Viewing life from a wide angle

Published June 10, 2012
Sunday Gleaner


Inspiration comes in forms and packages, and sometimes at places which may just pass our eyes and imagination. For Kimone Myers, it struck in one of the many trips to the craft market in Colombia, the designs of the crafts and jewellery whipped her imagination. Armed with an 'aim and shoot' digital camera, Myers started exploring the shutterbug in her.


The myriad of ideas for this budding jewellery designer doesn't come from the vastness of the space, but finding intricacy in simple objects. Soon bottles, labels, designs, started developing and framing in her lenses. "I get fascinated by objects," Myers, who's a self-taught photographer, said. "I love to explore details, study an object, like a close-up of a bottle, flowers, scrap metal."

She believes that her photographs highlight the 'not so obvious' and things that "we tend to take for granted".

Colombia, she said, is where she rediscovered the creative and photographer side of her. Myers went to the South American country to teach English after graduating from the University of the West Indies with a degree in business administration.

"I always had an interest in art and photography, and I was with the Camera Club at UWI," Myers informed. That was when digital photography was still evolving, so she was taking photos the old-fashioned way - load the film roll, shoot, and go to the studio to process the film to print copies, a trait she learnt while at school. "We went through the whole process."

Armed with a camera and an eye for detail, Myers started capturing all sorts of shapes into her camera, she did her first exhibition in Colombia in 2009. Her stint of teaching English, which she recalls was an exhilarating experience, extended beyond the confines of the classroom. "I ended up giving lessons in English to the taxi man, a co-passenger in the bus or the shopkeeper," she reminisces.

Myers says that she tries to capture the many things existing around us in everyday life; whether it is a scenic panorama, a close-up of something inanimate and 'insignificant' or flora and fauna in all their glory. "It could be a little object that we see every day or pass by that looks 'ordinary'," she said.

The unexpected

Bringing out the unexpected from such 'insignificant' subjects is where Myers' strength lies. "Some people find it hard to believe, but none of my work has been staged or pre-arranged."

But, she confesses, to give depth and sometimes intrigue to the subjects, she would do swish 'digital magic' on some of her photographs.

Though her imagination goes beyond boundaries, Myers is choosy on her subjects. "I can't do photos of people, there's nothing much to explore, this won't be the main part of my job."


The budding jewellery designer, who is delving into leather accessories, is combining digital photography skills with graphic designing. "I love to draw and sketch on paper and acrylic," she said. "It's details again, macro ... up and close.


"Now back home, Myers is currently pursuing a job in the hospitality sector, "It might not sound creative, but this (the job) gives me the leverage to use my graphic-design skills in designing," she said.

Balancing the professional pursuits with her creative acumen, Myers is continuing to build her portfolio. "I want to build a momentum, though I am not taking up photography full- time, until I can find a reasonable way."

And till she can branch off to convert her love and hobby into her full-time profession, Myers says that she will continue to journey and explore the deeper side of things, and capturing them.

amitabh.sharma@hotmail.com