Creating the “Wanted” Visualiser for Lila Iké
I was commissioned to create a visualiser for Lila Ike’s “Wanted”. A song lamenting the loss of young men to crime in Jamaica, where I served as director and cinematographer. I go in depth about the creation process of this visual we made in Jamaica
“Wanted” Visualizer, Performed by Lila Iké, Directed by Yannick Reid
I was commissioned to create a visualiser for Lila Ike’s “Wanted”. A song lamenting the loss of young men to crime in Jamaica.
When I first heard this song, the production reminded me of something I would have heard on my parents radios in the early 90s.
Jamaican Pantomime - credit: Jamaica Gleaner
In my youth my parents would carry me to the Pantomime; A form of local theatre with exaggerated and comedic tongue in cheek styles. This was my reference for the visual.
I wanted the whole video to feel like the viewer was watching a Pantomime. It’s exaggerated, there’s a lot of pretending, but it’s all deliberate for that vintage effect. For me it is also like pulling out the deep culture or Jamaican-ness of the song, without adding too much of a heavy layer to an already serious theme.
Most of this film used practical effects, to make it feel like true theatre. It was also plenty fun seeing how these turned out. The spotlight gives you that feel like you’re in a late night small cosy theatre, and the lights come on to reveal Lila, who I have as the ethereal narrator of the film.
When I conceptualised this film, I had our lead talent Karlon, in my mind. I don’t think he acted before, but the character I envisioned was him. Thankfully when we reached out, he was interested and I think he did a great job.
This is my favourite moment from the film. A key element where Lila as the Narrator, crosses unfortunate paths, and they both break the fourth wall, by looking right at the viewer. being able to incorporate narrative elements like these is personally so rewarding.
Which each phase of the films story I chose to play with the lighting. The almost inverted colour here in the beginning =, helps to communicate -the transition of the character, the almost other world state. At this point the character flirts with riches he has from his robbery. The colour is also a foreshadowing matching police colours, and again, Lila breaks the 4th wall talking to the viewer but the character (wanted youth) is not aware of her presence.
I don’t want to give away the whole video in this post, and leave some open to your own interpretation. This project wouldn’t be possible without the teamwork from my crew.
Yannick Reid - Director, Cinematographer, Edit & Colour
Habibi Bailey - Producer
Karlon Edmonson - Wanted Youth
Hasani Cole - Gaffer
Ayana Riviere - Stylist (Lila Ike)
Shaquiel Brooks - Photographer & BTS
Aaliyah Hinds - Stylist (Karlon) & PA
Osunya Rose - Style assistant (Karlon)
Tonisha Kong - Make-Up
Latoya Reid - Hair
WOF Tiny Space - Studio Location
Far Eye Films - Production rentals
Here Comes The Morning Music Video for Protoje
I was tasked as Director to create a visual for Protoje’s song “Here comes the morning”. of his sixth studio album “Third Time’s The Charm”. For the concept of the song that both Protoje & I worked on- He was to take his daughter to the first point of sunrise to find “Where the sun comes from” We went to the eastern most location in Jamaica, the Morant point lighthouse (Not an easy drive I might add). Through the night to catch the sunrise on film.
Song Artwork shot and designed by me (Yannick Reid)
I was tasked to create a visual for Protoje’s song “Here comes the morning”. of his sixth studio album “Third Time’s The Charm”
For the concept of the song that both Protoje & I worked on- He was to take his daughter to the first point of sunrise to find “Where the sun comes from”
We went to the eastern most location in Jamaica, the Morant point lighthouse (Not an easy drive I might add). Through the night to catch the sunrise on film.
This shot is actually a daytime shot, graded to look like night.
Photo by Shaquiel Brooks
Photo by Shaquiel Brooks
Photo by Shaquiel Brooks
This shoot had it’s unique challenges, such as filming at night into the morning, as well as the weather not being fully on our side, but we all made it work.
Going into this project, I wanted the visuals to look and feel tender. A relationship between father and daughter is often one of the most tender relationships.
I wanted viewers to feel the tenderness, and closeness between Protoje and Yara. I wanted it to feel like a memory - a goal that’s recurring in some of my work with Protoje. Nostalgia is a powerful and visceral feeling and I want to be able to trigger that in viewers because I believe it’s a way to create a long term connection with audiences. - If something feels like a memory, it may become one.
Having Yara in Protoje’s lap driving was one of those on location choices that suited the theme we were going for.
One of my favourite shots was unplanned, this herd of goats crossing the frame whilst the pair walk toward the lighthouse.
I love this frame for Proto, the worms eye view of him performing in front of the lighthouse. This comes from my love of Hip Hop Music, and this frame is so reminiscent of classic 90s hip hop angles.
Big Props to Yara. Her talent is authentic, working with children usually takes a specific type of direction, but she took direction very well and easily, without complaints. I believe I was more afraid of the height in the lighthouse than her.
