The wondrous West Indies

Hairoun, Bequia

Duncan Callow, alexandrapatrick’s talented destination and food photographer, is just back from a location shoot in the West Indies.

Working in St Vincent & The Grenadines (the former known for its banana plantations, the latter for their sparkling sailing waters and pristine beaches) for several local businesses, he shot everything from the local beer to freshly caught snapper.

Duncan’s used to working in hot and steamy conditions — but normally in professional kitchens. On this trip he and his kit had to acclimatise quickly to tropical temperatures and heavy rainfall.

He commented: “Lying on a beach in the Caribbean is one thing, but working in 33 degree temperatures with food wilting before my eyes is quite another. As always, the secret was to get up early to catch the best light and to work quickly.”

Duncan spent some time on a thriving plantation where everything from grapefruit to guava flourishes. He continued: “We encountered some typically stormy weather but in between the showers the light is amazing — the best I’ve worked in. It’s a real pleasure to work in the West Indies and to be able to shoot genuinely fresh food. I can’t wait for my next commission.”