“Our limits with photography are boundless. We can create as far as we can see,” says local photographer Brian Gomes, who has been known to break the mould and stir things up.
For Brian, photography is more than just an art form, it’s the forum he uses to express who he is as an individual. “Sometimes I feel like I can do anything with photography… I do photography because I have to,” he added.
Employed as a network engineer at GTT, the 30-year-old pursues his passion for photography on a part-time basis.
In a recent interview with The Scene, Brian explained that his interest in the arts began at a young age and because of his artistic background, particularly in drawing and painting, photography felt like a natural stepping stone for him.
He related that his interest stemed from being a constant National Geographic viewer and a fan of Playboy magazines, the latter of which was very influential in his passion for nude photography. With the many old point-and-shoot digital cameras he had at his disposal and having an eye for detail, Brian’s interest in photography grew.
“Before I actually started getting really deep into photography, I used to look at a lot of National Geographic. Every day I was on the website. I used to train my eyes to see those stuff before I actually started photography,” he explained.
With the camera knowledge he gained from his National Geographic documentaries, Brian’s next move was to procure his first DSLR camera – a Canon T3i. Four years later, Brian is still using that camera to do his photography. He noted that people are somewhat surprised when they hear of his choice of camera. However, he is of the belief that it not the equipment used, but the person behind the camera.
Generally speaking, Brian aims to challenge his creative mind. And while he has dabbled in different types of photography, very few have managed to permanently capture his attention as they did not allow him to readily express his creativity. “I realized that some of the photography I do, especially for clients, comes off as being a bit boring since I am not able to portray who I am,” he stated.
This pool of interest and his need to be unique, saw Brian exploring the concept of female nude photography, which combined his admiration of the woman’s body and of course his beloved Playboy. “Nowadays, the photos [in Playboy) are not as artistic as they use to be. The way they were able to take those photos back then I found it to be very artistic,” he explained. (Ed’s Note: Playboy has taken a decision to cease its nude content. Its current Jan/Feb 2016 issue is the last one that will feature nude photos.)
Brian recalled that at one point of time he found himself in a heated discussion with his girlfriend over his new-found interest. He said, “She asked me why I can’t take pictures of trees and grass like everybody else and I said to her that trees and grass are very nice but that’s not what I want to do.”
Although some continue to see it as taboo, Brian remained bent on expressing his creativity through that concept. And so he began his ‘Made in Guyana’ calendar, expressing his artistry in gut wrenching ‘naked truth’ that manages to capture attention.
Brian related that he felt it was pointless to create this kind of art if it could not be showcased. With the encouragement he received from an associate, Tracy Greene-Douglas, combined with his love for the outdoors and his admiration of the female body, he began the compilation of photos for the calendar.
The calendar presented a 12-page portfolio showcasing nude portrayals of unidentified Guyanese women depicting each month of the year.
When Brian began marketing his new product on social media, he received mixed responses, some good and some bad. But with the good outweighing the bad, Brian stood firm in his belief that the calendar is something Guyanese can be proud of.
“We tell ourselves that we are this conservative nation, which I disagree with. I don’t think we are as conservative as we tell ourselves,” he stated. And while he agrees that limits and boundaries are necessary, he contended that they can also stifle creativity.
And while the calendar caught many by surprise, Brian revealed that 90% of the positive responses he received came from women. He explained that this may have been because women saw the calendar from an artistic perspective as compared to men. He was able to sell the 200 copies he printed last year.
With last year’s success as motivation, Brian created what he described as “a more focused version” of the ‘Made in Guyana’ calendar. “I wanted the calendar to be a representation of Guyana not just Guyanese women and their bodies. You can find a piece of Guyana in every photo in the 2016 version of the calendar. From the old Mahaicony railway bridge, the Linden Blue lakes, our black water creeks and colourful fishing boats,” Brian said.
Anyone familiar with the 2015 edition of the calendar might conclude, while looking at the 2016 edition, that the latter is bolder since some of the models opted to show their faces. Brian explained that at some point he was told that obscuring the faces of the models removed their personalities, leaving nothing but a nude body to be seen. While noting that his models only agreed to be in the calendar if their faces remained hidden, Brian said he will take the criticism into consideration for future projects.
Not sure whether a bolder calendar was the right move, Brian believes his sales will answer that question; this year he doubled his print figure.
Brian is also a co-contributor to the popular “Humans of Guyana” Facebook page which he runs along with fellow photographer Ronald Nandlall.
Other achievements Brian is proud of include earning first place in the ‘People’ category of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s 2014 “Capture Guyana” photography competition and being among the top 20 selections in the internationally acclaimed 2013 Organization of American States (OAS) photo competition –“Indigenous Perspective” with his photo titled “Amerindian Girl.” His entry was among 500 other entries in the competition.
Meanwhile, as Brian’s passion for photography continues to flow, he believes more emphasis should be placed on copyright laws in Guyana since it has been a sore topic for local photographers for some time now. “People do not respect the work that goes into photography products, people would ask to use your photos without even considering payment. We spend a lot of money on the equipment we use, the time that is spent creating these pictures so the least people can do is reward us accordingly,” Brian lamented.
Brian can be contacted on telephone number 610-2862 or at brian.gomes.gy@gmail.com.