Speaking a bit on the technical aspects as both Director and DP - I shot on the RED Komodo, shooting with the trusty Sigma 18-35mm. It’s low aperture and zoom angle allowed me to keep up with the pace needed for a time sensitive shoot like this. For the colour grade I went for a super 16 emulation to add to the nostalgic feel of the film. I especially loved how the blues in Protoje and Yara’s outfit popped out in the colour and the orange of the lighthouse.
Please enjoy the Behind the scenes video done by Shaquiel brooks from the day of our shoot.
I really hope you enjoyed this film, a lot of work went into it, not just by me but the team working alongside me.
Director/DP/Edit - Yannick Reid
Producer - Habibi Bailey
Production Company - YaH Made It
Art Director - Lindsey Lodenquai
Stylist - Ayana Riviere
Gaffer - DavyFrsh
BTS - Shaquiel Brooks
Production Assistants - Makeda Romanetti, Aaliyah Hinds
Special Thanks to KIG Jamaica for the Picture Car
Photographing Rockhouse Hotel for Financial Times
I had the privilege of shooting an editorial piece for The Financial Times’ Luxury Lifestyle magazine “How to Spend it”, for both web and print, within I share a bit of my own personal experience, background on my favourite photos and some that didn’t make it into the article.
I had the privilege of shooting The Rockhouse Hotel in Negril for an editorial piece for The Financial Times’ Luxury Lifestyle magazine “How to Spend it”, for both web and print, within I share a bit of my own personal experience, background on my favourite photos and some that didn’t make it into the article.
My parents were quite elated about this one.
I want to share a bit of my experience and some of my favourite images, but not before imploring you to check out the actual article, written by Enuma Okoro.
I had been to Rockhouse Hotel twice before, but this was my first time overnighting there. It’s a beautiful location on the coast of Negril, with it’s rooms situated on the cliffs - nothing short of breathtaking.
The grounds feature long pathways connecting all parts of the hotel like a road network, I loved the feeling like I was traversing through a mini jungle, and I wanted to bring out that feel of childish wonder and cheekiness whilst exploring the grounds.
Across the road, I went with Enuma to Rockhouse Farms where I learned fresh ingredients for Rockhouse’s two restaurants are supplied. My favourite aspects were the handcrafted candles made for Rockhouse and sister hotel Skylark hotel, being made on the grounds. I loved the scents and boutique design of the packaging.
I love these images, this gentleman is one of the artisans who also woodwork furniture on the farm for both Rockhouse Hotel and Skylark Hotel. I have a personal love for environmental portraits that show people in their work environment, doing what they do.
The Spa is another area I had never seen before, and wish I had the time to make use of! The light and weather was also very kind to me as I love the tonality in these images.
My final share is this gentleman here working on his creative dish at the rockhouse pool bar. Again, I love to catch people in their element, and the pride this gentleman took in his preparation really energised me. I was taken aback by his striking blue eyes, something I had never encountered before - but what I love about these images is the harmonious colour palette coming through. Of course, I enhanced this with editing, but the red gold and green in the background, lifted him from being lost in it. His grey almost.. lilac attire seems to be a less saturated colour of the peas, then again the green in the dish finds family in the green in the background, then the yellows of the background, and a bit in his skin and the corn in the dish work together. I may be tooting my own horn here, but hey, I love what I do.
There’s much more images I’d like to share, but I think it’s professional etiquette to allow my client’s article to lead out in this time as they were kind enough to include me on such a wonderful project. Again, give it a read here, there are more images I didn’t include here in there.
Until next time!
How to Edit ANY Photo from your CAMERA on your Smartphone (Without wifi!)
Today I show you how you can bring your images from your DSLR or Mirrorless camera, and bring them right to your phone and edit them, even if your camera doesn't have wifi!
In the last tutorial, I walked you through how to take better photos with your smartphone and edit them on your smartphone, using the app snapseed.
In this tutorial, we're taking it a step further. This tutorial assumes that you may have a camera at your disposal. A lot of modern cameras these days have some wifi features, but let's assume your camera doesn't have any of those wireless features, like the Canon T3i (as seen in video), a great entry level camera, but lacks any wireless feature.
There's a device that can take the images from the memory card of your camera, straight to your phone, pretty much skipping your computer. It's traditionally called an OTG SD Card Reader (they sometimes go by other names). Thankfully they're very affordable ranging from 5 to 10 dollars, and they're available for both Android, and iOS devices.
OTG Card Reader Options:
MicroUSB (Seen in the video)
USB C Option 1
USB C Option 2
iOS Option 1
iOS Option 2
How it typically works is one end plugs directly into your phone, one into your computer, and there are slots on the side to receive SD and MicroSD cards. In this tutorial we wont be needing the computer, so no need to focus on that.
Take your SD card filled with your images (Jpeg, as Snapseed doesn't support all types of RAW files from other cameras 😓), and plug it in the reader. While the card is still in the reader, plug it into your phone (n.b. for iOS Users, for most cases, there is a companion app for your specific reader that must be used so you can add the files to your camera roll. ). Open up the reader and take the images you want off the card and unto your phone! It's that easy!
