Trinidad & Tobago Photographic Society is excited to announce our expert panel of judges for this year’s Annual Photographic Competition. Our judges will convene in a beautiful studio location in August to pick our winners and runners up in each of our 15 categories from a field of 100 shortlisted images. Based on feedback we have recieved in years past, this year our judging will be 100% digital-based. In so doing, we seek to “level the playing field” by removing the influence of printing and framing, the quality and impact of which varies significantly by cost and budget. We truly hope this will allow each image to stand purely on its own artistic and creative merit.

Abigail Hadeed was born in Trinidad and Tobago, in 1963. She currently lives and works there. Over the past three decades, she has produced substantial archives of photographs. Her focus has been primarily on the cultural aspects of the Caribbean. Her archives include extensive documentation of traditional carnival, steel band and theatre. In 2004, Hadeed won the Commonwealth Photographic Awards with an iconic photograph of the indigenous peoples of Guyana’s Rupununi Savannah. Themes of marginalisation, belonging and migration are subjects she returns to. Hadeed represented Trinidad at the 1998 Biennale of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and at the 2006 Havana Biennale, Cuba. In 2011, she was part of the group exhibition, About Change – Wrestling With the Image, which opened at The Museum of the Americas and then moved on to The World Bank. In 2014 she was part of a group exhibition Pictures from Paradise at Contact Photography Festival, Toronto.

Abigail has also recently opened Splice Studios, a Port of Spain based multi-purpose space that offers state-of-the-art technology in a supportive and inspiring environment. This was borne out of a recognition of the need to make a space where people could come together to create positive things. Splice was envisioned as a sort of one-stop shop where many different disciplines can cross-pollinate, but also as a space that can contribute to community development by offering opportunities where young people can learn through workshops and mentorship programmes.

Learn more about Abigail and Splice Studios

Laura Ferreira is a fine art photographer and portrait artist who resides in Trinidad and Tobago. She always knew that she’d work in the visual arts field, and so, fuelled by the inability to pay attention in a classroom, taught herself how to conceptualise, light, and photograph portraits in her early 20’s. Capturing and editing photos of people aided in learning about the intricacies of the human face, and this helped advance her love and skill of painting and drawing people. Now, the two mediums go hand in hand; frequently sharing her love of vivid colours.

Influences come from movies, music, browsing the Internet and stumbling upon unique colour combos. Ideas often pop up during activities like watering the plants, or, making breakfast – then comes the task of hurriedly sketching before they run away.

When she is not working, she is still creating personal imagery and artwork,  spending time with her family and cats, drawing her cartoon Felissa Bumblehead, and shooing bachacs from her garden.

Clients include Sony Entertainment Ltd., Real World Records, Bloomsbury Publishing, McCann Erickson, She Caribbean, Tribe Carnival, and Jägermeister, to name a few. She is a Brand Ambassador for 500px.

Follow her daily photo / art stories at  @lauraferreirastudios

Nisha has been on a more focused photography journey for the last twelve years. Her work has been featured twice at Miami Art Week: Art Basel 2014 and 2015 respectively and as part of an exhibition held at The Louvre Museum, Paris by The Exposure Awards 2015. She was then featured in two Exposure Awards photography publications (2014/2015) that honoured photographers throughout the world.
Nisha is a published children’s book author (book available on Amazon) and since 2016 is on the writing staff for DPS (Digital Photography School, based in Australia) – where she gets to merge two loves – writing about photography. Over the years, she has led photo groups in the Smoky Mountains (Tennessee) and here at home in Trinidad.
In 2019, she became part of the international group Give Back to Nature. This movement of mainly photographers contribute a percentage of their photography sales towards planting trees in developing areas; where every 100 trees planted provides a day of work for a local village. To date thousands of trees have been planted in Nepal, Indonesia, Haiti, Madagascar and Mozambique. Her personal mantra towards photography is “never stop learning”.
Read Nisha’s articles on Digital Photography School

Born in Trinidad and raised and schooled in London, England, Wildlife Photographer/Naturalist Roger Neckles is considered by many to be the Caribbean’s most prominent wildlife photographer. His award-winning works, recognized for their mastery of color, composition and perspective, have graced the pages of numerous international natural history books, magazines and archives, including premier publications such as National Geographic, Natural History, Audubon, Wild Bird, Birding, Birdwatchers Digest, Birders World and Caribbean Beat, to name a few.
For close to three decades Mr. Neckles has played an invaluable role as an educator, championing the conservation of Trinidad and Tobago’s unique fauna and flora. For over 23 years he has taken the wildlife of Trinidad and Tobago to schools throughout both islands, conducting slide shows free of charge. It is the area of his career that he will tell you brings him the most satisfaction.
He has played a major role in numerous local natural history documentaries, winning the coveted “Green Leaf Award”; for audiovisual work, in recognition of his contribution to environmental conservation and protection. He now spends much of his time designing green projects for the corporate community. On the other side of the camera, Mr. Neckles has been featured in films produced by the BBC, Discovery Channel and National Geographic Today, which have been aired in over 110 countries around the world, showcasing our islands; natural history to over 80 million viewers each time these series are aired.
Mr. Neckles has achieved many pinnacles in his career, which include his current book, co-authored with his close departed friend Richard ffrench, entitled “Birds of Trinidad and Tobago”, released May 2004, plus his solo book, “An Introduction to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago Vol.1”, still in production, and most notably a commission by Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPost) to create a series of 10 stamps featuring many of Trinidad and Tobago’s rare or threatened native species, which was launched on January 6, 2001. TTPost has since commissioned an additional 18 stamps, all of which he has co-designed or designed himself.
Formally Photographer and Public Affairs Consultant for the Caribbean and Latin America; for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), his dedication and commitment to conservation and education of the priceless fauna and flora of our planet, is unquestionable. He has travelled to many countries in his capacity as a professional wildlife photographer, championing the cause of conservation and recording the treasures of our planet and degree of human footprints. His plans for the future include more painting, travel and many more natural history books, that includes an interactive primary school series introducing children to their natural history, in an informative, visual style.
Mr. Neckles will be the first to admit that he prefers to be on his side of the camera and shies away from public attention, preferring instead to be of service to his country behind the scenes. This is not always possible as more and more demand for his skills and appearances draw him into the public eye. “I cherish my privacy” says Neckles, “And I would not want to give it up, but I will if I could educate one child or save one animal from the poachers Gun!”.
Interested in finding out more about Roger and his work