Nunes, Mutope consider their role as witnesses

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Maria Nunes and Apoesho Mutope discuss their work at the National Library’s August Lecture. Read More...
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A Gallery of faith

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A review of Wyatt Gallery’s book Jewish Treasures of the Caribbean and a photographer focused interview with the author about his process in producing the book. Read More...
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The Lola Flash portrait

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An interview with the photographer Lola Flash.
“her [sur]passing series considers the question of “pigmentocracy,” a work she describes as cathartic for a light skinned person who has had to answer the interrogative, “Are you black?” Read More...
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A perspective on Macqueripe

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A collection of photographs shot at Chaguaramas, more specifically in Macqueripe and the smartphones that enabled a continuing examination of this space. Read More...
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The road to Instagram

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Getting to Instagram took some time.
And a good smartphone camera or two. Read More...
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Carnival of the Selfie

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In pursuing my story on 2016's Carnival of the Selfie, I asked two photographers about their experiences photographing "pretty mas" this year. This is what Nisha Kong and Sarita Rampersad had to say. Read More...
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Yet another messenger bag...

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Peak Design's new Everyday Messenger Bag gets a Caribbean style trashing. These are my reactions to the new shoulder bag introduced on Kickstarter. Read More...
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The architect as photographer

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A contemplation of the parallel career of Brian Lewis, an architect and a photographer, for the foreword of his new book, Contemporary Caribbean Architecture. Read More...
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Commentary about Carnival since 2009

Exhausted by the relentless stupidity of the preparations and execution of Carnival 2015, I offered instead a round up of recent stories, columns and blog posts on the subject which remain depressingly relevant. Read More...
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A kinda legacy

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A review of the book We Kind ah People featuring rate and largely unseen photographs of the bands of Stephen Lee Heung by George Tang and text by Ray Funk.
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In the pool with King David

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David Rudder and the photographer, on location at Westmoorings.

Two grown men peer at the screen of a telephone, both wrestling with the metaphysical considerations of the now ubiquitous wefie.
Behind are palm trees, the edge of a building's roof and a Photex Softlighter, all offering tangential clues of the afternoon's activities.

The business of the day is done. Mr Rudder, finished with splashing about in a pool is now gamely indulging the photographer's invitation to be a participant in his first public, non-family wefie.
It's an odd moment for them both. A few minutes ago the snapper directed the famous singer/songwriter in a shoot that would normally feature a far more nubile and determinedly female subject.
But, Mr Rudder is a manly man, and carried it off with aplomb.

Now he stands alongside the photographer, waist deep in a pool, arm perched on its deck, the photographer lying alongside him, the smartphone dangling perilously above the cool and very chlorinated water.
The picture captures two men with the required manly space between them, a distance commanded by decades of being a dude in the Caribbean. Ya know, we're close, we just not that close.

Look here, the digital reflection of their gaze commands, so they do, bemused by this fun house refraction of themselves, the mirror that captures a moment, if not souls, a slice of time raddled with bemusement and befuddled curiosity.
Take another picture, it seems to urge. So we do.
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The Portrait: In the bag

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A review of the ThinkTank Retrospective 50 and Urban Disguise 60 camera bags. Read More...
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A dip into the day job

Recent architectural work (video) Read More...
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Wake up call

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Berlin energy plant, September, 2013.

Sometimes a photograph demands your attention.
I was struggling to sleep in a room in Berlin, squeezing in winks between the tight schedule set up by Samsung for its launch of the new
Gear SmartWatches.

So a brilliant shaft of light reflecting off the mirror into my eyes was definitely not part of the plan. Finally, I gave in, hauled off that delightfully warm coverlet and planted reluctant feet on the ground.
Stomping over to the window, I glared out to see what could possibly be stealing my precious and desperately awaited sleep from me.

And saw the amazing scene above. I found out later from our driver that I'd photographed a steam driven energy plant, a gift from the US after World War II when supplies were delivered via airlift to the population of the city.
So when things come calling, make the time to find out who's ringing the bell.
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Make money with your Carnival photos!

My letter of response to the request from [named State Agency] for the use of a Carnival photo in return for that most precious of currency, a photo credit. Read More...
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Farewell Suzanne

Remembering the late Suzanne Salandy. Read More...
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Why I have nothing to say about your Facebook Carnival gallery

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A consideration of what Carnival photography is today and how it may be changing the very nature of playing mas on the stage on Carnival Tuesday. Read More...
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On Marlon James

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A conversation with Jamaican photographer Marlon James, currently living and working in Trinidad and Tobago. Read More...
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Photographing Elize

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A photographic encounter with Elize Rostant. Taking pictures while backed into a corner. Read More...
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A copyright conversation

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A transcript of a recent conversation I had about copyright ownership that highlights issues related to intellectual property that muddy understanding and respect for creative output. Read More...
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Say hello to McIntosh

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Dressing Carnival model Sian McIntosh in shadows and little else for an ultimately unpublished image for the T&T Guardian. Read More...
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Yesterday, today and tomorrow (Video)

A conversation about my career as a photographer to date. With a link to the online presentation both streamed and downloadable.
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Photograph of the talk courtesy of Peter Limchoy.
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Jeffrey Chock, photographer

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Remembering the documentary photographer Jeffrey Chock. Read More...
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Justice served

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Recalling my professional encounters with Justice Wendell Kangaloo and considering the long term value of an archive built on commercial purpose. Read More...
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Clean-up man

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A consideration of just about the only still life work that I do anymore, photographs of branded detergents. Read More...
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On behalf of Andrea and Alva...

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Invited to speak on behalf of both the bride and groom at the wedding of my friends Andrea De Silva and Alva Viarruel, this is what I had to say about this photographer couple.
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Copyright discussion on TV6 (Video)

A discussion about Carnival copyright issues with Andrea Da Silva on Morning Edition on TV6 Read More...
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Images of Carnival (Video)

Jabari Fraser's look at Carnival copyright issues and the craft of capturing photographs of the festival. Read More...
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Carnival's Axis of copyright

A first response to the attempt by Carnival's special interest groups to increase their draconian grip on the very public festival of Carnival.

Other links on this subject are here…
BitDepth#875: CarnivalTV, 2013
BitDepth#874:
Copyright and Cacada
BitDepth#873:
Dear Allison
BitDepth#872:
Tradition and Commerce
Photoblog:
The Images of Carnival (Video)
Photoblog:
Morning Edition on Carnival copyright (Video) Read More...
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Noel and Mary Norton on Trinidad's Carnival

This interview with Noel and Mary Norton appeared in the book Noel Norton’s 20 Years of Trinidad Carnival , published in 1990 and currently out of print. Given the travails of modern Carnival, it is reproduced here as a reference point for how little has changed since then. Read More...
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