What Jamaica Gave Me.
Where you are from has a heavy influence on who you are, whether you believe it or not. Growing up in Jamaica (JA) for the first few years of life has influenced who I am, what I care about and especially how I view everything through my lens as a documentary photographer. Growing up in Jamaica has shaped how I view everything through my lens.
Everyone’s way of life is different especially in JA. Every photo is different from the last one, even I them 30 seconds apart.
Things can be difficult in JA, but we must adapt as everything will be alight. I may not have the ideal lighting while I captured the gardener pulling the weeds in her backyard, but I shifted position to capture her moment.
JA is a beautiful island. We need to capture its beauty. There is beauty in everything I see through my lens including the random fake nail I saw in the Lowe’s parking lot on the ground. There is a story of how and why it got there.
JA is filled with vibrant colors and warm tones of the island. The warmness of the colors & tones influences what I capture and when.
The people of JA are playful with vibes of the culture. Influences me to try new things and have fun including capturing in B&W only.
The people of JA have a relationship to the land that feeds, natures and cares for us. The land needs to be protected, and the stories need to be shared of the land and human nature relationship.
I'm thankful for Jamaica for shaping who I am and the way I see everything through my lens. It's influenced me more than I ever imagined — and I'm still discovering how