I'm in Caribbean Belle - My first Magazine Interview! Yaaaaaa!

I've been keeping this quiet for a bit because I wanted to manage expectations and my anticipation but now that its out I can say...Yaaaaaaa!

A few months ago I was contacted by Salisha Baboolal of image-engineer (image-engineer.com) to do a Movers and Shakers interview with Caribbean Belle Magazine for their wedding edition.

Very Kewl.

Apparently Simone of Trinidad Weddings suggested me (Thanks Simone!) She's doing great work at trinidadweddings.com.

Well the Magazine is finally out and the article rocks!

Well as you know due to editing and phrase restructuring some things were slightly adjusted but Salisha managed to keep the integrity of all my responses so its pretty much me, which to me is more important that being in the magazine in the first place. I was glad I didn't have one of those "Waitaminnit! I didn't say that" experiences.

I really want people to go out and get the magazine so I'll only give a sample of one of the interview questions here.

BELLE: So why did you choose wedding photography over other fields?
Juma: I wanted to do something that was relationship oriented. Wedding photo Journalism - telling your story via your wedding pictures - gives me the chance to work with real people and real personalities. I try to capture my couples pouring out their hearts and translate that pictorially for them.

This is the actual magazine and article.

On the Cover: T&T Miss World and Miss Universe Ladies in Heather Jones no less

The actual article, with a few of my favorite pics over the past year.

I was really impressed with this caption, had no idea Salisha was putting this in

Ebony and Miro Lieben Sie Tobago

Ebony and Miro are a really excellent couple and their wedding was just as lovely.

The Venue Canoe Bay Tobago, kinda bumpy to get there but once you're there its worth it. The wedding was on the shore of Canoe Bay and the weather was great.

Well I got to Tobago the day before the wedding and they had a cocktail shindig for their families. So everyone was breaking it down on the dance floor and boy did I see some moves.

Abigail did this wedding with me so I had to pick her up at the airport and the plan was to take her to meet Ebony and Miro and get back to the guest house and change to be ready in time for the wedding.

Let's just say that didn't exactly happen that way and I ended up in the wedding with my jeans and a polo on, dirty sneakers and uncombed hair and to top it all off when I was taking portraits I tripped on a rock walking backwards and fell in the water. Of course you know a photographers reaction to a fall...hands or more specifically, camera in the air. I recovered quickly though, actually I jumped right back up and said "let's go" even though at that point my foot was lancing in pain, It was like Murphy's law in effect i tell ya! But hey, the show must go on. So I acted like I was on an episode of "IRON PHOTOG".

On the bright side my jeans were now wet and sandy so I had a reason to change them, YAY! The clothes came in handy after all.

After that things went smoothly (thank goodness!).

Here are some pics.

Break dancing at the cocktail party...one of the many moves on the night.

Ebony on the balcony of the villa before leaving for the ceremony.

She floated down those stairs believe me...

Oh the Anticipation!

A little sunset stroll never hurt the photos...

OK now for a "laginappe" as we say here in Trinidad, well all of my faithful blog readers may know that I have been training the multitalented Abigail Liverpool over the past few months and trust me she has been taking to the thing like a Trini to a parking space in Trincity Mall on Saturday Afternoon. She did really well in Tobago and I'm happy to show a couple of her shots.

Just to prove I was there...


Same stair shot but different approach and angle...beautiful

Good eye to see this...That hat just stands out

Well done Abby!

Warner go to Benihana? (Retroactive post)

(Should have been posted in March)

Yes, Yes...I know the title is corny...ok now that we have gotten past that, lemme write sumptin.

Ok so Brens and I were kind of just heading down the highway to home and well I was famished, so we randomly swung in to Trincity and headed to Benihana.

So we get there and we're led to a table at the back, where it seems that two more people are needed to get things started...how convenient, here we are!

So we sit down and across from us is another couple and to our right (right next to Brenda and to my surprise) is Fifa Vice President, Jack Warner.

Mr. Warner is a pretty kewl fella when he's not in parliament. We ate, joked for a few, then he offered to buy us (Brenda and myself, by that time the other couple left) dessert and being Ice Cream lovers we obliged. Then again, how often do you have Jack Warner buying you dessert?

Thanks for the hook up Mr. Warner.

Check the egg...I had my turn and almost flipped it on someone's lap :-(

Our Chef (and entertainer) for the evening, had some kewl tricks up his sleeves.

Lobster tail, ordered by Mr. Warner, would have had some myself, but I can't touch shellfish ;-)

Brenda and Mr. Warner, only too happy to take to a pic with my lovely wife.

Tobago strikes again - Retroactive Vitali Family post

(This should have been posted since February)

Well, I've been so busy I have tons of retroactive posting to do...and not to mention many updates to the site.

OK...Family shoot in Tobago, with the coming together of three generations and three families. Nice. Offically this was the Vitali family shoot but Mom and Dad and Sis got in on the action.

Here are some pics from the shoot.

Roman is quite perturbed when he is de-cookied by his sister with assistance from Dad, just look at his face. lol.

Ali with his nephew and son.

Up we Go!

The Entire Family.

Daddy's little girl

Kellie and Irvin got the moves! (Yes I'm alive!)

To all my faithful blog readers...YES!! I'm still here I didn't move to Antarctica (Although I'm sure I would get some spectacular wedding shots there :-) Anywho...

Just a few pics to keep you going while I'm working on a few projects...boy do I need to have a family and commercial section on my site...actually thats a great idea. Hmmm...

Ok these are a few pics from Kellie and Irvin's wedding. Kellie happens to be the sister of my most kewl apprentice Abigail and you'll see her in the pics when the gallery goes up. In the mean time check out a couple of their moves...

Sorry about the no captions...but I'm sure you'll forgive me :-)

Jan Shelly and Carlton...taking flight

After having a rough past couple of days dealing with having to disappoint some really nice people (which is never easy) its good to have this to post.

I had a engagement shoot with Jan Shelly and Carlton this week and I had been looking forward to it for a while now seeing that this was one of the few Industrial themed (partially) shoots I get to do plus they just seemed like nice people.

So we met up and they rode along with me after battling with public transport with a change on clothes in hand no less.

Jan and Carlton are getting married later this year and a little birdie told me that I might be doing their wedding as well :-)


Ok ok so I changed the photo..but there are so many that I like...you can see their faces in this one and Carlton is enjoying the "premium grass" - a little joke among us. I left the caption from the first pic I had up below

(I only asked to put up one photo and since I like this one...well here it is, Jan and Carlton are going to have to remain a mystery couple till I can update this post with a couple more pics. Can you tell where we are? The title of the post is a hint.)

Nadine and Naren Couple Vid.

Well I found this funky little piece of software on the laptop and used it to throw together this vid.

Quite kewl but very basic and I had to search all over to get an appropriate track, but it gives me an idea, hmmmmmm, anywho, these are more pics from the Nadine and Naren Couple shoot. Enjoy!