Through the lens of Rio Nelson’s camera, the world comes alive. Memories are captured in subtle black and white tones, while some dance in vibrant colours. Rio owned his first camera when he was just a boy, and has evolved into an expert today, at the age of 61.
Born Laird Nelson in Georgetown, he was later nicknamed Rio. He was introduced to photography in his early boyhood days through a much older cousin who visited often. His cousin, the once popular Guyanese photographer, Eustace McBean, had he been alive today would have been over 100 years old.
“I got my first camera at a kite flying competition after coming first place… I never actually took pictures with it. I was never able to put film in it. I just went around taking [pretend] pictures, clicking and clicking until I broke it,” Rio shared.