From here, it's just a matter of editing the image to your taste in whichever app you prefer, in this tutorial we used the free app Snapseed, In the video tutorial, there's a quick edit of the images, if you're curious (Here's a tutorial on how to use it). Once you're done editing, you can share to the social media platform of your choice!
Here's the results from my shoot in the video!
Snapseed (Totally Free!)
Android (Play store): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.niksoftware.snapseed&hl=en
iOS (App Store): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snapseed/id439438619?mt=8
Also, The Canon T3i is a great budget entry level camera, that I would recommend to those interested in getting their first camera and learning photography. It's a few years old, so it's a very affordable price used and refurbished on Amazon.
How To Shoot and Edit Portraits with JUST your Smartphone
I show you how to take better pictures with just your smartphone, Android or iPhone, using some EASY TECHNIQUES and editing using the FREE app, Snapseed!
A lot of folks may believe they have a decent camera in their smartphone, but probably don't really consider the applications in which they can maximize their camera to be creative or actually create pretty decent photos!
In the video below, I carry you through my method of how I can shoot and edit a quick portrait using just my phone.
The app I use in the video is Snapseed, a free photo editor owned by google for both andriod and iOS, that contains some powerful editing tools to make some dope images, it updates regularly and continues to impress me with how much better it gets over time.
Snapseed (Totally Free!)
Android (Play store): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.niksoftware.snapseed&hl=en
iOS (App Store): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snapseed/id439438619?mt=8
Before I get into Snapseed and the editing features, I'd like to speak on the actual process of taking the photos first. As I mentioned in the video, most modern day smartphones (from about 2014-2015 ) contain pretty decent cameras inside them that can capture great photos with just a little know how and understanding..
The same principles that make 'a good photo' in a big camera like a decent camera. Principles like understanding lighting - How much light is available, which direction the light is pointing, what's the quality of the light (Harsh - bright with drastic shadows, or soft - gentle, with smooth and light shadows), Composition - How the photo is arranged, where you place the subject, how much negative space there is, the perspective you use (High or low), we cant forget, Subject (Matter) - Meaning your subject (the model) How you pose them, what's their facial expression like etc. And all these principles work together to create what will probably give you a 'good photo'.
Another feature your phone might have access to, is shooting RAW, this can probably be found in your phone's camera settings. A RAW Photo, is a type of photo file, that contains much more digital information than the standard photo your camera takes (what's know as a JPEG), You can't post a RAW file to instagram, it's designed to be edited, and gives you much more room than a Jpeg, to change exposure (image brightness), contrast and colours - and when you're finished, you make a Jpeg that can be posted to instagram. A RAW photo generally will result in a better photo, so if you can shoot RAW on your Portrait shoot, do it!
Back to Snapseed!
This what Snapseed looks like when you open the app, hit Open to begin and it will take you into your gallery to select an image. (this may look different dependent depending on if you're on Android or iOS)
Press the pencil icon in the bottom right corner to open the tools panels. There are a bunch of tools here, but in this tutorial i'll be focusing on Tune image, and the Curves panels today.
All of snapseed's editing interface is very intuitively touch based. To bring up the controls, touch and hold the screen and you will see all these options come up. To tweak them, you slide to the left or right to increase or decrease the effect in intensity. I advise you play around with all these sliders individually to get a feel of how each of them works.
Brightness: Affects how light or dark the photo is
Contrast: Affects the intensity of the whites and the blacks in the photo
Saturation: Affects the intensity of the colours in the photo
Ambiance: Affects a mixture of Brightness, sharpness, and colour to change the "mood" of the photo
Highlights: Hightlights are the brightest part of your photo, this slider can make just that section brighter, or darker
Shadows: Opposite of Highlights as it relates to shadows with one exception. The area of the photo referred to as shadows is the darker points all up until the darkest point (meaning a range of maybe 50% percent darkness to about 90% Darkness, but not 100%)
Warmth: Increasing this adds a yellow hue to the image, while decreasing it adds a blue hue
When your done tweaking here, just click the check mark and you'll be back in the tools panel, from here we're gonna move to the curves panel.
Curves is a powerful way to fine tune the look of your photo. It starts as a line, the top of the line controls the brightest parts of your image, and the end of the line controls the darkest parts. You can touch and drag any part of the line and move it to affect that specific tonal range in your image. A very common curve used is called the S-curve, where close to the top is pushed up (making the brights brighter), and close to the end down (Making the darks Darker).
Within the curves panel, you have RGB (Which affects all the image), Red, Green, Blue (each of those curves affect the respective colour) and Luminance (which is only the brightness, doesnt affect colour). Here I'm gonna mess around with the colours. If you look at the images side by side, you can see what kind of difference stylistically tweaking the colours make.. (the effects are better illustrated in the video), but essentially I added some red to the highlights, and I made the shadows a blue tint.
