Retired media man Noel Saldenha passes on

He was 74.

Saldenah was remembered by some of his former colleagues for the attention he paid to the quality of his work and for never being fearful to take a shot.

Newsday chief photographer Rattan Jadoo remembered having worked with Saldenah for more than 15 years at the Trinidad Guardian.

Jadoo said he worked in the company of other esteemed photographers such as Maurice Brown, Max Li Leung and his (Jadoo) sister Ena Maharaj nee Jadoo. Jadoo back then, worked in the Guardian’s dark room as a lab technician printing black and white photographs for the Trinidad Guardian and now defunct Evening News.

“For me, Noel Saldenah was one of the more accomplished sports photographers this country has produced,” Jadoo said.

Saldenah, he added, never shied away from work.

This resulted in him winning awards from the then British West Indian Airways (BWIA) for sport photography. He was particularly known for shots of horse racing and football. “He won for the best racing photography for years,” Jadoo said.

He was highly respected in all of the different newspapers,” Jadoo added. Saldenah’s partner of 21 years, Vercil De Vignes, remembered him as someone who loved what he did even up to his death.

She said Saldenha was a good father to their two sons, Dwayne and Devon. She recalled that he would take the photographs of the children in the Bon Air Gardens community, where they lived.

Guardian’s former photo editor Alva Viarruel described Saldenah’s passing as sad but remembered him for the many things he taught him, among them consistency of quality and never being fearful of getting the best shot.

“He was quality…talk about best sports photographer,” Viarruel said. Saldenah leaves to mourn his two sons, Dwayne and Devon; grandsons, Marcus and Devonte and brothers and sisters, Yvette, Evelyn, Michael and Robert. Although funeral arrangements have not been finalised, Saldenah is expected to be cremated.