IMAGE
Brian Talma – “First of all I am most impressed that Dave has a name. ‘Downwind Dave’ is catchy and I like the fact that he has a sense of humour. Do you remember ‘Eddie the Eagle’? Dave is a bit like the ‘Eagle’; when you hear ‘Downwind’, it is something you will remember. You have to work on something unique. That is what I did. You need a name and a look. I am not sure what we can do with Dave for a look but maybe we can dress him up a bit. Maybe we get him some funny glasses or a hat, he needs a look, that is for sure. That is what I did, I looked at what I had going for me. I was lucky to have the Caribbean look and the bleached blonde hair. Downwind Dave has to build his image of where he is from and keep working on his sense of humour.
Maybe there are unique aspects of his culture or his family he can adapt into his image. When he was working with JC in the water he was too slow. If the photographer gets bored while Dave is floundering on the reef then he might head into the beach or start shooting somebody else. So he needs to speed up and keep upwind. We then did a photo shoot in front of my fishing boat and I definitely sensed Dave has some talent! He worked the camera and did not take himself too seriously! This trip we really need to focus on keeping Downwind Dave more upwind because time is money and JC can’t afford to be swimming around getting sunburned while Dave is drifting down the coast. I am the ‘Irie Man’ or ‘De Action’ man and now the magazines might start hearing about this ‘Downwind Dave’ guy. Let’s see how he develops over the rest of the week!” For the next days, Barbados delivered splendid weather and more balmy breezes, perfect for Dave to master the art of staying upwind in the tricky conditions. Brian of course was keeping a watchful eye on Dave’s every move, both on and off the water.