PHOTOWALKS: Through the years - Through the Lens, 2010-2020 Volume 3 by visions.gy

P R O D U C T I O N

PHOTOWALKS THROUGH THE YEARS - THROUGH THE LENS

2010 - 2020

VOLUME 3

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP All images are the copyright of the respective photographers. No image may be used without the permission of the respective photographer. No part of this book may be reproduced. This publication is not-for-proﬁt. Cover photograph by Michael C. Lam.

GUYANA

PHOTOGRAPHERS FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS THROUGH THE YEARS - THROUGH THE LENS

2010 - 2020

VOLUME 3

P R O D U C T I O N

PHOTOWALKS: Through the Years - Through the Lens, Volume 3 is curated and edited by Fidal Bassier, Taijrani Rampersaud, and Michael C. Lam as one of three virtual books focusing on past activities in observance of the GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ 10th Anniversary. Published by VISIONS Publication date: August 8, 2020

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ Facebook Group

www.facebook.com/groups/guyanaphotographer/

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ Website

www.guyanaphotographers.com

Introduction On July 25, 2020, the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Group (GP) celebrated a decade of artistic comradery showcasing the beauty of Guyana through photographs. Of course, with such a rich history from ten years of existence, the logical question is – “What next?” Before addressing that question, it is important to trace the history of the photography focused competitions and exhibitions in Guyana. The Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition (GVACE) is a biennial event in the country which focused on painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, and textiles before introducing photography to that list in 2012. From that year, the following three instalments (2014, 2017, 2019) have had strong entries in this category. In 2012, the first Capture Guyana – Mashramani Photography Competition 2014 was launched. This competition was different from the GVACE in that it focused solely on attributes specific to photography instead of art in general. This much welcomed competition was set to make a second appearance in 2016; however, this did not happen. The result was the conceptualization and creation of a photography exhibition organized by photographers. In 2016, Visions was launched through the hard work of Michael C. Lam and Karran Sahadeo. To ensure these two exhibitions – GVACE and Visions, do not coincide, the second instalment of Visions was unveiled in 2018 with the third planned for later 2020. Now that Visions has been given some context, the “What next?” question can be addressed. As a social unit, the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Group has been able to contribute to the growth of this artform in Guyana. From being affiliated with photography related events such as competitions and exhibitions, and maintaining strong links with similar Facebook groups, such as Street Photography in Guyana, Guyana Nature and Wildlife Photography, and Guyana Mobile Photographers, GP has truly been a strong leader in this sector. As such, it is the aim to formally register Visions as the photographic society in Guyana – the first such group since the British Guiana Photographic Society. We trust that the support shown to the social group will be extended by all our stakeholders in the future. Thank you for taking this journey with us so far and we hope that you enjoy this final volume of Photowalks: Through the Years – Through the Lens, 2010-2020. Taijrani Rampersaud, Fidal Bassier, and Michael C. Lam

Linden Linden is beautiful mixture of photographic delights: hills, water bodies, people, nature, and, of course, mining machinery as it is fondly dubbed The Mining Town. While the ﬁrst walk was focused on photographing the sunrise from the hilly area near the Blue Lake, this walk focused on exploring more of Linden. From beautiful landscapes and waterscapes, to portraits and wildlife photography, please enjoy our exploration of this beautiful location.

25 - Linden

April 06, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

April 06, 2014

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

25 - Linden

April 06, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

25 - Linden

April 06, 2014

25 - Linden

April 06, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

25 - Linden

(L-R): Neilon A. Dias, Angela Singh, Umbrella Girl, Brian Gomes, Kwesi Isles, Michael Jackson, Ronald Nandlall Picture by Azikiwé Ziggy Denheart

April 06, 2014

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

Berbice Berbice, known as The Ancient County, has always been a location we thought about visiting. However, due to the distance from Georgetown – a more common meeting spot, it took some time to undertake this road trip along the East Coast and over the Berbice River. Comprising about four vehicles and 12 photographers, we stopped at a koker to observe the morning life of the ﬁshermen, visited an old stelling, drove through New Amsterdam Town, checked out an afternoon at the beach, and reached the house with 100 windows for the beginning of sunset. From animals and people to ﬁelds and beautiful architecture, Berbice possess a charm unlike Demerara and Essequibo. From sunrise to sunset, we thoroughly enjoyed this day trip to Berbice.

