By Jasmaine Payne

GONE are the days when taking a professional photograph occurred solely on occasion; where a photo studio with tacky props and cartoon backgrounds would serve as the only source for a family portrait, an engagement or some other important event.
Today, you look around and see a bevy of young men and women taking to the streets to capture moments in time,

and to share these moments with a seemingly hungry public.
The public, in turn, with easy access to these artists, now also take full advantage of utilizing these talents to produce their own personal collection of shots to be used at will.
It is the perfect example of merging art with everyday life: Photography has morphed from being just a hobby, or a means of earning income, to being a bit of both, and then some.

GT VIBES
Here in Guyana, depending on the event, there are names that are usually tossed around as to who does what in the field of photography.
In the area of nudity, many may have heard of Brian Gomes; others may easily identify the work of young Saajid Husani for his clean and provocative fashion photography; while others may think of Azikiwe Denheart for his well-known portraits and wedding shots.
Yet, the truth is that many photographers all dabble in varying aspects of this wide-ranging art, and the quality and passion with which they practise this art produce a result worthy of recognition.
Over the next two weeks, The Buzz will be featuring the talents of some of those photographers who have been making a buzz of their own in the local industry.

KARRAN SAHADEO
www.karran.tv

“Photography, just like any other form of art,” Karran Sahadeo says, “is subjective; you cannot separate the elements which make up the image from the person who is taking said image. This is why it can sometimes be a controversial art.”
For him, the camera is a medium of “truth”, as “it creates an exact copy of a scene which actually occurred at some point in time.”
Karran believes that as a result of this tendency in photography, each image possesses the power to morph how both the photographer and audience experience a situation; be it familiar or out of the ordinary. He also believes that a good photograph should ask the audience questions, and make them confront situations and challenge what they know.
“The photographs I take are deeply personal; they reflect the people, places and situations that have affected me, in the sense that I have an emotional connection to them. To say my photographs are truthful would be telling a lie, because some of the images are staged; they are recreations based on that emotional connection I mentioned before.
“Even the “street” and “landscape” photographs I take are seen through those filters,” he said. “But that is my intention: I aim to build a connection; to understand the people and the places I experience daily, because they shape me as a person, perhaps more than I shape them.”

JAY CARTER
jaycarter891@gmail.com or jay@jaycarterphotos.com
Website: jaycarterphotos.com
Tel: 643-5729

As he has only been practising photography for about three years now, Jay is what we would call  “a newbie” compared to the other veterans of the trade, but the quality of his photos would prove otherwise.
He began shooting mostly portraits, but has since expanded his craft to include concept and wedding photography.
“My motivation,” he said, “stems from two things: The emotional satisfaction of being able to capture precious moments, so they can last a lifetime, whether it’s for my clients or myself. The second factor is that I love to challenge myself and photography allows me to do that. I always want to better my last shoot or learn and implement a new skill.”
He’s the first to admit that it’s his background in graphic designing that ultimately led him to photography, as he could never quite find the right photos to play around with. He, therefore, made the decision to buy a camera and take those images himself, a decision that he has not regretted since.

Said he: “I approach every photoshoot with a goal, but I always keep an open mind, because photography is about being able to adapt and improvise at any given moment. At this moment, I still haven’t found the “Jay Carter” look for my end-products, so I’m still working on that aspect.”