The 50 years of Independence calendar was primarily designed to showcase Ghanaian Artistic prowess in photography, which is grossly unrepresented in our magazines, newspapers, billboard advertising, CD covers etc. In addition to that, it is a time to celebrate our development since 1957, from a traditional society to a modern society and attempt to quell the unrelentless negative images of Ghana and Africa at large, which is constantly being highlighted in the Western media. We have linked the calendar to the Sickle Cell Society, that works tirelessly in promoting and helping people with this debilitating ailment, that only affects people of colour. We felt it necessary to donate some of the proceeds to a charity and we selected the Sickle Cell Society. There are many highly regarded professionals and creative people of Ghanaian origin, in the UK and USA, working for reputable fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, GQ, ID et al, who are never engaged or commissioned to undertake work for advertising agencies, newspapers, magazines etc. Involving such creative people will certainly raise the barrier of Art work and will certainly encourage young people in choosing it as a career, rather than treating it as a hobby which seems to be the norm in Ghana. In order to celebrate 50 years of Independence, a team of Ghanaians were put together; Photographer, Fashion Stylist, Hair Stylist, Make-up Artist, Creative Director and hand picked Ghanaian models, with the concept of utilising colourful Ghanaian fabrics, jewellery and artefacts for a calendar. The idea was to mimic what an ordinary Ghanaian woman would wear going to the market, to work or at home, but embellish it, by exaggerating on make-up and creating a contemporary style. The results are there for all to see. www.ghanacalendar.co.uk Stratford studios, is a Ghanaian owned photographic studio in London, UK responsible for hiring it's studio space to people undertaking commercial photography such as Newspapers, Magazines, Record Companies, Advertising Agencies etc. We also undertake production services, where individuals or companies commission us to produce photographs for their respective services. Our business model is to bridge the gap of the have's and have not's, thus we attempt to provide Photography for small businesses or individuals that strive for quality photographs, but lack the resources or budget to utilise the services of highly reputable companies. They come to us and we provide them with an equally good service, without compromising on quality. Leslie Brobbey is a product of Achimota Primary School and Opoku Ware School in Ghana. I graduated from the University of East London in 1994 and have since been working as an IT professional. Four years ago, I decided to take my interest in photography a step further and the idea of opening a studio was bourne. Although, I can take good photographs, my role in photography is more of an Art/Creative Director, who is responsible for providing the ideas and concepts for photo shoots. For more information, visit www.ghanacalendar.co.uk and www.stratfordstudios.co.uk