“One day I had taken a really up-close picture of a seedling I had planted. At first, I thought nothing of it, not until my agricultural science teacher saw the photo and told me how great it looked and advised that I explore photography a lot more,” 17-year-old photographer Ken Bacchus said.
“After that it became a norm in school for me to take pictures for my friends’ field work for agriculture,” he recalled. “Two of my friends in particular, Carolann Correia and Livia Johnson, began asking me to do photoshoots of them just for fun. It was the second time I had done a shoot with them. It had also been the second time I’d ever taken pictures of persons with the intent of it being considered photography. We were doing a shoot on Main Street Avenue and as I was taking the pictures, I was looking at how well the aspects of the pictures were tying together, from the contrast to shadows to all the different colours and in that moment I realized that this is what I wanted to do, I realized that this is what I was meant to do. I knew my path would lead somewhere towards the arts and this is the form it presented itself in.”
Ken’s earlier life saw him attending Marian Academy, Green Acres and Mae’s Primary schools and North Georgetown Secondary. He was always fascinated with art and so he drew and painted, though he chose to concentrate on Science in high school.
Photography, he feels, is another opportunity for him to express his passion for art, as well as having memories frozen in time.
Over the last two years since he’s taken up the profession, Ken has found himself becoming more of a portrait and macro photographer. This, he said, was probably the most challenging for him, figuring out which part of photography he wanted to focus on. At first, he was dead set on becoming a wedding photographer but after exploring the field a bit he managed to settle on the two that intrigued him the most.
There are not many macro photographers and Ken’s work posted on Facebook has attracted quite an audience. He brings a whole new perspective to ordinary things that persons would otherwise take for granted and has been highly praised for his extraordinary work.
Another challenge he faced at the very beginning was thinking that he did not have the required camera needed to get the job done. He thought that photographers’ work was defined by the type of gear they used. He was reluctant to explore as he wanted because of this premise. Over time, he realized how much of a misconception this was. Though in some cases it might be true, Ken said that a camera is just a medium and it does not define the artist but assists him in carrying out his craft.
Still, receiving his first camera was an exciting time. “When I first got the camera, I was really excited because this meant going to a whole new level in photography. Once I got my camera, I realized I could finally test out what I had been researching online. I started taking shots of everything until I began to get familiar with the different functions of the camera and the different techniques,” he recalled.
Photography, he came to learn is risk taking. The risks involve taking a certain position to capture a photo from a difficult angle which may result in dropping the camera in a ditch or falling and hurting one’s self. Another risk is having to take pictures in public when there may not be many courteous persons around resulting in the camera being stolen. The latter is certainly a big risk for an expensive piece of equipment, but then again, the passion for the art beyond exceeds this.
Ken has not gone to many places outside of Georgetown. However, he does look forward to travelling more specifically to Essequibo and Linden.
He noted that most of what he has learned came from advice given by fellow photographers and friends: Kevin Somwaru, Daniel Sears and Hosea Higgins. He has also been able to perfect his skill from watching YouTube Tutorials given by international photographers – Peter McKinnon, Jessica Kobeissi and Brandon Woelfel. Ken said that he has come to admire their love for the art adding that he realizes that this is more than a job for them. It is their passion for the craft that makes it easier for him to relate to them. However, if he had the opportunity to meet one of his inspirations, it would be Jessica Kobeissi, because, “she has helped me so much throughout my journey and it would such a pleasure to meet her and let her know how much she’s helping fellow [photographers] with her videos.”
Asked how supportive the local market is towards this art form, the artist said that the art sector on the whole is overlooked and is only focused on when the opportunity rises to showcase Guyana. Should art be given more time within the curriculum and used also in the various subjects to relay lessons, Ken believes that this would take all art forms to another level.
Through the highs and the lows, he shared, there have been two of his biggest supporters and best friends who remained steadfast by his side: Zariah Garraway and Carlea Blair.
Ken considers himself to be a goal-oriented person and is set on studying and practicing cinematography, something that peaks his interest.
In many of his photos, Ken used cats as the subjects. Asked why the fascination, the youngster shared that he believes the animals are the most beautiful and extraordinary creatures on the planet. In fact, he has two of his own for pets. Their names are Adaline and Carl.
Ken works at the Central Housing and Planning Authority. In his free time when not working or taking photos he can be found researching societal issues as well as issues that affect animals globally. At other times he enjoys drawing and painting.
Born under the star of Capricorn, Ken’s favourite colour is black.
The photographer can be followed on Facebook at Ken Bacchus.