Hitting the little layer tab up top will show you some useful options while editing, Undo and Redo are pretty useful for maybe when you want to step back, and revert removes all the edits. Apply Last Edits is great for if your editing more than one image that has pretty much the same lighting and setup, as it can apply the same edits you used for your last photo to your new one. I'll get to view edits in a second- but the last 3 are pretty clutch. In sanpseed you can save your edits to something called a Look, it's like your own custom preset, that you can use later. It saves whatever edits you have applied currently when you hit save look, and stores it in My looks, so you can use it later. Very awesome feature if you ask me. QR Look, is a fun way to share your looks via QR code, you can also get looks from others by scanning it.
This is what happens when you open View Edits, it shows you all the edits you did, and what's great is you can select any of these tabs and go back into that specific tool to change anything. So maybe after the curves you wanted to brighten the image more? just go back into tune image and edit it. That simple
Once your done, hit the save button up top, and you'll be presented with 4 options, 3 of which are pretty similar. Share, allows you to post this or share it right to an app, like Instagram or whatsapp, I may use this feature to send my image into VSCOcam for some more editing (Tutorial on that soon!). Save, simply saves a copy of your photo as is, to wherever snapseed saves images on your phone (may differ between iOS and Android). Export, saves a copy as well but you can chose things like size and quality, it's good in case you may want to email the photo, or you dont want the file size being too huge. Then you have Export as, which saves a full resolution file, to a folder on your phone of your choosing (I think this may be android only), I personally like this feature because it helps me stay organized.
And that's it! your done! I really encourage you to play around and stimulate your creativity in Snapseed, we only really just brushed the surface of what it's capable of, and the snapseed team does really good work in making it even more and more powerful. It's totally free, so there's no excused to try! This can also be a great gateway into one day moving into some desktop apps if you're a beginner.
Here's the gallery with the shoot I did with just my phone (ZTE Axon 7)
Shooting with Olivia
Manifesting a portrait session with the lovely Olivia from the Dubeez!
Wanted to shoot Olivia for the longest while! She lives in the Netherlands and is the bassist for Reggae band "The Dubeez". They played a festival that Protoje & The Indiggnation also played. I saw her backstage and told her we need to shoot, she told me sure. I kinda envisioned that it would be my next time in the Netherlands, but luck worked out that she came to Jamaica with her band to work on their album, around the same time I came off tour.
So we got to shooting! Really love how the images came out, better than I had imagined
Thanks to Nickii Kane and Habibi (Travis) for handling lighting for me. Check out the images below!
Also! Check out the Vlog which has some footage from the BTS of this very shoot! (subscribe if you can 👀) | More importantly! Currently accepting bookings for shoots in Jamaica till April 8th 2017! so hit me up!
![Da Outro [Blog & Vlog]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/568a382440667a3869232c61/1488872829079-7WLKPXQUW0M1CXMIXHQ5/DSC08984.jpg)
Da Outro [Blog & Vlog]
Final post from the Tour with Protoje & The Indiggnation on the West Coast US Tour All Vlogs, and a couple extra photos
Finally completed my first vlog series on my youtube channel.
It was certainly fun, it wasn't my first time shooting vlogs per se, but my first time really shooting a vlog for myself (or being the narrator). Walking around holding up a camera definitely does make you feel a bit self conscious (read: stupid) at times, but- you start to get used to it, and you get reminded people don't really care (or really paying you much attention) as long as they don't feel like you're filming them.
Knowing you have to release a vlog, every 2 or so days, motivates you to engage in interesting things that will enrich your videos. which definitely paid off in particularly adventures, like trying the upside down machine in LA, or heading up two mountains in aspen.
Unfortunately, the time I would choose to edit and try have the vlog uploaded, is usually the same time that I would use to update and curate my blog. So this on this trip, my blog kind of fell behind to facilitate my vlog. Personally, i'm not too upset about it, because the engagement and response from the vlogs exceeds the level of engagement from my blogs (the response has been really really crazy by the way), so I feel like it's a better way to connect with people and help share the experience - but I have a personal love for my blog, and writing down extended thoughts and opinions that I can't necessarily stuff in a video (I try to keep it entertaining).
Moving forward I still haven't figured out how the blog will function while on tour and doing the vlogs (Working on a new one now while typing this) but that's a work in progress that seems more entertaining to figure, out as opposed to being stressful.
I made a playlist of the entire west coast US tour vlogs, for your viewing pleasure- maybe you've never seen any, maybe you missed one or two, whatever it may be, they're all here below- enjoy!
N.B. Also after the jump are a couple photos that I never really got to either post on instagram or make a blog post about so I'm putting them here
A little personal | Multi-City Blog post
A 9 cityblog catch up, Forgiveme for falling behind. Lotta images and vlogs inside!
Blessings to all reading!
Been kinda falling behind with the blog itself since I'm working on the Vlog, trying to strike the balance (first time actively vlogging and blogging simultaneously while on tour), I don't know if readers who follow this, prefer blogs, or vlogs, but regardless, I still want anyone who comes here to still feel like there's genuine value in taking the time out to pree the blog. Side note; Thanks for reading if you do.