26 - Berbice

April 27, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

April 27, 2014

26 - Berbice

April 27, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

April 27, 2014

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

26 - Berbice

April 27, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

April 27, 2014

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

26 - Berbice

April 27, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

(L-R): Diane Nandlall, Ronald Nandlall, Michael Jackson, Shiv Dindyal, Ryan Beharry, Parmanand Singh Roopnaraine, Taijrani Rampersaud, Nyall Jodhan, Radha Jodhan, Anusha Jodhan, Angela Singh, Nielon A. Dias PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

26 - Berbice

April 27, 2014

ÂŠ Girendra Persaud

Vreed-en-Hoop Guyana has two seasons – rainy and sunny. As a tropical location, Guyanese beneﬁt from one of these seasons usually. On this afternoon walk, we were greeted by the rain nothing close to a thunderstorm but still heavy enough that we had to seek shelter several times. However, we were not going let this dampen our aim of walking along the old jetty through Plastic City – it was a new and wonderful location. Also, catching some beautiful images at twilight of the Demerara River from the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling was a nice end to the day. From traﬃc jams and slippery surfaces, we conquered the weather to present you with these few gems. (Yes, our equipment were protected when it rained.)

27 - Vreed-en-Hoop

May 31, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

27 - Vreed-en-Hoop

May 31, 2014

27 - Vreed-en-Hoop

May 31, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

(Standing, L-R): Ronald Nandlall, Kenny Harrinaraine, Savita Balkaran, Michael Jackson, Karran Sahadeo; (Sitting: L-R): Taijrani Rampersaud, Ryan Beharry PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

27 - Vreed-en-Hoop

May 31, 2014

Pandama Winery In Guyana, rum is immensely popular. However, over the last two decade or so, another type of beverage appealing to a diﬀerent audience entered our market on a larger scale – wine. While there is a history of homemade wines (such as jamun wine) being made for small, household consumption, Pandama Winery caters to the wider population. Many connoisseurs visiting the location have shared the scenic area around the winery, so, of course we had to plan a walk. We thoroughly enjoyed this trip through savannah like ﬁelds, forest, and hills. Through getting stuck in the sand to exploring the trails around the winery, we present this diverse set of images. (For those wondering, yes, some of us adults tasted the wines. We support local!)

28 - Pandama Winery

July 07, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

28 - Pandama Winery

July 07, 2014

28 - Pandama Winery

July 07, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

28 - Pandama Winery

July 07, 2014

28 - Pandama Winery

July 07, 2014

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

(L-R): Duane DeLima, Warren Douglas, peeping person, Jamie McDonald, Michael Lam, Parmanand Singh, Nikhil Ramkarran, Angela Singh, Savita Balkarran, Kenny Harinaraine, Raven Dos Santos, Vashti Bipat, Avinash Richard, Roshinee Latchana, Romesh Latchana, Ryan Dos Santos, Vidya Devi Compton, Roshana Mahadeo, Taijrani Rampersaud, Ian Rogers, Ryan Beharry, Ronald Nandlall, Fidal Bassier, Michael Jackson, Baby Boy, Angelina McDonald

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

28 - Pandama Winery

July 07, 2014

ÂŠ Ronald Nandlall

Parika After a slight hiatus from photowalks, we resumed this activity by visiting our preferred type of location which has water, boats, and people. The love of familiar things helped to restart this activity. (Note: Sometimes, photographers get busy with other things in their lives and their art takes a short break.) This walk to Parika was more relaxed and less about taking a lot of photographs. Those attending simply enjoyed a lovely drive along the West Coast of Demerara with small stops along the way. Guyana truly is a hidden gem – a wonderful place with lots of inspiring elements, and you can see some representations of this through these few images.

29 - Parika

January 17, 2016

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

29 - Parika

January 17, 2016

29 - Parika

January 17, 2016

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

(L-R): Girendra Persaud, Charro Nachas, Parmanand Singh Roopnaraine, Robert Henry, Alisa Sookram, Anthony Sookram, Fidal Bassier, John Persaud PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

29 - Parika

January 17, 2016

ÂŠ Fidal Bassier

Better Hope As we started to get back into the grove of photowalks, this exposure to boats, ﬂags, people, mangroves, and seascapes proved to be extremely attractive. Though there are multiple pictures about these subjects, we still managed to capture them from new perspectives. The close-ups and the long shots, the portraits and the seascape all highlight a feeling of peace and serenity that Guyanese experience while at the seawall during the afternoon. Should one ask any coastal dweller for ideal locations to relax in the afternoons, it is almost positive that the seawall or seaside will be mentioned in the top three. For sure, we love it!

