The Amazonia Açu Exhibition

A few months ago Grace Aneiza Ali contacted me submit some of my photos from the Mount Roraima Expedition for an upcoming exhibition at the Americas Society called Amazonia Açu.

Grace was kind enough to select the images and guide me through the process of submission, and I am grateful that these images were able to help represent Guyana’s rich culture and environment among other works of art from other nations.

The exhibition will be on view up to 18th April, 2026 at the Americas Society in New York - I doubt I’ll make it to view it, but I’ve let my family know they can check it out if they have the time.

My gratitude goes out to Grace Aneiza Ali for always having Guyana in mind and encouraging our representation in these spaces.

Shooting daily, shadows and light, and challenging through restrictions.

I’ve been picking up my camera to shoot more and more daily. I’m using the Fuji X100 VI which I must say is a pleasure to shoot with. Aside from the look and feel of the camera, I enjoy the film simulations - particularly the Classic Chrome and Nostalgic Neg. There’s something about the nostalgic neg that makes me want to use it to make personal photos I know I can look back on and really enjoy. I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself to shoot, lest I end up feeling overwhelmed. I do think it’s important to take my passions a bit more seriously though. I’ve really been neglecting photography and, by extension, myself for quite a while now, and it’s time to stop it.

Before I forget, came across a video that had me thinking what made older photography seem so authentic, and that might partially have to do with the technology and it’s limitations, even imperfections if you want to call it that. Maybe that’s also part of the charm of film - you know it was taken by a camera and it looks like… film. In a sense, at least for me, I think we want to know it’s a photo, or a movie, and it must look like one. And, well, a photo should look like a photo. This is something I’ll probably expand on later.

Another thought I had today is how having less creates a greater challenge for us. This applies to photography - and reminds me of video games in a way. You start off normal, and you beat the game - but after a while of replaying to the point where you’ve mastered the average - it’s time to up the difficulty and push our limits even further. Frustration awaits, but as challenge after challenge is overcome, you feel good and the rewards are greater. So, instead of arming ourselves with more photography gear and accessories, perhaps we need to arm ourselves with less, or at least deliberately impose more restrictions so that we shoot more intentionally, and hone particular skills.

Today I practiced shooting some light and shadows in the morning when the light was gentle. These are the little things that I think make a difference for your photography and the way you see the world and observe details. I’m leaving a few of the shots below.

Photowalks and World Photography Day 2025

I’m back - for how long, I can’t say.

Glad to have done two photowalks over the past week, and I took a few shots here and there while out driving. Nothing too special, but the idea of actually going out to shoot something, edit it, post it, and get back into some fun photography is a big deal for me, considering my schedule and energy reserves recently.

The photowalk last Saturday was a refreshing break from the monotony of the past few months. Kwesi and Bela were on the journey and we made our way through a few hot spots in Georgetown: Stabroek, Regent St., Bourda, Robb St. - it was fun, and good practice. It’s always good to hear perspectives from other local photographers and see the results of the same walk. It’s amazing how differently we see the world, and want to remember it.

Tuesday, 19th August, 2025 was World Photography Day - a last minute linkup among Gracie, Kwesi, Fidal, and myself took us to the Kingston Seawall for a photowalk. I’ve shot there countless times, but it’s easer sometimes when there’s company. That also went well and I’m glad I went. I think the social connection is as important as the photowalk itself.

I just wanted to make this post to dust off the blog a bit. Maybe get back into some more blogging but I don’t want to get too ambitious lest I disappoint myself. I’ll leave a few shots from the walks.

Steet Photography and People

I was considering today the ethics of photographing people on street photowalks. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to just forget all the stresses of thinking about whether a photo was ethical or not, and just take the photo. But, in our digital age where a photo can go viral or be shared to hundreds and thousands of people in an instant, perhaps we should be more cognizant of what we post or publish.

I’m not exactly sure about how I feel about the topic and I guess writing about it helps me to make some headway in the right direction. I guess if it feels wrong, it probably is, and if you have to think too much about it, then that’s also a red flag.

I’ll read more on the topic and gather my thoughts on this.

A parakeet perched on an antenna in South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown.

2024 - Continuing the Journey

Let’s just say that last year was a challenge to practice photography and handle being a new father at the same time. I still made some time to take photos but I certainly wasn’t as prolific or as active as I really wanted to be.

A few good strides were made, though, because Meshach Pierre and I did finally get some structure to our Seawall Photobook featuring photos we took over the years, and I have to say thanks to Meshach, it’s mostly done. There are a few tweaks to be made, but I’d say that one feat made the year 2023 a great success in my journey with photography.

2024 came and I really wanted to get back on the horse, and with good inspiration from a few fellow local photographers, I started back shooting and reading and learning more about photography - and more specifically - street photography.

