Photographer Sheldon Levene is hoping the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will check soon, so he can focus on his debut exhibition.

“I had June in mind [to host the exhibition], however, with the whole pandemic, I’m not too sure anymore. Fingers crossed, by then things will be better so I can go ahead,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Though details of the exhibition had not been finalised, Levene is aiming to showcase between 20 and 40  pieces.

The Jamaica College past student said he always had a passion for taking photographs.

“I’ve been taking photos since my early 20s, but it wasn’t until four years ago that my friends and relatives kept encouraging me to post my work online. I did, and people really loved them,” he said.

Levene also operates Realistic Works, a motion graphics entity that provides multimedia content to companies and agencies. He points  to Jamaican photographer Corey Hamilton and Canadian Peter McKinnon as his biggest influences.

McKinnon is a YouTuber with more than 4,000,000 subscribers. He uses his platform to give tutorials to up-and-coming photographers.

Levene, who is self-taught, added that his 3,900 Instagram followers respond positively to his work.

“People’s reaction is usually, ‘money cyaa buy dis’, or they’ll reach out and say that they like a particular piece and want to order it. Instagram is like my online gallery. Once I post my work there, people share it to other websites or social media,” said Levene, who has a preference for nature shots.

“I like to shoot beaches and landscape…I just enjoy being outdoors and connecting with nature. My style is more ‘tropical Caribbean’; representing bright vibrant colours,” he said.

Levene has big hopes for the future.

“I want to expand my catalogue by capturing images in the Caribbean, then to the rest of the world. Eventually, I want to publish my art to leave a legacy for years to come,” he said.