Last blog post was in sacramento in which we spent 2 days.. That's like a solid 10 days ago. Way behind. SO what I'm gonna try right now, is a photo essay from Sacramento straight to now (currently writing this post from the lobby of a Best Western in Billings Montana at 1:43am). I'll try to support anything that's not too clear visually with some words
Bakersfield
We went to a Pop-up Sesh (A weed link up, my jamaicans), Saw this dude building Bongs, and Dab rigs. Dope
View from Inside my bunk
If you didn't know, I really, really love Sushi
Arcata
Woke up one morning after leaving Arcata and it was just.. All snow.. shit was crazy. Took dope photos
Reno, NV
Bend, OR
Friend of ours, RIchard Maloney from Leafly, drove us around on our second day in Seattle (vlog for that coming soon), we went to Solstice Cannabis
Spokane, WA
Billings, MT
You're all caught up, If you're still here, thank you! I hope my photo essay was clear, or gave an interesting impression of what we've been up to. Also, for a more audio|visual experience of what's been happening, I do encourage you to check out the vlog, that i've linked below. Thus far the feedback on the vlog is far more than I expected, and it really motivates me to do more. I'm very interested in providing you with engaging content, so I'm very much open to hearing your opinions or what you think, both on blog and the vlog.
Thanks for reading! Bless up! Vlogs after the jump.
Ventura x Sacramento2
Just a catch up of a couple days- Ventura and Sacramento! Images inside- Vlog soon!
Admittedly, a couple slow days here, not much adventuring between Ventura and Sacramento to be honest, so I wont bore you with too many letters, just bask in the photos! Love!
As it pertains to the vlog, building more visually interesting things before I post. As soon as it's ready, you'll have it Soon I promise. Just enjoy this gallery or check out the older vlogs.
Upside LA (Blog & Vlog)
We run around LA for a bit, I hang upside down too. UPDATE TO THE VLOG TOO!
Show day in LA, Spent the day around the place being a tourist. Went to Rodeo Drive to check the strip
Sister and Brother
Linked up with LA Creative Director and Stylist; Joseph (Right) and Ruslan (Left), owner of streetwear label SSUR
-Golden Rolling Papers-
provided by SSUR
Returned to my favourite, favourite vegan restaurant in LA - Vegan glory! my third time here, and this here is my favourite thing to get there. Vegan Beef Jerky, made from seitan. So delicious. I myself am not vegan, but this is amazing.
Total sidenote: I've gotten messages, both lighthearded and serious regarding vegan food that resembles meat, or is made to taste like meat.. and issues folks have with that. For those who are serious........ come on. the logic is simple.. people who used to eat MEAT like how MEAT tastes, and for whatever reason, decided to no longer eat meat... but they still like how meat tastes.. so obviously this for them. Peeps... how are you going to increasingly moralize an already moral decision. No animals are dying.. S E K K L E
Plus, I eat chicken, and chicken fi dead.
The show itself... ah boy. GOOD SHOW! but the venue, echoplex, we played there last year, and just like last year- it was SO PACKED. Backstage was absolutely packed, people who i'm sure shouldn't have been around there were around there.
When you wanna go home
Also on time is the 3rd Vlog! For an active look of our day in Petaluma and LA. Remember to subscribe to the channel, so in case you miss a blog, or message from me about it, you'll get a notification!
Gallery after the jump!
San Fran to Petaluma!
Lotsa vibes backstage in San Fran, Veggie Bacon, and A vape pen factory in Petaluma!
Didn’t get to do as much in San Fran this time, versus my last time- going into the city, shopping around, almost going to twitter headquarters. Nah this time we just went to a coffee shop (weed shop), where I wasn't allowed to take photos (because patients were there), and went to a vegan spot- where I had “Vege Bacon Sandwich” - it did indeed taste like bacon, and it did taste good
A blurry vegan bacon sandwich
give thanks to King Ivier for taking us there.
The energy at the Independent in San Fran was undeniable, it felt like we returned to a place of victory. Our last time here was a sold out show that was unforgettable, and the stage was set for a repeat this visit. Everyone was in light spirits backstage, I spotted a clean grey wall in the green room and the idea to capture some portraits of the whole crew, to commemorate the good vibe seemed great.
The crowd was excellent, just as before. Loud, energetic and vocal! catch a couple of the vibes visuals
THANKS SAN FRANCISCO!
The day after in petaluma was a bit more interesting. We linked up with Absolute Xtracts, a company that makes cannabis vape pens, and went to their head office nearby, where they show us their full process of how they make and package cannabis oil.
Explaining
Liquid Gold: Cannabis oil concentrate
Terpine (sp) the extracted scents from marijuana strains that can be mixed and anded back in.
I actually quite like this company.
Also, on time is the second blog for the tour! working on schedule
Gallery after the jump
Iration Tour Start and Blog!
First write up for this year's west coast tour! Photos, as well as the first video from my official Youtube channel! please I encourgae you to check it out!
*wipes dust off blog*
Happy New Year to one and all! Hope everyone is well! if you follow and check for the blog, thank you, if you're new here then bless up!