A photowalk was recently organized by Fidel Bassier from Guyana Photographers - we took to Plaisance, somewhere I’ve never taken photos of, and it was quite refreshing to get out there, shoot, and chat with other photographers - and this really pushed me even further to learn more. It’s amazing how much you can learn from only one event.

So, what's new - dusted off my cameras, picked up a few photography books, rekindled my interest in photography on instagram, and started shooting with more enthusiasm again.

Below are a few shots I took recently. Perhaps nothing special, but, honestly, at this point I feel it’s important just to go out and shoot without expectations. Time to have some fun again.

Boys playing on Kingston Beach, Georgetown

Jandi Flags at Kingston Beach, Georgetown

Man and Boy Wading on the Kingston Beach, Georgetown

Popsicle Man - Mr. Mahadeo on Kingston Beach, Georgetown

Boys and the Mud at Kingston Beach, Georgetown

A View of Kingston Beach, Georgetown

A Few Shots - Here and There

I’m not going to even get into how long it has been since I last made a post there. Since the birth of my son, priorities have been shifted and naturally, he takes the top spot. But in adjusting and finding a schedule (somewhat) to do things that are important to me - physically and mentally, I’ve been able to find time to shoot some photos here and there.

Meshach and I are still working on publishing our first book with a collaboration of photos of the Seawall. It’s been a task finding time to go out, shoot, plan, discuss, and generally get the project to where it is now. Meshach is doing most of the work, I’m ashamed to admit, but I’m trying with the time I have. And our meetings have also allowed me to practice some photography on the Seawall - practice that was much needed.

I’ve managed a few shots which will be posted below. Nothing too fancy, but at the same time I was thinking - I’m doing this for me. I want to capture what I want to remember, what gives me calm, and what I find interesting. Photos don’t have to be spectacular; for me, they just need to pull at your heart strings, give you a moment of pause. Photography is meditation for me - it helps me focus on one thing, even get lost at times. There’s something in practice that brings me peace.

Days In The Park

You can walk the park everyday and it can seem quite mundane. I’ve been a frequent ‘walker’ in there recently, in the afternoons mostly, and I’ll tell you, it can become monotonous if you’re not as interested or observant, or curious as a child. So, sometimes I deliberately take my camera just to make things more interesting… and you do find interesting things. Life is interesting, and amazing, and beautiful. We just have to look, be keen, be sensitive, and observe, appreciate, and enjoy the bounty that surrounds us.

A Few Shots - Here and There

I had to remind myself to pick up my camera. I have those moments where I get so caught up doing other things that I forget to keep practicing my photography - nowadays, quite a bit less than before, and I’ve become more selective about what I want. Now it’s more about relaxing and more natural about the practice.

I’m an amateur - in for the love of the art. I don’t ever want photography to become a burden or a task I have to complete. But I did have to push myself a bit to get out for the Children’s Mash Parade, which I witnessed for the first time in my life. Later, on the day of Mashramani, 2023, I met up with Kwesi and Gracie for a walk down Church St., towards the beginning of the float parade on Main St. - another first time experience for me. Both were good experiences, not just for photography, but to get out and experience the events themselves and one of Guyana’s major cultural displays.

2023 - A Continuation of the Journey with Photography

Yesterday, I took a walk in the park with Meshach around 5pm - it was overcast and drizzling a bit, but that set the mood for a clam and quite therapeutic walk, and although I didn’t find much to photograph, there were a few moment that provided opportunities for photos in between chatting about wildlife and life in general.

I’ve come to appreciate that photography has a larger scope than what I had initially thought. Beyond my favorite genres, street and landscapes, there are the things that I take for granted, either due to their easy access or mundane nature. But mundanity of the everyday spectacles are actually my own lack of appreciation, and so I have now made a practice of finding more appreciation for the little things that make our surroundings and life in genera a bit more fulfilling, pleasurable, and nostalgic.

An interesting idea is that photography takes us away from the present moment, or the full experience of it - I’d agree and disagree. I believe there are moments that deserve our full attention, and don’t need to interrupted by us taking a photo, but there are others that, if we find a good balance and tact, can enhance the experience, while preserving a moment that can be relived (albeit fractionally) for generations to come.

2022 Wrap-up

12th December is here already, and I can’t say that I’ve been focusing on photography as much as previous years, but I did get some practice done. I can understand why you see some photographers go missing for quite a while and then make only a few posts now and then. We all have lives and priorities change as time goes by.
Nevertheless, I must say that although I’ve had quite a bit to distract me throughout the year, I did make some time to capture moments, and at the very least, publish them online. Some even made it on this blog - something I really do have to commit to doing more often.

