It was pretty sobering to realise that we first started taking pictures 28 years ago now that we've sat down to think about it. Of course there were long hiatuses between pictures at first but the camera was always a fixture in our lives. That tree has been gone 25 years to this day. It was beautiful, though.

We hadn't ever thought about how long we've been taking pictures until recently when a photographer asked us whether we learned anything from an online forum of photographers who have been taking pictures over a time-span of (on average) 2 years or less. We sure did learn a lot, but we're not sure anybody learned anything from us.

"Newbies" thrive on learning tricks, filters, software, the shortcuts to mastery. And they learn them well. To them, our 28-year-long journey is contemptible; they having already sighted the destination, the journey having been just a means to an end. What is the destination? For us, we've never had one: the journey is all that matters.











Trinidad Dreamscape is pleased to present the colour gallery of the abandoned sugarcane processing factory at Usine, Ste. Madeleine. This gallery brings to a conclusion our work at Usine, Ste. Madeleine. We were unable to upload our colour film pictures because our scanner died after getting through the B&W gallery. We hope you enjoy a glimpse into part of Trinidad and Tobago's history. (Digital cameras used: Canon 5D Mark II and 1Ds Mark III).









We are very pleased to present a gallery by Richard Bhagan who accompanied us to the Usine Ste. Madeleine sugar factory. We haven't had a guest photographer on board since 2006 so we are very happy that Richard was kind enough to share his pictures. Richard used colour negative film for his shots and his pictures remind us about the advantages of that medium. We hope you enjoy his pictures as much as we do. You can find them here.











We have uploaded this one to our photoblog but we thought it worth mentioning here as well: sometimes only film will do. Digital doesn't do memories too well, or once-in-a-lifetime clouds. The clouds have dimmed since those days.







We have added 2 new pictures to the 'Sugarcane Trails' gallery. They are the last 2 images in the gallery here.

















Trinidad Dreamscape is pleased to present the black and white gallery of the abandoned sugarcane processing factory at Usine, Ste. Madeleine. The gallery will be incorporated into the website more fully in time. Click on the little blue arrows under each picture to move through the pictures. The colour gallery will be presented when we recover from preparing this one!









Well we suppose it is no secret anymore that we've been traipsing about an old sugarcane factory taking pictures. Earlier this year we were invited into the sugarcane factory at Usine, Ste. Madeleine to archive the facility for the government of Trinidad and Tobago and for Caroni. We would like to thank the former Minister of Finance and the CEO of Caroni Ltd. for the opportunity.

It has taken us just short of a month to complete having taken time off our normal job/s to do this. It has been very hard on us: abandoned factories are depressing, we didn't like our pictures, factory conditions were not wonderful and other problems: sometimes we'd not go in for days hoping this project would just go away! We are a landscape photography lot, so photographing a factory presented a new conundrum to us. Nevertheless, it is over now and we've done our best with the time allotted.

We were concerned about how the pictures should best portray the factory. We experimented with high dynamic range pictures and overlays but although the results could be awe-inspiring the process ran counter to what we have practised in our photography for more than a decade: let the place speak for itself, without help from us. Every special place deserves to be beheld as it is, as it was, at least one time. We'd oftentimes wait for hours for the light to change before taking a picture, such is the nature of our slow ways. We used both digital and film capture for this project. We developed the film recently and we've seen what we've got out of good old Kodak. We have decided that almost all of the pictures for the upcoming gallery will be film-based with the exception of a few shots that film just can't do. As is our norm the gallery will be kept small.

We have heard through the grapevine that there is some consternation about why we were chosen to do this project and not other more qualified folk. Sadly, the fact is, no one asked to do it prior to us. Secondly, we did this for free and as stated on our "about us" blurb, we never make one cent off of our pictures. Thirdly, this was an archival project and we are the only ones left using an archival medium. Finally, the persons who granted us permission looked at our website first before agreeing. We've been recording snippets of Caroni for a long time, predating this website by many years. We suppose that offered some level of comfort.

We hope you will like the gallery when it goes "live".







... we tried out Velvia 100F slide film for the first time. Wow. (6x8 medium format).

















Yes indeed, we have a grand total of TWO new pictures today: don't faint. We had an opportunity to photograph the old and now likely nonexistent Credo House. We did more talking and sheltering from rain than taking pictures so just two for you. We've got more write-up on the house and the pictures here.

Oh, in case the 3 people who follow us were wondering, the gallery on Usine, Ste. Madeleine WILL be forthcoming at some point in the future, we just can't say when.











Tim McCurry was ceremoniously handed the last roll of Kodachrome film by Kodak to shoot earlier this year. He has done so ending more than 1 million (of his) exposures with this film and ending the era of Kodachrome.

















Digital Trinidad has received a little cosmetic overhaul in keeping with its status as an annex to Trinidad Dreamscape.









We take pictures of nothing. The trick is finding something in nothing.











...our pictures have minimal post-processing done on them unless otherwise stated.







2 pictures added to the Transmigrations gallery. What do we become when we die? Do our souls arc across the sky? We ponder in this series. The 2 new pictures are in the second row of the gallery here.







8 pictures added to the west coast gallery. You can find them here.





















"The right of the individual to life, liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law;" - Constitution of Trinidad & Tobago, Chapter 1, Part 1, Section 4a.











Yes, yes, YES, we're still using film. A recent film shot is shown above so you all can stop the collective wailing! New pictures will be added to the West Coast gallery before June. 8-)







10 pictures added to the Southbound and Columbus Bay gallery. You can find them here.

We have had a flurry of questions and some people are a little upset about the digital pictures so, before we continue, please chill everybody; it's not the end of the world! Digital just presented us with a good enough solution to move on although we do continue to use film in larger formats. Anyway, we try to answer some of your questions here. Thank you for your understanding.







4 pictures added to the Mayaro gallery. You can find them here.







A rare addition: we have added 4 pictures to the Manzanilla gallery. You can find them here. If we do add pictures to the website many of them will be digitally captured henceforth because of cost and convenience factors. Also, the digital camera we currently use is about on par with medium format film, output-wise. We've increased the minimum screen width for the East coast gallery in order to accommodate the larger new pictures. You may have to adjust your browser window.

A Columbus Bay update will be coming soon.