Cameraman surely can

When he first became a cameraman at CBC in the 1980s, Ryle Stuart had no idea that his skills could provide him with the opportunity of visiting countries few would only dream of.

From shooting football in community districts, he has gone to the stage where he is standing behind the camera at international cricket venues in places like Eden Gardens in India and Lahore in Pakistan.

The former seasoned St Catherine Division 1 cricketer has also visited England, Sharjah, China, Kenya and Canada and between July and September this year, he will be given the opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka.

It's great to experience the different cultures. Even within India, each city that you go to is different, he said.

The experience that he will always cherish is the relationship he developed with needy children in Pakistan last year.

They spend most of their time on the streets in Karachi and Stuart was so attracted to them that he would give them money to buy meals daily.

Stuart is now a seasoned worker for Trans World International (TWI), the company which produces live telecasts for West Indies home series.

It is a job that keeps him away from home for more than six months a year during which he covers two major tours the Caribbean series and another on the sub-continent.

In between, there are a few minor assignments for the 38-year-old who hails from Three Houses, St Philip, a district he won't trade for anywhere else.

Stuart was first given the opportunity to work with TWI in 1991 when he was one of five representatives nominated by the Caribbean Broadcasting Union. Five years later and more established in the field, he opted to resign his job in the Pine.

I had some problems with CBC. We weren't on the same wavelength and I decided to call it quits because I was guaranteed to get freelance work with TWI and subsequently Sky, he said.I haven't regretted leaving. I have moved on. There are countries that I would have dreamt of going to, but wouldn't be in position to see them.

As one who is passionate about his cricket, the former St Catherine captain was at home in a job in which his background as a player helped him tremendously behind the lens.

The two go hand in hand. If you play cricket, being a photographer is easier, he said. My job consists of following the ball. If a batsman plays a shot, you know the angle at which to go.

If you don't understand and like the sport, you will have difficulty in following the ball.

As a cameraman, too, one has to make sure the pictures are interesting.

There is a director and a producer, but you can't depend on them all the time, Stuart said. When things are slow, you've got to find things. A director cannot stay inside the control room and see what is going on outside. You are his eyes. He depends on you, to see things. The cameraman therefore has to be on the lookout for things like someone in a comical hat or an old man in the pensive mood. Get the picture? It's a job which requires Stuart to stand on his feet for more than six hours daily. And he has to watch every single ball. Is it tougher physically or mentally? It is a combination of both. If you're not fit, you're not going to last long and you will get tired, he said.In Test matches, there could be long, boring sessions and you have still got to make the cricket more interesting colour-wise. And the hard work does not start at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The TWI team leaves the hotel at 7:30 a.m. and when a match is finished, they spend hours packing up loads of equipment and miles of cable. Inevitably, Stuart misses home at times. He is someone who cannot do without his mother's dumplings and he likes to be a fierce competitor for St Catherine on the field. In Pakistan and India, if you go into a restaurant and call for dumplings, the guys want to know what you are talking about, he said. At first, he was reluctant to eat foods in those places. Eating curries food is a no-no for me, he said. When I first went to India and China, I spent 13 weeks feeding off a lot of vegetables, sweet biscuits and coke. Since then, however, he has made friends with a few chefs and gets meals prepared to suit him. Cricket in the middle is still a favourite of his in spite of his recent limited chances. Whenever I get the opportunity, I try to play the odd friendly game, he said. Every year I go to Pakistan or India, I would find myself buying new gear, and I buy balls for St Catherine. I end up giving away the gear, because the most I would play is like a One- Day game or one three-day game and then I'm off to another country. Away from home, Stuart has a source of comfort. The TWI team is like a family. When you get home after a tour, you realise that you miss the guys, he said. I've known these guys for more than 10 years. It is like part of family. On tour that has helped to keep you going berserk.