It’s Not the Scene: It’s What is Seen. Visualizing Potential.

There is a lot to be said about vision for us who ply our trade in the visual art business. One area where the ability to visualize has helped me immensely has been in the area of creating (what I consider) beautiful work in ordinary and easily written off spaces. With the right tools and vision, amazing outcomes can be achieved in almost any location.

Being a lifestyle photographer however also means I have to balance my “unbridled passion for the seemingly mundane” with the client’s sense of what is comfortable and reflective of the status they wish to see projected in the photos taken. The safe option is to go for elegant already set up spaces. Those also spark a whole new level of added class. Hotel Spaces like Labadi Beach Hotel, Movenpick Hotel, Kempinski Hotel, and Peduase Valley Lodge are just a dream to shoot in and I recommend such spaces for shoots when possible.

Kempinski Hotel has some really tropically colourful and warm Interior spots.

Movenpick Hotel’s manicured gardens bordered by coconut trees are alluring

Labadi Beach Hotel. Another great place with bold and colourful interior spaces.

Ode to the Random Location!

It is equally exciting when shoots happen in random “unorganised” spaces and I do love the challenge of working in such locations.

Photo was taken by the concrete barricades lining the upward climb to Aburi. 

The Legon Great Hall One Harmattan Day

The Legon Great Hall area is a choice location (if you can get the security clearance).  The terracotta-roofed and white-walled hall and surrounding environs do present a uniquely captivating backdrop for photos. However, on this occasion, we opted to avoid the buildings and take advantage of the fading greens, post-harmattan colours. As we were climbing up to the location we observed a most glorious sight: a recently burnt mangrove forest. Rows of trees, with grounds alternating between soot and fallen leaves.

Here are some behind the scenes photos taken on that day just to give perspective on the whole scene ( click to view larger photo).

A shoot in my neighbourhood! 

Just over the weekend Paul and Wendy came by for a pre-shoot around my house! Again we had lots of dusty streets and “yellow greenery” to work with. Fortunately, this all complemented their outfits quite nicely.

My favourite shots were the ones made with an improvised wooden frame. Paul is a photographer, and it just made (visionary) sense to have a series of shots that had them framed 🙂

Here is a behind-the-scenes video of how the frame shots were taken!

Looking forward to more challenges in 2018! who knows, we may even shoot while jumping off buildings, ha! Anyway, what has been your own experience? Or better still what is your preference? Do share with us in the comments section below! 

Kwame Pocho, 2018