Last time I went out shooting was in the National Park, and managed to capture two decent images on the GRIII - they’re published below.

The rainy season is here, and I want to head out into the streets and the seawall. Let’s see what happens.

A Group Photowalk 27th November, 2022

Apparently the first photowalk for the Guyana Photographers group for the year 2022. A few of us took the trip to Hope Beach, which seemed more like a social event for me. The crew included Fidal, Bela, Yancey, Avinash, Gracie, Kwesi, Meshach and myself. It was a great walk - peaceful and scenic. The atmosphere was cool and the weather was a bit overcast which provided nice light and my type of mood.

My initial instinct was to go for shots of people, and I wasn’t sure if I’d get anything because I was a bit apprehensive about approaching people, but once we reached Hope, and got exhausted photographing the natural landscape, and boats, I wanted to challenge myself to just get a personal shot of someone while also having some meaningful interaction with the person. Eventually, I saw this man cleaning fish at the koker, and not the friendliest looking fellow either, but I said to myself what’s the worst that could happen if I ask him to take his photo while cleaning the fish? Rejection? In that case I just move on.

So, I went over to him, introduced myself, and asked him, and after a pause he said ‘Why not…” So I just began shooting and asking him a few questions about what he does and where he lives. He eventually told me he was in a motorcycle accident and couldn’t walk far and that the doctor told him it would take eight years for him to fully recover. I found that interesting because I didn’t ask him, but he seemed to want someone to just talk with him about this issue which was bothering him. Eventually, I wished him well and moved on with a new experience and approach to photographing people, especially strangers. Most of the time there isn’t anything to be afraid of - either they will allow you to photograph them or not, and either one is fine. There is nothing to take offense over or take personally. But more importantly than the photo, for me, is the interaction and what we learn from our fellow humans through those interactions. The photo is now a memory of the encounter, and reinforcement that we have to face our fears and apprehensions to get to the good stuff in life.

A fisherman at Hope Koker, East Coast Demerara, Guyana | 27th November, 2022

Value of the Mundane

Recently took a trip to the Rupununi with my brother - only three days, but there’s always something to learn by changing my space so drastically. Dwelling in the city can limit your perspective and I understand why many people appreciate travel so much - there is a wealth of knowledge and experience to be gained by moving to different spaces, experiencing different ways of life, landscapes, and challenges.

I wanted to create a post about appreciation of the mundane, the everyday, the norm. Life is extraordinary in all its forms, and deepening our appreciation of our surroundings, being more aware, certainly heightens the experience that we have, and, as a photographer, the images that can be captured. That is not to say that those images will be appreciated by everyone - viewers will see what they want, and more than likely move on to the next. It doesn’t matter - producing art from your own experience is what matters. Your goal matters.

Deepening appreciation for the mundane can excite the ordinary everyday moments, into the extraordinary, and, incrementally make every experience something very special.

The Blue

There’s a fantastic blue glow that develops at the seawall during the late afternoon and twilight period, and particularly on cooler and rainy days. There are different shades on different days, but as the light dwindles before night, the blue becomes a deep, calming, and sensational experience for the senses - it’s one of my favorite experiences at the seawall.

Some Monotones Near the Atlantic

Since my last blog post, Meshach and I have done some more trips to the Seawall, with great company I might add - notably Annalise Bayney and Kwesi Isles.

Our last walk was on the Kingston Beach and Jetty where we met Mr. Mahadeo, a popsicle man selling on a modified motorbike, and with a pleasant personality - he turned out to be more than just an intriguing subject, but helped us all create a memorable experience with his conversation and stories of the past.

I managed (somewhat luckily) to grab a decent shot of him handing me a popsicle. Not long afterwards, we were greeted with a stunning sunset. Great day.

Mr. Mahadeo - The Popsicle Man

Art Through Perspective - A Fine Art Photo Project With Meshach Pierre-Archer

It’s almost 12am and I really don’t plan to make this a long post, but I need to make some notes before I forget something or the other about this.

I call it a photo project, but it’s really a collaborative effort that keeps evolving in different directions. I met with Meshach for lunch / coffee at the Coffee Bean on Church Street to begin some serious discussion about producing some fine art prints of our photos. We decided to start with the theme ‘Seawalls’, and things progressed from there.

It was decided that on Monday, 8th August, 2022, we’d do our first photo walk on the Seawall to shoot some birds (with our cameras), and other interesting things along the way. Quite amazing how my whole photographic experience and method changed through this one experience - I saw the seawall and beach in a whole different light because I had never actually taken time to observe the birds, fish, or plants at the beach until yesterday. It’s like this opened a whole other world for me and I’m truly grateful for that (thanks Meshach!).

