Portrait image by KOrena Darnelle of a lady wearing all white on the beach

The fun part about portrait photography is the ability to do what I love and meet new people. It also allows me to find new locations to take photos.

I got a last minute referral for a photo session, from another female photographer friend, Amleya Clarke.

The client was from out of town and was only on the island for a few days. She came in for Kadooment Day in Barbados and wanted to have some island photos at Bottom Bay, St. Philip.

The thing is, I had never been to Bottom Bay before. So like with all my photo sessions, I did a location scout. I do them a day or two before the actual session to confirm the location and conditions. In this case, it was to make sure I actually find Bottom Bay. Turns out, I had been near the area a while ago when I took photos at Harrismith House.

Portrait of a lady wearing all white posing by a rock

What I loved most about Bottom Bay was the variety. The rocks and cliffs were absolutely beautiful overlooking the beach. The story of the journey of the steps and the serene atmosphere of the cave and overall surroundings was breathtaking. But the sound of the many crabs crawling across the fallen leaves was definitely something I could’ve done without.

Aside from that the overall photo session went great.

Chinyere was fantastic to work with.

From the WhatsApp call, we hit it off. We had an easy conversation to fine tune the final details of what she wanted out of her photo session. Finalizing the time, location and pricing were a breeze.

We both arrived and prepared for a great session.

Portrait taken by Korena Darnelle of a lady standing on some rocks by the beach

Chinyere was bold and confident and took direction well. Her white outfit added to the serenity of the session. Some rain threatened to rain out the session, but we managed to make it through the sixty minute session unscathed.

I worked primarily with my 85mm and 50mm. Initially I started off with a 24-70mm lens but wasn’t getting the look and feel I wanted. So I made the decision to swap it out.

I focused on getting a variety of poses with subtle changes and for each had a blast while doing so.

Chinyere and I worked together sharing ideas on different areas of the Bay that we liked. And we chose the best to bring out the look and feel she wanted for the session.

Chinyere left a great overall review and I’m so glad that she loved the final images.

Client review for Korena Darnelle after a portrait photography session

Session Date: August 2024
Client Name: Chinyere
Photographer: Korena Darnelle
Photo Assistant: Alex Carrington
Location: Bottom Bay, Barbados