also demonstrated the effect of photography on both individual expression and community-building.
On World Photography Day, celebrated on August 19, about 30 photographers, each with a unique perspective and level of experience, met in Woodbrook for an outdoor point-and-shoot session. There was heavy rain that day, but the clouds let up just as the event was scheduled to begin.
[caption id="attachment_1033448" align="alignnone" width="819"] Rising photographer Kinesha Khanai, 20,, one of the hosts of the point-and-shoot event in Woodbrook last month. -[/caption]
Their task was to capture the essence of the ordinary and transform it into something extraordinary through their lenses.
At the heart of these initiatives, the organisers said, was their desire to nurture a sense of community among photography enthusiasts and to build their skill set through collaborations and advice.
Woodbrook’s contrasting colonial-era and modern residential and commercial buildings, the array of religious structures, residents and even some wildlife were captured during the exercise.
Twenty-year-old Kenisha Khanai, one of the attendees at both events, told Newsday she has loved photography as long as she has had a camera phone.
“Photography started off as a coping mechanism for me. Things in life are constantly changing, and a photograph is the only way to freeze time.”
[caption id="attachment_1033446" align="alignnone" width="683"] Show Up and Shoot organisers, from left to right, Loftt Gallery co-owner Brian Ashing, photographer Corri Latapy, Loftt Gallery co-owner Dale Ramirez, and photographer Haydn Gonzalez at the Woodbrook art gallery. - Jabari David[/caption]
She said her love for sunsets and the dynamic nature of the sky initially piqued her interest in photography.
“It’s the same sky, the same sun, the same moon, but every day it looks different. It appears in the same place, does the same thing every day, and yet every appearance is unique.”
Khanai’s passion for photography blossomed over the last year, having won the first ever challenge trophy for photography in the Women in Art biennial competition.
Additionally, she placed third overall in a competition held by the University of the West Indies’ Department of Geography, and sold her first ever framed photograph this year.
[caption id="attachment_1033444" align="alignnone" width="576"] Content creator and photographer Avery Herbert in a stand-off with photographer Dominic De Bourg. Herbert participated as a model and for the lime, while capturing content of his own. - Dominic DeBourg[/caption]
“Photography
