The full title of this beautiful article by Rebecca Fulleylove (Creative Review) is “Travelling to different Caribbean islands, the photographer captures the passion and freedom of the young people who live there in an excess of colour and joy.” Here, she explores the work of photographer Emily Stein and her series, Small Islands— “a ‘visual odyssey’ to showcase the dynamic vitality of Caribbean island youth.” Here are excerpts. [Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.]

“I have always been a bit obsessed with the Caribbean,” says photographer Emily Stein. “It’s artistic community, natural beauty, colours and energy. I hoped to make a project here one day. Little by little I was able to research, plan and attempt to undertake the project.”

The result is Small Islands, a “visual odyssey” to showcase the dynamic vitality of Caribbean island youth. The project is a celebration of dance, music and movement. “Each image attempts to capture the essence of youth embracing their roots with passion and pride. Against the backdrop of sun-kissed shores and azure waters, these young individuals exude confidence and grace, embodying the resilience of their communities,” the photographer explains.

As well as highlighting the power in cultural expression and collective joy, Stein wanted to document the fun, passion and freedom of youth as she has in past projects such as Black-Tie, which paid homage to teenage rites of passage and Bubblegum, a series capturing kids blowing bubblegum on beaches around the world. “Photographing young people allows me to capture the essence of a transformative stage of life, celebrating the beauty, resilience, and potential of young people, while inviting viewers to connect with their own memories and emotions,” she notes.

Stein travelled around a few Caribbean islands to make this series and on the island of Sint Maarten she met Stacy Ann Taylor, plus a few families and groups who feature, such as Shiloh, the island’s pageant winner. “On other islands I spent a lot of time researching before each visit, contacting existing groups like the incredible Alpha Dance Academy in Tobago, who were doing amazing dance work also creating incredible handmade costumes with the young people there.” [. . .]

For full article, see https://www.creativereview.co.uk/emily-stein-small-islands-photography

Also see https://wyattclarkejones.com/emilystein/smallislands?projectid=2477