by Donella Hosten
27-year-old Haron Forteau, a well-known sports photographer was one of many photographers from around the world to get the opportunity to display his skills and talents from 4 August to 13 August 2017 at the IAAF World Championship in London England.
During an exclusive interview upon his return to Grenada, the young photographer who hails from Pedmontemps in St David, shared his experience with the NOW Grenada team. He found it was a bit of a challenge getting used to the cold weather, coming from the Isle of Spice’s warmth, but he overcame the odds.
When asked about his experience on the field, Forteau stated that the IAAF event was somewhat similar to that of Grenada’s Intercol — very fast-paced. One of the main differences that stood out to him was his competing with approximately 80 or 90 different photographers throughout the entire sporting event, of which he was one of the youngest.
According to the young man, ‘it was a great feeling,’ as he got the opportunity to converse with photography icons, including sports photographer Jeff Coen, whom he has looked up to all his life. He also got the chance to exchange ideas and learn from persons from the IAAF and Getty Images.
The IAAF World Championship, saw 4 Grenadian athletes — Kurt Felix, Lindon Victor, Bralon Taplin and Anderson Peters — competing against other high-ranking athletes from countries around the world.
According to Forteau, the atmosphere throughout the entire competition was quite interesting. He did find a few things different from what he was accustomed to in Grenada. These included the heightened advanced preparations as well as the constant flow and availability of information for media, photographers and journalists.
With this being said, Forteau told the NOW Grenada team that he would recommend that Grenada invests more in technology in order to get information to persons in a more timely and efficient manner.
Forteau said the most difficult aspect for him to participate in this international championship event was funding. He had applied for assistance from corporate entities and was frustrated to be unable to secure sufficient funding.
Forteau has only been in the field for 6 years, and although there is not a large sports photographer fraternity in Grenada, he believes that this group ought to get much more respect, especially since it is an expensive field to get into.
After acquiring experience from the 2017 IAAF Championship, Forteau is setting his eyes on upcoming international events including the DOHA in 2019 and possibly the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