So, there’s still some editing to do because I took a whole bunch of photos ranging from landscapes / seascapes, birds and other wildlife, plants (young mangroves - maybe), people. I had a great deal of fun and learned quite a lot - I’m sure Meshach did too.

After an epic sunset, it was time to get some refreshments and leave the seawall. The day was quite busy for me with work, but the photowalk truly helped to clear my mind and allowed me to focus on somethings I truly enjoy - nature, photography, and learning new things.

The gallery here has a few shots I took and edited so far - there are quite a few more to run through and I’ll be adding them a bit later… maybe in this post or another.

Sunday, Rainy Sunday

Quite a downpour of rain on Sunday, and I took the opportunity to take some photos around the yard.

I haven’t been taking much photos recently, so I wanted to give my finger some exercise - plus - I find that I really enjoy the photos I took around the house and the yard in the past.

Not much to write - I’ve been suffering from a flu over the past few days and finally got some energy to do some writing and reading today, so here I am on the blog just dropping a note and a few pics from Sunday.

Forgot the Camera

When I say forgot the camera, I mean I forgot my dedicated camera (usually the Ricoh GRIII). I’ve made a post about this camera, I think. Either way, I had my phone on me, and more and more I’m beginning to get tired of always having to move around with a camera to take photos. I think I’ll try using my phone more often just for convenience sake, although I’m sure this will seem a bit weird at first - especially for street photography.

So, anyway, I forgot the camera last Saturday while I was on a drive and just happened to spot this beautiful scene at the seawall. The tide was extremely low and the water and mud were like a layer of glass reflecting the sky. The mood was exceptional and calm - just the way I like it.

I really didn’t expect much from the iPhone camera, because I know from experience that when you’re taking photos with it, the photos seem awesome, then when you reach home and begin really going through them, quite a few of them are disappointments. This time, however, I found something I quite appreciated, and it has encouraged me to take more photos with my phone.

That’s not to say that I’ll abandon my camera altogether. I truly believe that the camera will perform much better, but for the sake of convenience and sometimes pure necessity I’ll make sure I remember that the phone camera can still be quite awesome and dependable.

Sometimes you get those perfect blue sunsets. Georgetown Seawall - 9th July, 2022

After a While

So, it’s been a while since I went out to the Seawall and Kingston Beach. I’ve been feeling really cooped up and I think work has been a bit overwhelming lately, so I just decided to get some fresh air by riding out and taking some photos.

There have been a few new (albeit slow) developments at the beach and its surroundings. There’s a new walkway being built on the tarmac, to the south there’s an area being developed for small stores, and the tarmac has some new chairs which don’t look tacky. For the most part the landscape doesn’t change much, though. This afternoon it was quite peaceful and we had one of those mostly blue hues that makes the place seem cool and calm. Rain clouds scattered across the sky, with the introduction of a huge dredge on the horizon that, thankfully, won’t be there permanently. I like vast horizons without interruptions.

Here are some shots I took and am quite happy with. Think I’ll be doing mostly coloured photos for my street photography from now on. I don’t have much patience with editing either, so I’ll be minimizing that too. It’s quite something to find the extraordinary within what is considered ordinary.

Some Time with the Tides

Saturday I took a drive out to the Kingston Beach, Bandstand area. I had just planned to take a walk to clear my mind facing the ocean, and take a few photos during the process.

Photography is great - it allows you to focus on the process instead of dwelling on other thoughts you may have occupying your mind.

Usually, when I head out there, I try to see what unique images I can compose since I’ve shot the same location countless times over the years. I generally come away with similar scenes to ones I’ve shot before, but recently I want to focus more on recording the moments as I want to remember them, and as authentically as possible. I want to record Guyana as it is - something for posterity, something for us.

Independence Walk

Today it just so happened that I planned to take a drive up to Bushy Park Beach and I had already planned to take a walk on the Parika Stelling. There’s always this fear that someone will have a problem with me taking photos when I’m out in public, but I feel a bit more free on the stelling - it just seems that people are bit more laid back there. Not that I go sticking the camera in everyone’s face, but I get some of the shots I want while not interrupting people and their work.

Today I was happy to capture plantains being offloaded from a speedboat to the stelling where a truck was being loaded, more than likely to head to Georgetown. Quote a bit of history in the photo, as you can see the age of the wood used to build the stelling and that’s what I happen to like most about the whole photo.

The more I look at old photos of Guyana, the more I realize how important street photography is. This is history being made with every photo. Street photographers are few in Guyana at the moment, but ones we have are really good. I’m glad to be a part of capturing that history. What is more important now is publishing the photos - a work in progress.

Plantains being offloaded at the Parika Ferry Stelling - 26th May, 2022.