On assignment for the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce, James managed to find time to complete a photography mission that’s been fifteen years in the making.
“The slipway was quiet when we met our boat Captain. Cleve has been at the centre of many photography missions up this coast and he knows our preferred route. If it’s calm, the tide is right and you ask nicely, Cleve will pilot you to Paria “on the inside” – through a brief network of tight rock gorges that run parallel to the shore. This alone is worth the trip: you’ll appreciate the north coast like never before.
We idled in the bay for Kacie to wriggle into her wedding dress, beached the boat and made our first images with it. Then we headed west down the beach to find the trail up river.
Recent storms had brought huge logs down the river and waves had rolled them up onto the sand in beautiful natural formations for Kacie to lean into.
We entered the forest on a muddy trail with the sound of breaking waves fading. Soon the trail crossed the river and continued on the opposite side revealing the falls.
I personally think Paria is the most majestic waterfall in Trinidad and Tobago. It may not be the biggest but it’s surely the most aesthetic and playful… and dangerous. People die swimming at the base of the falls with unnerving regularity. Moreover, a wedding dress gets heavy in water so my awareness was heightened as Kacie waded into the freezing lagoon.
Ok, it’s freezing for the tropics!
An underwater housing is a sure-fire way to over-shoot anything and the Canon 1DX shutter worked its way through 2600 exposures. The movement of the water, the light, even the blue emperor butterflies… made it easy for Kacie. But she also enjoys a spot in the top ten most beautiful women in the world so…
By midday the sun gets overhead in the lagoon and the highlights start going crazy. This is why we started early. By 11am we were making our way back out.
For the journey home, Kacie assumed a regal spot in the bow of Cleve’s pirogue. We headed west making some more images along the way in the sunlight. It felt good to warm up after the forest and lagoon.
It would have been nice to be shooting into a sunset with a speedlight here but I was still really happy with what I was seeing through the lens as we passed through the rocks – flying over a patchwork of green and blue. We were back in “civilization” by 2pm, wishing we weren’t.
Whenever I tell people I’m “trashing a dress” the reaction is polarized. It’s either: “are you crazy?” or “when can I do mine?” Folks either get it or they don’t. Here’s a rationale, although everyone’s motive is different:
First, are you really gonna wear that thing ONCE?!
Second, did you really get the high-fashion wedding portraits you dreamed of or was it a mad rush on the day?
Third, weddings are so… fussy. Imagine getting salt, sand and seaweed on that dress on the morning of the wedding… disaster right? You spent the whole day stressing out about perfection. Now you get to wear it like it was meant to be.
Some brides embrace the experience as a statement of individualism, others want their new partner in the shot. And why not? Nice wedding portrait! Sometimes it’s done in collaboration with the dress designer for their portfolio of visuals. Recently I’ve been thinking a trash would make for an incredible workshop experience too – so that new brides can get the photos they really want and their partner can get their hands on my camera and say: actually, I took that photograph.
I want to thank Kacie for staying committed to this shoot. As a photographer she has shot a few hundred assignments with AOS, including many weddings and a few of these “trashes” too. And after each one, long before she had the dress or a wedding planned, she’d say: “I want to trash my dress in Paria waterfall someday.”
Twist my arm!
Huge respect to Captain Cleve de Vertuille for helping us navigate the route and first mate Lester for helping keeping everything steady. Apart from filming behind the scenes of our day, Roxanne Pantin made this trip happen for me by securing the services of Gareth Alfred who stood in as Kacie’s “maid of honour”, who helped us get the dress (and all the gear) over rock and root. I’m extremely grateful.”
If you’re interested in this hybrid portrait/workshop experience reach out to us. My team will help you design the perfect high-fashion / trash the dress / workshop experience that’s intimate, educational and unforgettable.
Behind-the-scenes video courtesy Roxanne Pantin.