Behind The Scenes of Issue #9
Another issue transformed from ideas and random drawings to a complete magazine. To be honest, The Sports Issue turned out to be far more difficult than we thought. We started off with a clear direction…we thought…but as we began the stories and focus changed. There are so many inspiring athletes and sports to choose from and it was hard to limit the angles, perspectives and sports people we could highlight.
At one point, the issue theme was Barbadian Sporting Icons and following up on where are they now. Then we switched gears to emerging athletes. We were inspired by sports and community development, then sports and health for all ages. The final product is a potpourri of all those elements.
Blue and Gold…On Ice was a fun story and speaks to the reach and ambitions of Bajans in sports. If you teach us something, at some point we will rise to the highest levels. The early morning photo shoot in a cold rink in Markham, Ontario, was as far away from Barbados as we could get.
The cover art was also ‘fluid’ in this production schedule. Initially we were to feature a high fashion shot juxtaposed on a road tennis court. As we started to read the collection of articles coming in, it just didn’t feel right. When interviewing and shooting Ras and Menelik the sun was hitting just right and the energy of these athletes shone through in a beautiful way encapsulating the issue. It is a running joke that you can never select a cover…the cover always selects itself.
Alongside the sports features, we explored the process of buying a new home with lawyer Tara Frater. We went on a journey with Archers Hall to understand how they were able to rebound from the fire in Speightstown and new directions for the future. The celebration of Dillon Amber Dane’s 25th anniversary and their stunning visuals helped bring a perfect balance to our magazine theme and our regular feel of interiors and everyday living in Barbados.
Each issue is a long journey with many twists and turns but also opportunities to learn and experiences to savour. We can honestly say that making this magazine was a lot of sport. Thank you to all of our contributors, advertisers, local businesses and athletes who helped to bring the issue to life. Please enjoy and send us your feedback.
