So 2024 was a crazy year. What on earth was that?? You mean to tell me in in one year I did all of that without a plan? Legit the only thing I remember telling myself at the start of the year is that I wanted to do more portrait sessions. And look where I’ve gotten. I don’t want to gloat or anything but also this is my blog so I’ll do as I damn well please.
So. Last year had nebulous goals. This year, let’s make things a bit more concrete. Let’s set out some goals and look back on them in a year’s time, see how things went.
Events
This is just some types of events I want to shoot.
- Concerts
- Fashion
- Sports
- Hockey
- Football
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Dance shows
- Conventions (but like properly, get over my social anxiety)
Photographing Coloniality
As I travelled more in 2024 and got to experience Europe for the 2nd time, I’m more struck by how familiar everything felt. While visiting Marseille, I was taken aback by how close it felt not only to home as in Montreal, but home as in the Caribbean. After talking with my mom, I learned that it was a somewhat common experience; with one of her colleagues remarking the same thing in his travels. The Europeans really loved it back home and modelled their colonies after their homes. During my short stay in Antigua, I visited their museum. While discussing the colonial history of the island the customs of the British Colonists, there’s a sign that reads:
The British that came to Antigua had no intention of changing their life to adapt to their new location. They considered Antigua an extension of Britain and proceeded to carry on their lives as though they were indeed “at home”. Clothing was the same as in England without adjusting for the difference in climate. It reflected the persons [sic] status. A gentleman of “high social standing” wore the traditional flamboyant outfit, including leather gloves, periwigs, breeches, stockings, jacket and vest, cravat, and an oversized bejeweled hat. As they believed bathing to be unhealthy, much perfume required to conceal the smell of their unwashed bodies. [sic]
– Museum Of Antigua & Barbuda
I want to explore this sense of home away from home and how it affected the built environment of the colonies.