*Gets to the point*
At the time of writing this, currently on Tour with Protoje on the west coast. Just finished our third show in Santa Cruz and off to San Fransisco for show number 4. Should be pretty exciting as our last show in San Fransisco was insanely crammed and sold out.
I'm trying a slightly different approach for photography this tour, a more in depth look at what happens off the stage on tour- there are more than one photographers at every venue, all with instagrams.. everyone can see the stage, so I'm gonna try to show you the moments on tour that you may not get to see anywhere else- Don't hesitate to tell me what you think, or what you want to see, love feedback!
For example:
Danny Bassie and Protoje
Chilling on the tour bus
Dutty Bookman, Tour Manager for this tour
Also, (fairly big also, but nontheless, an also), launched my Youtube Channel today! where I'll be vlogging as well as providing more visual content- it's better watched, than explained, please subscribe and let me know what you think! This is pretty relevant since the Tour Vlog will be moved to my channel! the first of which, will be up soon, soon, I promise! Check it out and let me know what you think!
As usual, with tour, the internet is a fleeting mistress, so as soon as I can keep up to date, I will! Thank you!
Check out the Gallery with just a couple selects from the tour thus far!
New Wave: Looking back at the Waves
Monday, December 19th, marked the end of the 5 week series "New Wave" held every Monday during the period, at Stone's Throw Bar on Manning's hill road in Kingston. The brainchild of Protoje, and Jason Panton (Minds behind Live From Kingston and Dubwise), launched on November 21st, with an objective to highlight emerging art, sounds and visuals within Kingston.
Monday, December 19th, marked the end of the 5 week series "New Wave" held every Monday during the period, at Stone's Throw Bar on Manning's hill road in Kingston. The brainchild of Protoje, and Jason Panton (Minds behind Live From Kingston and Dubwise), launched on November 21st, with an objective to highlight emerging art, sounds and visuals within Kingston.
Protoje, one of the organizers of New Wave
Each Monday I arrived at New Wave, with camera in hand, and it felt more like a study for me. I was really in awe every week, not at the event itself, but just how many different walks of life within Kingston were seen in New Wave. each week the venue permeated a youthful exuberance that, while seen frequently online, didn't have the opportunity to manifest itself in a physical space very often. I would see new faces every week, that would inquisitively inquire about the event, only to appear the following week with a friend. The various cliques and groups showing up, representing friends performing, or partaking in whatever activity. Also the support of the photographers and videographers, was greatly appreciated, as New Wave is surely a well documented event.
I hate feeling like I'm rambling, but It really feels like i'm witnessing the post-reggae revival, all the work that, that era put in, I could literally see it manifesting in a space like New Wave. In the Sounds, the fashion, the vernacular. It all feels confident, new and vibrant again, you can see a creative consciousness that is awake in the minds, and it was truly a joy to see. (Very Culture as I like to say)
The 5 weeks featured the musical talents of Blvk H3ro, Leno Banton, Sevana, The Drumkeys and Jeeby Lyricist, A cinema feature with two short films (made in Jamaica) - Enhanced and Sugar, A fashion feature with Club Diamonds, Rouxvolution and Quaint by GSC. | Powered by the DJ skills of Jimmy Q and DJ Stamma, with guest DJs Shacia Payne & Wav.Empress
Blvk H3ro
Leno Banton
Rouxvolution (doing body painting)
Sevana
Jeeby Lyricist
Club Diamonds (France-Roy & Toussaint)
But lowkey the most important feature (in my opinion) of New Wave I would say was the AUX Cord Segment, where anyone from the audience, could plug their phone or laptop into the AUX cord, and play whatever they wish. I remember seeing this feature met with shyness the first week, but by the closing week, there was an entire line by the DJ booth. It became an opportunity where anyone could play their own song, and get feedback from the audience, a real sharing experience for many who don't have a platform to share their work.
In closing, I'm not sad New Wave is finished for now, I believe- good things in short bursts are appreciated more. People will have a fond memory of the period of time they spent at New Wave and how wonderful it was, so when it comes back- whenever it does, it can be met with the same energy, or maybe even more.
Looking forward to seeing you next year!
Live From Kingston: Class of 2016
Not a lot of words, but a few of my favourite images from 2016's hosting of Live From Kingston, featuring The Class of 2016. A very culture way to close out the year!
Images inside!
The first Live From Kingston since 2014, hosted the self titled "Class of 2016", a showcase of what's supposed to be the most outstanding set of 2016's upcoming Jamaican musicians, on stage in a live acoustic format.
Hosted at the picturesque venue of Skyline Levels, atop the hills overlooking Kingston, the event truly lives up to it's name. The energy in the venue was dense, filled with youthful exuberance, was proud to see so much faces from different walks of life, here to support the culture.
I don't want to bore you with too much words, if you were there, you know what happened. If you weren't I hope you can be happy to know that Jamaican music rests in very capable hands and the line up of Xana Romeo, Royal Blu, Blvk H3ro, Sevana, and Runkus, (check them out!) was perhaps one of the best and strongest lineups that Live From Kingston has ever seen. There was no weak points and all acts successfully had the crowd roaring.
