In 2018, I met a young man at a church convention

— Mark Forde.

We didn’t plan a business that day. We simply exchanged names and numbers after a conversation about the service.

But something clicked instantly. There was a kindred spirit between us — same heart, same passion, same way of seeing the world.

Not long after, we met up to talk about photography. That day, Mark pulled a camera out of his bag, a Nikon D500. It was his first.

I still remember how I felt seeing it. Something shifted in me.

What started as a simple meeting suddenly felt like the beginning of something bigger.

I asked him a bold question:

“Can we build something together?”

To my surprise, he didn’t hesitate. He was thrilled.

We began studying photography, pushing through Level One, then Level Two — growing, learning, dreaming. And somewhere in those early days, Mark said, “I have a name… Agapao Focus.”

The name came from the Greek word for God’s love — agape. A love that is selfless. Sacrificial. Unconditional.

That was the foundation.

We started small, free shoots, collaborations, nature, wildlife, weddings, anything that allowed us to practice and create. We weren’t chasing fame. We were chasing excellence. When we registered the business, someone asked us, “With so many photographers out there, what will make you different?”

Our answer was simple:

“Quality.”

Not popularity. Not speed.

Quality.

But in the earlier part of December 2019, everything changed.

Mark became ill.

And on December 23rd, 2019, he passed away.

My heart was shattered. In just about a year, we had built a brotherhood, a vision, and a dream. I didn’t know what to do next. I was ready to give up photography completely. I’m also a musician, and I had even purchased an iMac originally for music production. Photography was never supposed to take over my life.

But Mark believed in me.

He used to tell me, “Cornelius, you’re going to take this photography very far. I see it.”

At the time, I thought he was just being a good friend, encouraging me like friends do. I never imagined those words would become fuel after he was gone.

After his passing, there were challenges. Misunderstandings. Doubts. Pain. But my heart was never to take and run, it was to build and honor what we started.

So I stayed.

And I pushed.

From 2019 to today, I have watched Agapao Focus grow beyond what we could have imagined. The work sharpened. The vision expanded. Doors opened. Opportunities came that once felt impossible.

Today, I have the honor of photographing national platforms like Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago, Miss World Trinidad and Tobago, and Miss Environment Trinidad and Tobago — and the journey continues upward.

But beyond titles and stages, the mission has never changed.

Agapao Focus was built on love. On friendship. On faith. On quality.

What started as a seed between two young men with a dream has grown into a tree with branches stretching further than we ever imagined.

And every time I lift my camera, I remember where it began.

This isn’t just photography.

It’s legacy.

It’s promise.

It’s love in focus.

For I didn’t choose photography, it chose me. 

— Cornelius