All photos by Perry Levy
Local photographer Perry Levy is a fixture on many Caymanians’ Instagram feeds, including Camana Bay’s, as he showcases the most beautiful spots around Grand Cayman from a unique vantage point. With a signature style best described as colouring outside the lines, Perry prefers to defy photography conventions. “My approach has always been about what makes me feel good, regardless of whether it goes completely against the photography manual,” he says.
You can see an example of Perry’s work featured with his stunning capture of the Island on the new CamanaBay.com homepage, in the newsletter sign-up box. We sat down with Perry to explore his photographic process and discuss a few of our favourite images.
How long have you been a professional photographer?
I have been shooting commercially for over five years now.
What started your love of photography?
It all began when I moved to Hong Kong back in 2010 for a couple of years. Naturally, I was inspired by the new surroundings and wanted to capture my experiences to share with family and friends back home.
I would take advantage of being in that region and travel all over Asia to places like Thailand, Japan, Shanghai, Beijing, Bornea, Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam, Singapore, as well as the United Arab Emirates.
This pushed me to create better pictures and unlocked my passion for the craft.
Is there a preferred time of day you like to capture images in Cayman?
Early sunrise and late sunset…I love to highlight the soft and rich tones at those hours using my staple long-exposure approach, which represents the core of my visual preference. I also like to incorporate sun rays in my drone shots, so those hours [help me to] portray what I typically like to express.
Your photos have a signature style. How do you approach a shot?
After years of trying to cement my approach, I do have a consistent workflow that I incorporate into all my photos, with a few adjustments made on a case-by-case basis depending on the result that I ultimately want the frame to have.
What are your recommendations for young photographers wanting to improve their skills?
I have this saying: the most effective way to do it is to do it! Essentially, like with everything, the more you do it, the better you get.
While trial and error is necessary, I encourage you to spend a bit of time learning the mechanics and functionality of your camera, as it will allow you to get better and more consistent results. You want to get to a point where you shoot the image in camera so well that minimum work is required in post.
Lastly, believe in what your eyes tell you – i.e. tell the story the way you want to tell it, not the way others do or the way you think they would. Your work has to make you feel good first!
View Perry’s Instagram feed here.
About the author
Anna Wootton is the Digital Marketing & PR Manager for Dart’s business development and real estate companies and assets, including Dart Real Estate, Provenance Properties, Cayman Alternative Investment Summit (CAIS), Camana Bay and The Residences at Seafire. Born in the Cayman Islands, with British heritage and a Canadian passport, Anna is multinational with a Caymankind heart. Anna has a background in journalism and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from University of British Columbia. She has worked in Camana Bay for the past six years and can be found at an afternoon Ryde class or getting her paint on at 3 Girls & A Kiln.