I just want to share with you some of my favourite images and moments from a 'very culture' evening. See you next year!
Xana Romeo
Royal Blu
Blvk H3ro
Sevana
Runkus
Shooting a Dance Class for the first time!
Big man, Big Camera, Little Kids, Dancing, pictures ensue
Sam, a high school colleague and friend of mine; messaged me on whatsapp, saying she needed some promotional images for her dance business TipTapToe, where she teaches toddlers and pre-schoolers dance. She told me she needed some images of the class itself, and just a couple headshots of herself to assist in the promotion of her overall brand.
Shooting dance is something I've only done once in a non professional context, but I found it to be interesting, and sounded like something fun and challenging so I accepted gladly.
After diving into pinterest for some references and research, I figured this wouldn't be a job I should undertake alone, so I brought my good friend and photographer Nickii Kane (check her out, wicked photographer) to help me with lighting and give me a second eye/opinion on things.
I reached the dance studio at an overcast Saturday morning, to also see another colleague and friend Jik Reuben (another wicked photographer), who was doing group portraits of the students.
Sam gathered the attention of the many small bodies inside the studios and started her session. It was a bit funny to me, seeing her direct this mass of pink and sam -the adult of the situation- towering over them in black.
As I mentioned earlier.. I've never really shot something like this before, so I tried to read the situation both aesthetically as well as.. to try and portray the nature of probably what it feels to be in sam's class as a little girl. I decided to get down real low and shoot upwards
I love the exuberance of curiosity of kids- It really re-energizes me to think outside the box and to be enthusiastic about whatever I'm doing. Kids love to experiment.. just for the sake of doing it, and even in photography that's a mindset not to be taken for granted. So I definitely fed off their energy for this shoot. Also I didn't get to mention that Sam herself is very like her kids.. high energy, vibrant, and always trying things. So it was fun to kinda follow their lead
A small challenge I faced was having to shoot toward a mirror.. I couldn't have myself appearing in the images, so involved me getting kinda creative in the shots. My positioning and timing was key. Sometimes I'd have to even match some of Sam's moves so I could be completely hidden behind her. The challenge was thrilling resulting in images like these.
After Sam's class, we did the most energetic portrait session I've ever done, with Sam. She was pretty tired after the class, so she was plagued by the misconception that her exhaustion showed.. I'd like to think different.
Thanks to Sam and her class for having me document it! it was a pleasure. According to Sam we'll be shooting again.
Sam has two dance business', TipTapToe, and a weekly dance-class series called VybanceJA, you can reach her, here
Feel free to hit me up for bookings! All social links are at the bottom of the site! (make it easier - Email to: Yannickreid@gmail.com )
Gallery after the jump!
Mishawaka Ampitheatre - Bellevue, Colorado
Ice cold rivers and no cellphone service
Apologies for the absence! These past few days have proved to be unexpectedly interesting as well as particularly lacking in the internet department.
Came to consciousness somewhere in Wyoming, one of many firsts. We pulled out of the Walmart parking lot and started our journey towards Bellevue, Colorado - a place called Mishawaka (hope I spelt that right). From days before we were warned that today's venue would be a remote location, no WiFi and no phone signal at all.
This prediction came true as the tour bus throttled up the narrow roads flanked by jagged mountain sides and babbling creek- the T-Mobile signal on my phone began to blink erratically as if sputtering the last breath before I saw "no signal".
The worst thing about awe as a lot of the readers of my blog may know, is it's terribly incapacitating. I stared out the window as we traveled the winding roads and felt the boyish wonder of just seeing something new. The close proximity to the draping mountains, the tall redwood trees, The river was clear till I could see the reddish brown rocks at the bottom and if I couldn't, I knew that was the deep water.
As we pulled up to the venue, I really couldn't help but feel some disbelief that people actually wanted to come all the way up here to hear some Protoje.. It was genuinely kind of amazing that Jamaican music had managed to seep into such a nook like this.
Crop on this Panorama is pretty rough, forgive me lol
The venue was two cabins with a stage in the middle, all beautiful red wood. Venue sitting atop firm rock and concrete that overlooked the river. It almost had the feel of a Native American setting
Personally as an air sign (lol not gonna be that guy) but seriously I'm pretty wary of water, once upon a time I was a good swimmer, but after almost drowning twice, I just never mended the once good relationship. Regardless I wasn't gonna let that stop me from at least getting my feet wet (literally just my feet)
The water was ice cold- people were rafting down in giant tubes and rafts. Felt like a setup for a lifetime movie, and I've seen enough where people drown. Ain't gonna catch me slipping (but seriously anyone to swim in that would cramp immediately)
To me what was a bit of a shame was the concert was at night, where all of the surrounding beauty became masked in darkness, the redeeming quality was the stage was well lit like a firfirefly in the night.
A final point worth noting is this show marks the start of our tour with Raging Fyah, so expect some cameos from them on the blog as we wrap up the second half of our north american tour
Before you go through the gallery: A quick reminder to check out this previous vlog we dropped earlier in the tour on the Indiggcollective Channel on Youtube. Currently working on the next Vlog so 1. If you haven't seen this one- check it, 2. Subscribe to the channel and look out for the next!
