Andrew P. Smith

Hosay in Jamaica

Andrew — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:23:59 +0000

Hosay is a Caribbean festival which traces its origins to the Shi’a Muslim observance of Moharram, a period of mourning for the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, Hussein. Hosay has occurred in Jamaica since the mid 19th century when indentured labourers from the Indian sub-continent arrived to work on sugarcane plantations and is celebrated in districts with strong Indo-Jamaican communities. On August 21 in the southern parish of Clarendon, Hosay was celebrated as it is every August and, involving a procession through the streets with the tazia (tower) accompanied by tassa drumming. The celebrations go into the night and end when the tazia is thrown into a river.

[Show as slideshow]

Independence Day 2010

Andrew — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:34:16 +0000

Scenes from Jamaica’s Independence Day street parade in Kingston as the country celebrates its 48th anniversary of Independence from Britain.

[Show as slideshow]

Exploring the Buff Bay Valley

Andrew — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:33:03 +0000

If you’re searching for somewhere new to explore, look no further than the Buff Bay Valley of west Portland. Here you will discover about Jamaica’s natural and cultural heritage by visiting the Charles Town Maroons, hiking on the many trails in the valley and meeting many friendly residents in the “heritage corridor of the Blue Mountains”. Read more in my Skywritings article.

[Show as slideshow]

Protected: Sanaa Studios: Introduction to Digital Photography

Andrew — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:20:11 +0000

Surfing in Jamaica

Andrew — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:21:53 +0000

Jamaica might not be well known as a surfing destination, but between July 16 – 18 surfers from the Caribbean and the USA competed at the Makka Pro surfing competition, held at St. Thomas on the island’s south-east coast. Major winners were Icah Wilmot of Jamaica and Chelsea Tauch of Barbados who captured the men’s and women’s open categories respectively. Jamaica’s Akeem Taylor won the male junior category.

[Show as slideshow]

Southern Clarendon

Andrew — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:47:52 +0000

One of the many things that I love about travelling in Jamaica is the great variety that you can experience from day to day. Summer is a great time to take scenic drives around the island and earlier this week I decided to explore southern Clarendon. Less than two hours from Kingston we were surrounded by semi-desert vegetation, viewing the endangered West Indian Manatee at Canoe Valley and in between admiring the many historical buildings and amazing vistas.

[Show as slideshow]

Sanaa Studios Workshops

Andrew — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:17:45 +0000

It’s been five months since I’ve been teaching photography workshops at Sanaa Studios in Kingston, Jamaica and it has been fun. I’ve met many enthusiastic photographers with varying desires. Some just want to be able to take better photos of their children and grandchildren, while other want to become full-time professionals. What is common among all of them is the deep passion to learn as much as they can about photography. This has led us to adding a number of workshops – initially we were just offering one six week introductory course, which included camera familiarity, exposure and lighting, composition, outdoor photography and a field trip to Port Royal. Practically all of them wanted more, so I added a Travel Photography workshop, which incorporated three field trips around Jamaica. They still want more, so I hope to offer a Studio Photography course in September. If we have enough takers, we will have Children’s Photography in the Summer. It’s fun, it keeps me busy, and the participants seem to enjoy it!!

[Show as slideshow]