Former Guardian Sports Editor Valentino Singh remembers working with Anthony Harris early in his career with the TTGuardian.

Anthony Harris once said to me, “If you value my work, you should have no problem paying me.”

It was very early in our relationship, and I knew very little of Anthony, except that he was a freelance photographer, hoping to establish ties with the Trinidad Guardian’s sports pages of which I was the editor.

It was an era in which the company had “rates” for the contributions of freelancers, rates that sometimes challenged me in soliciting professionals who could provide the quality required to ensure that our sports pages were competitive.

That early conversation took place after he received his first pay cheque from the company.

Unfortunately, the invoice he submitted was rejected and he was paid according to the company’s “rates”.

I can’t say that he argued nor was he militant, he simply made his case for what he believed his work was worth and invited me to call him when we were ready to deal with him as a professional.

With the Soca Warriors on the hunt for a place in the World Cup finals of 2006, it did not take long for me to invite Anthony back into our sports pages and pretty soon, he demonstrated why he was soon rated the number one sports photographer in the country, shooting some of the finest and most compelling photos of that era.

One could say he never missed the ball. He was sharp and incisive and it would be fair to say that his work with the Warriors was the highlight of his career.

He took his time to understand the history of the country’s passion for the sport and it manifested in his work – both throughout the journey and when the team played in Germany.

But he was more than the World Cup or football. Anthony saw a void in sports photography and his artistry in cricket, track and field and any major sporting activity earned him the respect of athletes and officials – not to mention fans – across the country.

Cyclist Emile Abraham posted this photo to Facebook of himself with Anthony Harris after a race in 2010.
“Anthony would always be there getting the right photo and coming to me with a smile,” he wrote of the late photographer.

His peers too, not only respected him, but admired his tenacity and intent to get that one photo that would keep him ahead of the field.

He lived his work too. Anthony was an exercise freak, who could be seen every weekday very early in the morning pedalling his way through Federation Park. I can almost hear him shouting out my name as I took my morning walk.

Anthony was an intelligent, dignified man who understood his worth and was prepared to accept nothing less. He lifted his profession to greater heights and leaves a void that will not easily be replaced.

May his soul rest in peace.