30 - Better Hope

January 22, 2017

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

30 - Better Hope

January 22, 2017

30 - Better Hope

January 22, 2017

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

30 - Better Hope

January 22, 2017

30 - Better Hope

January 22, 2017

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

(L-R): unknown, Anthony Sookram, Brian Gomes, Annie Gomes, Meshach Pierre, Junior Pellew, Chu Cassie, Nikhil Ramkarran, Michael C. Lam, Miriam Lam, Savita Balkarran, Christine Dhanram, Dione Vanderhyden, Kenny Harrinaraine, Michael Jackson, Abbas K. Hamid, unknown, Fidal Bassier, R.D. Jackson PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

30 - Better Hope

January 22, 2017

ÂŠ Savita Balkaran

Biodiversity Gardens Sometimes we need a change in scenery – so we go exploring our very abundant biodiversity. This walk was focused on capturing the beauty of the ﬂora and fauna to be found in the city as we strolled through the Biodiversity Gardens. From pretty images featuring the various elements of the garden to the use of various photography techniques, this walk was refreshing as it focused on nature. Remember, love is love, regardless of specie.

31 - Bioiversity Gardens

February 20, 2017

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

31 - Bioiversity Gardens

February 20, 2017

31 - Bioiversity Gardens

February 20, 2017

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

31 - Bioiversity Gardens

February 20, 2017

31 - Bioiversity Gardens

February 20, 2017

(L-R): Stephon Paul, Abbas K. Hamid, Girendra Persaud, John Persaud, Dionne Vanderhyden, Meshach Pierre, unknown, Jason October, Hilton Chand, Angela Singh, Carrie Sutherland

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

Unity, Mahaica Our thirty second walk took us to Unity, Mahaica in the afternoon. This was also the ﬁrst walk to have photographs taken with the use of a drone. The beautiful birds’ eye view photographs provide context about the area explored as they highlight the richness of the trees and ﬁelds, the murkiness of the canal from inland to the ocean and the play of light on the land. Unity truly is a beautiful location that still has a nice antique feel coupled nicely with modernity.

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

32 - Unity, Mahaica

September 09, 2017

32 - Unity, Mahaica

September 09, 2017

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

32 - Unity, Mahaica

September 09, 2017

32 - Unity, Mahaica

September 09, 2017

(L-R): Hosea Higgins, unknown, Paramanand Gopie, Jennifer Prashad, Chris Prashad, unknown, Raval, Sarah Jordan, Peter Hugh, Fidal Bassier

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

Street Photography Street photography highlights photographs of people undertaking everyday tasks. They are mostly unplanned shots which call for a degree of familiarity with our equipment and quick reﬂexes as the landscape is always changing. These beautiful moments captured in time feature a somewhat normal, rainy afternoon in Georgetown. They highlight the lives of people who work in the city as well as some famous structures.

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

33 - Street Photography

April 21, 2018

While some pictures might appear posed for, take a second look and observe the other elements and how they interact with the subject.

33 - Street Photography

April 21, 2018

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

April 21, 2018

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

33 - Street Photography

April 21, 2018

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

April 21, 2018

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

33 - Street Photography

April 21, 2018

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

(L-R): Michael Jackson, Darrell Carpenay, Brian Gomes, Kwesi Isles, R. D. Jackson, Michael C. Lam, Carlyle, Marceano Narine, Jay Carter, Christina, Aiesha Scotland, Jamal Anthony Mirris, Koaito Grant, Wei J. Wong PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

33 - Street Photography

April 21, 2018

Parika Yes, another photowalk highlighting Parika. However, once again, some quite diﬀerent images from the past two. These pictures featured the activities at the stelling with a few other shots taken along the way. From the commuters to those who use the Parika Stelling as port for loading and unloading produce, these pictures highlight yet another aspect of Guyanese life. The Essequibo River - esspecially at this busy spot, is always a lovely area to capture some meaningful and pretty scenes. Enjoy.

