John wins ZiNG photo competition

When Janique-Ka John entered a photo competition almost a year ago, she did so on a whim and then forgot about it. So imagine her surprise when she recently discovered that she had won the top prize in that competition!{{more}}

John was recently contacted by the editor of ZiNG magazine, LIAT’s in-flight publication, letting her know that her entry had topped hundreds in Part Five of the magazine’s photo competition 2009.

The 19-year-old was excited by her triumph, which affords her an all-inclusive, two-night stay for two persons at the Hilton Barbados, located at Needham’s Point.

“I had forgotten about it,” the Belair resident chuckled. “So I was pretty shocked when I saw it [the magazine]!”

John had been travelling with her mother when she [mother] saw the advertisement for the competition in ZiNG magazine. Knowing that her daughter had an affinity for photography, she encouraged her to enter – and that she did.

The SVG Community College graduate recalled the day she had taken the photograph of herself.

“I was just relaxing and starting messing around with the camera,” John said. “I took some photos of scenery, then I took some shots of myself.”

One of her self-portraits jumped out at her so she decided to alter it to black and white, and was pleased with the result – which she sported as her Facebook profile picture for quite some time.

She took the photo with a normal compact digital camera, but now she has stepped up her game with a Nikon D3000 digital SLR camera.

John, who is a self-taught amateur photographer, is building up her repertoire by doing freelance work for local designers such as Karen De Freitas-Fraser (SoKa) and Jeremy Payne (Silky Ruff), as well as the Mije Modelling Agency.

“Every day I’m improving – learning to do new things,” she beamed.

John’s entry, which features in the July – September 2010 issue of the magazine, was judged by Barbadian photographer Risee Chaderton.

Chaderton described it as “a fabulous portrait”, adding: “I love the use of an unusual angle and cropping to direct focus towards the eye. The lighting is dramatic and fits the mood of the image.”

John publishes her work under the pseudonym Saccharine Photography, which can be viewed on the website www.svgpages.com/saccharinephotography.

Currently on a gap year, John will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology at the end of August at the University of the West Indies, Cavehill Campus.