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There’s something about Jamaica that seduced Polish fashion photographer Patrycja Pioch-Makurat on her first visit to the island in 2019.

It started with a gratifying sensory overload during her honeymoon vacation with her businessman spouse Blazej Makurat. 

“I completely fell in love with the place, the culture, the art, the people and the overall vibe of Jamaica,” Pioch-Makurat recounted to Our Today on the phone from a shoot in Switzerland, where she resides and is in between setups with models.

The European committed to going behind the camera when next she made a pilgrimage to The Rock to “create a photographic story inspired by everything I experienced [in Jamaica].”

That return leisure trip—a weeklong stay in St Mary—was booked earlier this year with her other half. Pioch-Makurat, whose work has been featured in the pages of glossies such as Vogue Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and L’Officiel, pitched to SAINT International Chief Executive Officer Deiwght Peters.

“I shared my idea and vision for the shoot. It felt very natural to reach out to him and try to create something meaningful in such a special location,” the creative shared. 

“Deiwght was enthusiastic about the idea from the beginning. He has an incredible roster of great models and was open to my concept for the shoot. We connected very easily, and it didn’t take long for us to align on the details and organise everything smoothly,” she added.

A family affair

For the photoshoot in Oracabessa back in January, SAINT shortlisted a quintet of models: Rihanna Messam, Carolyn Sangster, Francesca Luisa Del Grande, Arianna O’Connor and Makeda Haber.

The storyboard, the photographer explained, “was to highlight the beauty and unique energy of each model. I approached the girls individually and let their personalities guide the mood of each image. I adapted the light and the background to each model, so every set felt personal and tailored rather than repetitive,” she continued.

For Messam, a top-ten placed contestant in SAINT’s 2023 Fashion Face of the Caribbean competition, working with Pioch-Makurat provided a welcome learning curve.

“This shoot really helped me become more comfortable and move more naturally in front of the camera,” said the 19-year-old model who also works as a human resources assistant in the Lionel Town Hospital in Clarendon.

“I enjoyed the energy Patrycja had—she has such a calming vibe and was super easy to work with,” touted Messam, who shot the Spring/Summer 2026 collection lookbook for Jamaican-born, British-based designer Francesca Lake. 

Much like Messam, her SAINT peer Sangster had positive feedback on her on-set experience with the Polish shutterbug.

“I would love to shoot with her again. I learned to just move and have fun, and the poses will follow,” shared Sangster, a final-year student at The University of the West Indies, Mona, where she is reading for a bachelor’s in international relations. 

The 21-year-old, who has walked for designers Diotima and Meruert Tolegen at New York Fashion Week, was pleased to be amongst familiar company for the day in the Jamaican coastal town.

“Whenever there is more than one SAINT, it’s a family affair. I know immediately that I’m gonna be laughing and having fun, and that’s exactly what happened,” Sangster divulged.

Her modelling agency colleague Del Grande—among the five faces cast for the photoshoot—concurred.

“It felt good being around familiarity, and I always enjoy doing projects with my fellow SAINTs. We uplifted each other as the shoot progressed,” she noted.

Francesca is a second-generation model. Her mother Tia-Maria Del Grande is in SAINT’s canon of Jamaican talent, having been discovered and signed by Peters in the early aughts.

Currently completing business management courses online, Francesca told Our Today her major takeaway from the Pioch-Makurat-directed shoot was “some of the best pictures…from capturing a feeling in motion. It helped me learn to flow.”

Collaborations and prepping models

Fielding a steady stream of requests from overseas photographers for test shoot projects, model-maker Peters remains cognisant of the value proposition of artistic collaboration.

“The experience that international fashion photographers like Patrycja bring to the table, and their earnest interest in wanting to lens SAINT models here on the island, underscores what continues to make the agency a force to be reckoned with,” he rationalised.

“The girls get invaluable insights from shooting with experienced industry professionals and are given the opportunity to build and diversify their model portfolios when they work with overseas photographers. So, it’s a win-win for both the models and the visiting creatives with these projects.”

From Jamaica to the world

Of her recent Island jaunt, Pioch-Makurat noted that “the trip was more about rest and slowing down for me before a year full of challenges, work and exciting projects.”

Back home in Europe, she misses the taste of Jamaican fare. “I’m the biggest fan of jerk chicken and ackee and saltfish, I could honestly eat it every day.”

As for her final take on the local beauties she photographed, the shutterbug said, “They are strong, talented young women with great potential, and absolutely ready to go out into the world,” she said. 

Besides Pioch-Makurat, Peters’ expansive slate of models has been in front of the camera for Italian photog Paolo Zerbini, Jamaican-Canadian film-maker and photographer Tristan Barrocks and his Ontario-based compatriot Janice Reid, who is also of Jamaican heritage.