34 - Parika

May 28, 2018

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

34 - Parika

May 28, 2018

34 - Parika

May 28, 2018

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GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

Old Brick Factory This walk to the forsaken Bellu Claybrick Tile Factory at Canal #2 gave us an opportunity to explore photography with a vastly diﬀerent subject. A few of our photographers have honed their talent for taking out old and sometimes “ugly” structures and making them beautiful. We wanted to attempt this also, while seeing a new location. The detailed and establishing shots of the building and the surroundings provide a multitude of possibilities for us to document. The multiple buildings and styles also give us varying “lighting” to work with. There is always beauty to be found, or a story to tell – one just needs to take a proper look.

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

34 - Old 35 Parika Brick May Factory 28, 2018

October 01, 2018

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34 - Old Parika May Factory 28, 2018 35 Brick

October 01, 2018

58 54

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

34 - Old 35 Parika Brick May Factory 28, 2018

October 01, 2018

59 55

34 - Old Parika May Factory 28, 2018 35 Brick

October 01, 2018

60 54

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

34 - Old 35 Parika Brick May Factory 28, 2018

October 01, 2018

61 55

34 - Old Parika May Factory 28, 2018 35 Brick

October 01, 2018

62 54

(Front Row, L-R): Catherine Irvine, Mariea Harrinaraine, Anna Smith, Shiv’s daughter, yellow shirt, R. D. Jackson, Michael Jackson, Kenny Harrinaraine, Savita Balkaran, Taijrani Rampersaud, Rona Duran; (Second Row, L-R): Shiv Dindyal, Raj Bisessar, Angela Singh, Arti Singh; (Third Row, L-R) Michael C. Lam, Hilton Chan, Koaito Grant GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

Annandale Seawalls This final photowalk walk for the period 20102020 once again features our much loved seaside. Though few in numbers, the photographs highlight our growth over the years. The pictures of boats with a somewhat moody sky, the use of natural elements to frame subjects, the presence of leading lines and rule of third techniques, and the efficient use of detailed and wide shots to tell stories are very much apparent. Yes, our boats and sea and flags are somewhat redundant, but revisiting the same types of locations and capturing different images every time help us to see our personal growth. Thank you for taking this journey with us through our selections of ten years of images, do join us in making more and better images for our next ten years.

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

34 - Parika 36 Annandale May 28,Seawalls 2018

May 07, 2019

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34 - Parika May 28,Seawalls 2018 36 Annandale

May 07, 2019

64 54

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

May 07, 2019

34 - Parika 36 Annandale May 28,Seawalls 2018

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34 - Parika May 28,Seawalls 2018 36 Annandale

May 07, 2019

66 54

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

34 - Parika 36 Annandale May 28,Seawalls 2018

May 07, 2019

67 55

34 - Parika May 28,Seawalls 2018 36 Annandale

May 07, 2019

68 54

(L-R): Narvana Dayal, Fidal Bassier, Shaun Jagdeo, Michael C. Lam, Savita Balkaran, Michael Jackson

GUYANA PHOTOGRAPHERS’ FACEBOOK GROUP

Album Links Below are the links to the full albums on the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Page, which contain all the images uploaded by members from the various Photowalks.

25. GP Photo walk #21 – Linden [Apr 06, 2014] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.687565244618195&type=1 26. GP Photo walk #22 – Berbice [Apr 27, 2014] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.697922713582448&type=1 27. GP Photo walk #23 – Vreed-en-hoop [May 31, 2014] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.714985395209513&type=1 28. GP Photo walk #24 – Pandama Winery [July 07, 2014] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.735937836447602&type=1 29. GP Photo walk #25 – Parika [January 17, 2016] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.1021557294552320&type=3 30. GP Photo walk #26 – Better Hope [Jan 22, 2017] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.1384203981620981&type=3 31. GP Photo walk #27 – Biodiversity Gardens [Feb 20, 2017] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.1419360091438703&type=3 32. GP Photo walk #28 – Unity, Mahaica [Sept 9, 2017] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.1669020736472636&type=3 33. GP Photo walk #29 – Street Photography [April 21, 2018] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.1955929591115081&type=3

36. GP Photo walk #32 – Annandale Seawalls [May 7, 2019] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.2686410258067007&type=3

PHOTOWALKS 2010-2020

34 - Parika Links

35. GP Photo walk #31 – Old Brick Factory [Oct 1, 2018] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.2232994093408628&type=3

May 28, 2018

34. GP Photo walk #30 – Parika [May 28, 2018] https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.2004313096276730&type=3

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PHOTOWALKS THROUGH THE YEARS - THROUGH THE LENS

2010 - 2020

VOLUME 3

P R O D U C T I O N