Adding vibrancy and texture

PHOTOGRAPHER LOVES TO BLEND BRIGHT COLOUR AND PATTERNS IN AN OUTFIT

GEORGE QUA-ENOO

touches the pastel plaid bow tie at his throat and chuckles — it’s from a small company called April, based in Cape Town, South Africa, he says. And it reminds him a little bit of home.

He mostly grew up in the southernmost country on the African continent after moving there at 16 from his native Ghana, he says. It’s where he studied marketing and supply chain management at the University of Natal in the KwaZulu region. And also where he learned the ins and outs of running his uncle’s photo studio.

Back then he probably couldn’t have foreseen moving to Canada for a girl. And yet, 15 years ago, Qua-Enoo found himself in exactly that situation — new to Hamilton and looking for work. Despite his academic pedigree, he was told he lacked “Canadian work experience.” A call centre job would have to do for the time being, but it just wasn’t his thing. He wanted a bigger challenge, he wanted to interact with people.

Determined to get out of the call centre, Qua-Enoo thought back to his days in his uncle’s photo studio. And he set out to research everything he needed to know to become a commercial and editorial photographer in a highly-competitive market — knowing that to make a living, he’d have to be top of his field.

And he is that. Now 40 and a father of two, Qua-Enoo has worked on campaigns for high profile clients such as Arcelor-Mittal, McCallum Sather Architects, and Report on Business Magazine. He is a founding member of COBRA (Coalition of Black and Racialized Artists Hamilton), a collective of approximately 70 artists from diverse backgrounds who help promote each other’s work and raise awareness in Hamilton’s business circles of this talented pool of local creatives who bring unique perspectives to their portfolios.

Qua-Enoo says it’s his innate sense of colour and use of tones and lighting to create depth that make his photographic style unique. Similarly, in his wardrobe he’ll add punches of

“(My scarf) is made by a very good friend of mine — Hitoko Okada ... and a very talented designer,” George Qua-Enoo says of the navy and maroon scarf he’s paired with a light blue button-down from Express, multicoloured plaid bow tie, and burgundy chinos and navy ankle boots (both from Hudson’s Bay). He further accessorizes with peach paisley socks and a stag brooch, both from Charles & Hunt, a wrist full of beaded bracelets and a black Movement watch. “I’ve been wearing this for like eight years and never take it off,” Qua-Enoo says of the silver Charles & Hunt bangle he wears with a variety of beaded bracelets, some from South Africa, some from Canada. “I think it’s something that just comes naturally to me. I don’t colour co-ordinate at all. I just pick what’s in my wardrobe ...” GEORGE QUA-ENOO