Trends change at the snap of a finger, especially in the Internet age. In the decade since he released his photo book Pieces of Jamaica, David Muir has seen the transformation of his country through regular visits from his base in South Florida.

The second edition of Pieces of Jamaica is scheduled for release in early August to coincide with Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of Independence. Muir was in the island in March and April to capture some of those changes for his second book.

Jamaica’s cultural metamorphosis was the most glaring difference.

“What we’ve found is that some of the common and notable Jamaican staples that I grew up with are unfortunately fading. For example, we were having a challenge locating and interacting with the peanut man, snow cone or sky juice vendors, fudgie, and the like. Also, many homes have become town homes and other shared living quarters,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “Ease of access to technology, including the variety in forms of transportation, has seemingly removed the viability of some norms and in turn limiting some things we always had greater access to. Public transportation is completely different too. Even our music seemed to be more accessible with less channels to receive it because everyone had to share in more specific ways,” Muir added. “I guess what I’m reflecting on is how there was a seemingly larger Jamaican-centric groupthink due to restrictions in accessibility. I see the youth now have an ability to participate more with global and international thinking.”

The first volume of Piece of Jamaica was a personal project for Kingston-born Muir, who moved to South Florida from New York City in 2001. He wanted to show people, especially in the Diaspora, the country he was raised in and the personalities and locations that reminded him of home.

There was a different approach for volume two.

“For the second book, Pieces of Jamaica 2022, we decided to take a more location-driven approach, showing the people, landscapes, buildings, nature, activities, food, cultures, and other elements in each parish that make Jamaica absolutely unforgettable,” he explained. “As such, we’re working with historical organisations to find and incorporate records of what some of the key locations we are shooting previously looked like to include an archival element for even more historical context of the land.”

A past student of Campion College, Muir has been a photographer for over 30 years. Since moving to South Florida, he has covered the region’s lifestyle scene and played an entrepreneurial role in its Jamaican community.

He has been involved in several publications, including two cook books.

Pieces of Jamaica 2022 will be released by Island Syndicate, the company Muir operates with business partner Calibe Thompson.