My Trini diary: AndyPage

• Name: Andy Page
• Email: apage@e-work.co.uk
• Phone Number: 07779 572360
• Web Page:
• Country:
• Town: Maidenhead
• Comment: The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance. -Ansel Adams

I am a mere fledgling at the Maidenhead Camera Club having only joined in 2005, but none the less I intend to get involved as much as I can.

Digital is my bag, I use a Canon 20D SLR with wide angle, mid range and telephoto lens all of the zooming fraternity. I also seem to accumulate accessories at every opportunity so will not even attempt to itemize here.

I indulge in the whole cycle of photography from snapping the image, to digital processing and eventually printing. Taking full control has helped improve my results and bring consistency to my outputs.

I have recently been living in Trinidad, West Indies as an Expat and enjoyed free lancing as a lens man and covered Carnival 2K5 as it was named, all the parties leading up to it (called 'Fetes')and also covered people playing mass as it is known. Here is a selection of images from my 15 months as a Trini for every one to see:

Playing Mass on carnival is very popular, and goes on through Monday and Tuesday. Every one has to do it at least the once, but some Trini's do it year after year. The costumes are often outrageous and very revealing and considering you are 'Jumping' (Trini word for dancing) in 36 degrees heat you can get seriously burned up. What I did was to start on Sunday afternoon and go to Brian Lara's Fete at his house, leave around midnight and go home to get changed, join up with the 'Mudders' at about 3am where we covered our selves (thousands of us) in gooy mud and marched through the trini streets until sunrise, go home and wash off and get into 'Mass' dress. Go and meet up with the parade and march through the streets of Port Of Spain until evening. Go home and sleep then get up Tuesday and do it all again. I tell you, its absolutely exhausting.

Sweet 'Pan', the national instrument. Invented in Trinidad, when a local musician found that by beating different dents into a drum you could create a melodic sound rather than rythmic. The inspiration came after he lent out his favourite 'drum' which was returned all dented up! Pan yards are every where and young and old are into the pan. It holds absolute respect amoungst the Trinis. These Pans are made in all shapes, sizes and finishes including brilliant shiny silver.

Traditional carnival charachters 'blue devil'. There are two strands of carnival going on, the commercial and huge free for all and also the 'Old Time Mass' which displays all of the traditional charachters. This is great for the kids as it is less intense. There are the Indians, Moko Jumbie, Minstrels and more to look out for. The Blue Devils are really cool though as they quite aggressively extract money from you to donate to good causes and it gives the kids a healthy fright.

Partying in the North Stand. At the beginning of carnival there is an event called Panorama where all the pan yards turn out and compete. Panorama is held in the Queens Park Savannah, and the North Stand is the best place to get into the rythem. Amoungst the crowd are rythem sections who stand up and beat their drums as loud as they can in between each performance. It is important to look cool at all times regardless of age. As the day wares on the North Stand descends into a total tip, but that doesn't stop the partying. As the ladys get more and more drunk, the wining gets more and more intimate. Wining is a form of dirty dancing as seen in the movie and quite a sight to behold.

Calypso music is all the rage. At every Fete, you get the travelling bands who comprise of amazing artists. All the music is live and it gets the crowd really waving their hankies in the air. When you wave your rag the trinis call this 'Jumping up!' and it is done by young and old. the rag is carried by most trinis all of the time to wipe your brow in the heat of the day.

The Fetes are very popular. The stages are massive, and the crowdes can get up to 50,000 people which considering only 1.3 million live on the island is quite unreal.