34 http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
DEDICATED FOLLOWERS OF FILM
cathartic and healing. It helped
me bridge the mourning and
healing process, and it gave me a
deeper understanding for the
expression of my art through
photography. Importantly though,
it also brought back a deep love and
connection between me and other
people. While I still ensure that
certain things are accomplished
throughout my day, I’m not now
completely taken up by work.
Finding the balance is hard though
sometimes, and these days I have
to be careful not to be consumed
by photography – although we are
now doing this interview at 4am
Trinidad time, so maybe I’m not
doing so well!’
Brussels sprouts
‘I grew up always taking photos. We
always had cameras and were always
playing around taking pictures. I was
about 11 when I saw a science
programme on TV on darkroom
printing and developing film. I have
always been a science geek so it
intrigued me – it was all science and
chemicals, and I asked permission to
have a darkroom. I got a “no”
because “Chemicals are toxic, you’re
too young, blah, blah, blah.”
‘When I finished medical school I
went to Belgium for a few months to
study advanced laparoscopic surgery,
and while there found an antique
market in Brussels that sells beautiful
old film cameras. I only bought one
camera, but it piqued my interest in
film photography. When I got back
home I started to look at second-
hand cameras online and I started
collecting film cameras. I also began
to learn from the kindness of others
who share their experiences of
shooting and processing film via
YouTube and sites like http://www.
largeformatphotography.info.
‘I love all aspects of film
photography – it’s so tactile. I wished
I could paint, but with photography
I can “paint” in the darkroom: I can
make cyanotype prints, platinum
prints, salt prints. I can recreate my
images in so many different ways.
‘I have been actively looking for
collaborations. I’ve been working
with other Caribbean photographersand have recently begun to shoot
fashion. I had my first fashion
editorial published in a Canadian
online magazine, and have just
completed another editorial project
that I will submit to a magazine in
Europe. My photography is an
expression of myself and my identity- which is complex. I think I have a
good idea of who I am, but the
process of life, with its experiences,
helps to build a greater
understanding of myself – and that
grows and changes as I learn more.
I haven’t always had a decent idea of
who I am but photography is
helping me to find out more.
‘We are socialised to define
ourselves as “something”, which can
give us a myopic view of who we are.
I’ve never been one sort of thing or
have liked only one sort of thing.
I’ve always been academic but have
always explored other aspects of
myself. I’m inclined towards portrait
photography, but wouldn’t look at
myself as a portrait photographer
Above left:
Fashion shoot
with Shalisha.
Fujifilm Pro 400H
in the Pentax 67Above right:
Another fashion
shoot with
Shalisha. This
time on the
Mamiya RB67 and
with Kodak Portra
400 that I
developed myself‘Pouring chemicals on sensitised paper and the image
appearing is like a dance. It also gives me so much control’