The Road to Pemberton
Check out Protoje & The Indiggnation at the biggest music festival in canada + the new Vlog!
From Minnesota to British Columbia tok us a two day long drive- through some nowhere points.
Middle of nowhere in billings,montana
This very cool vintage RV i saw at rest stop!
Tour Bus driver; Tiny
Pemberton Music Festival is far up in the hills of British Columbia.. a place called Whistler (sp?), the venue is pretty much a valley situated between mountains, one of the most beautiful venues I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Mountains draping above stages, capped with the whitest of snow. - Magical
Some panoramic images of the venue before gates opened
Views like this made the long drive to the venue more than worth it. I really underestimated Canada. Its cleanliness, calm vibe and the friendliness of its people. The venue had 4 stages (I only went to three of 4). We played main stage
For sure this was the most satisfying screen experience I'd ever have the pleasure of working with. The biggest screen I've ever seen (except the mainstage at Coachella (not where we performed))
Pemberton Main Stage
"So What about my picture!?" ..well sir here ya go!
SZA Performing her cover of "Come See Me"
Anderson .Paak live - sheer excellence. Excuse the angle- had to sneak the shot
This shit right here?
Another Panoramic image of this beautiful venue.
Thoroughly Enjoyed DJ Snake's set- during which a girl touched my dreads and told me I'm a rockstar.
All in all, Cananda's biggest Music Festival did not disappoint, really wish I got the oppurtunity to take in Acts from the days before, but I'm pretty content with the experience I got!
Before you check out the gallery below, Along with this blog we just released the Vlog of the past 5 cities we've been to in the North American Tour! - As you know the comments section is open for criticism, suggestions, comments and feedback! always wanna know what you think!
Email: yannickreid@gmail.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thetherapistsol
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thetherapistsol
Toronto, Canada: 6 to the 876
Nuh sleepin' in the streets!
A long drive from Quebec had us ending up in Toronto in the early afternoon. The skies seemed just as grey as how Drake's music painted it. the vibe where we were at was pretty decent. People of different ethnicities walking up and down the street. A lot of bike riders. A couple Portuguese flags (as someone explained that we were close to 'Little Portugal').
Chinese store I went to
How'd they... where'd they get that shirt??
Kardinal Offishal even showed up
Thanks Toronto!
MEGA BLOG POST: Belgium, Boston, Philly, NYC & Quebec
6 shows Brussels, NYC, Philly, DC, Boston, Quebec rolled up in blog burrito
you like burritos
Let me first apologize for chocking so many things into one blog post. Not being able to work on blog posts while offline (Flying, driving on the tour bus) really hits my ability to keep the blog up to date. Time passes, new photos come in, I forget what happens the daybefore.. and as you see above, we have 5 Blog posts unposted.. rolled into one. Hopefully this prooves an enjoyable read, versus a Tedious one. I'll try and keep it quick!
BELGIUM
Festival show- Colouer Cafe in Brussels, Belgium. Our last show before heading out to the US. Interesting Venue, Interesting stage (a Vlog exists, its been edited, soon to appear on the Indiggcollective youtube page and my blog), Great show.
BOSTON
The first show in our North American tour was boston. It was a good vibe all around, lot's of jamaicans in the crowd came through and brought a huge vibe.. at one point I thought I went deaf.
She held this iPad up for the entirety of the show
PHILLY
This show went by really quick to be honest.. I don't remember that much (besides drinking a decent amount of Hennessy). Oh! The NoMaddz were in town as well for that night and made a very unexpected appearance on stage with a Wa Dis (Poo Puku) x Kingston Be Wise Mash up.
The "Jah know wifi" pose
NYC
NYC was very interesting, when we started off with a live radio set at Sirius FM. Along with an interview, it was interesting moving our huge buss through the cramped NY streets. After we posted up at Irving plaza and the surrounding area until showtime. There was a #blacklivesmatter protest around the corner at union square which made nearby NYPD frown, but it didn't seem to harm any of the crazy vibes inside Irving plaza as we filled both floors to the brim. was quite the energy
DC
woke up on the festival grounds for the first Merryland Music Festival in DC. A basketball sized arena. Where we played a short and spicy set. Highlight of this show was the suuuper fast wifi, fire catering, and the free back massage from Kat.
Big up Taj Francis three time
QUEBEC
Quebec was pretty memorable and outstanding. Took a while for me to really understand that they spoke french. it's just really weird to know you're in North America, but everything looks and sounds like Europe. Surprisingly enough the crowd was very turnt and knew songs word for word. Pretty memorable show and beautiful city (looks like gotham) and great people.
That's how Protoje x Indiggnation Shell show
(P.s. Quebec looks like Gotham)
Euro 2016 Pre-Show
Reggae before football inna Paris
We left Brussels, early in the morning and travelled by Train.
Wonder where he got this...
This is infront of the Brussels-Midi train station.. Europe really doing this.
