Part 2 of the interview with photographer Leslie Robertson-Toney of Studio Lafoncette Photography on Mas Women
Do you ever get from behind the camera? (during Carnival that is).
I occasionally party, however I find it hard to justify the expense of most of the new “all inclusive fetes” that are en vogue in Trinidad, so I’m not likely to be at most of those. I really like playing mas, but again, the price and quality of adult mas has been disappointing in recent years. I hope to be able to do that again soon. Playing mas is a big part of the carnival experience that feeds my soul – there is something spiritual about mas for me that I can’t fully articulate, so it’s difficult for me to miss that. The catch 22 is, if there’s good mas, I want to be behind the camera as much as I want to be in costume.
While we’re on the subject, can you talk about your photography a little? How you got started, where you see yourself going with your art?
While we’re on the subject, can you talk about your photography a little? How you got started, where you see yourself going with your art?
My parents gave me a point and shoot camera when I was in college. I used it exhaustively to document everything. I even won a photo competition while in college for a photo I took during study abroad in Spain. In graduate school I needed a creative out
Since then I’ve done freelance work for an online magazine, done photography for hire, and I sell my photos at an African Art store called Zawadi, and at Eastern Market [both in DC]. Photography is a means for me to connect the beauty and depth of Trinidad carnival culture with the rest of the world. I am disappointed that enough people don’t know about the artistry that goes into a lot of the costumes for our carnival (particularly the children’s carnival) and the history of Trinidad carnival’s African roots, it’s use as a form of resistance and rebellion, and a way to hold on to so much that was ripped away by enslavement. I like showing aspects of culture that go beyond what’s considered “normal” or popular. I would like to travel for photography (my dream would be to do photography for National Geographic or a similar publication).
Your studio is called Studio Lafoncette. Those words sound like they have history. Where did you get the name “Lafoncette”?
Lafoncette is derived from my name and a family name. It also ties in with the idea that my business is an offshoot of my artistic interests, and heritage.
Do you plan on expanding this research? Will you be hosting another SWAN Day event in 2011?
My plans for SWAN Day 2011 are tentative as I am preparing for another project this Spring, and I will be travelling to New Orleans to shoot for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival soon after. Ultimately I intend to return to mas women because there is so much more to discover. However, that will be at a later date.
Zahra Gordon 
Leave a comment