THE saying, “Some people are born with raw talent” definitely refers to Georgette ‘GiGi’ Smith and Ryan Lue-Clarke. Thought they have received any official training in their respevtive fields, that has not affected the quality of their work.

Lue-Clarke is one of the most sought-after photographers in Jamaica today, and Smith has done make up for numerous celebrities and A-listers, both locally and abroad.

The two may seem like average individuals (GiGi is a bit more ‘fab-u-lous’) but their art speaks volumes of their individuality and talent. When their talents come together, it makes for a unique combination of vibrant colours, bold contrast and impeccable lighting.

Smith, whose personality can be described as a cross between Mother Teresa and Marilyn Monroe, dotes on her love for her art and states that “it is what I love to do and I definitely wouldn’t want to be doing anything else”.

This has not always been their path as Smith initially worked at the Jamaica Customs Office. However, her love for art and fashion gradually pulled her into the make-up field and she has been a professional make-up artist since 2004.

Ryan’s beginning was not as dynamic. After school he found himself striving in the music industry. One thing led to another and before long he found himself in photography. He has been a professional photographer since 2005 and won a gold medal at the JCDC Visual Arts Competition in 2006.

For someone who started out with a two mega-pixel camera and just went around “snapping” everything, Lue-Clarke’s work is stunningly detailed. He told TEENage that it is not only about the object you are photographing, but all the elements in the photograph should work together to convey your desired message.

Smith’s work emphasises her unique sense of style. Her make-up conveys her emotions mixed with the vibe of the individual she is working on. Her love for smokey textures and “emo” designs are also evident in her work. Think about the edginess of Rihanna, the eccentricity of Gaga and the sex appeal of Marilyn Monroe and you would have summed up Smith’s unique yet bold designs.

Lue-Clarke and Smith are both fans of “dark art”. The imagery they produce dares the onlookers to gaze and challenges the mind to think outside of the box. What these two aim to do is to add an edgy feel to their work as they are both eccentric by nature.

The dynamic duo has been working round the clock and so they both have very busy schedules. GiGi recently returned from Argentina where she has been working for Telemedia — a media powerhouse — for four months. Fluent in Spanish, Smith hosted game shows and garage shows for Telemedia and has also done make-up for them. This multi-faceted make-up artist, who is also a stylist, worked with numerous photographers while in Argentina, including Marco and Edgardo Delfino.

Lue-Clarke also has an impressive résumé. He has worked with J Wray and Nephew, alongside fast-rising songbird Denyque; Yahdie Conscious and Stone Rock Records. He also still finds time to do weddings, scenery, maternal and even nude shoots.

Smith worked alongside Tiffany Lue-Yen, another fast rising photographer, recently at a workshop at Edna Manley where they showed students how well make-up and photography work together. They were well received and taught the students a lot about the two art fields.

You can expect to see much more from this dynamic duo. Both have promising futures ahead. Ryan hopes to re-enter the music industry. He also has a few workshops planned with Lue-Yen for the near future. Lue-Clarke plans to take his photography even further by working with Love Bug Photography and Destination Wedding Photography.

Smith continues to ‘think big’ as she is in the planning stages of hosting make-up parties where she will offer her expertise as a make-up artist and stylist.

Although Lue-Clarke and Smith are not partners, they represent artists who look out for each other and strive from unity.

Lue-Clarke can be contacted at: 434-6366 or visit his website at ryanlueclarke.com

Smith can be contacted at: 403-8864 or email at factory79@live.com, myspace.com/forevergeorgette.