WHEN Veronica Allen-Ettinger started doing photography as a hobby, she never imagined that it would lead to serving others and being a source of comfort when it’s needed. She believes that God has directed her along the path from photographer to live stream producer.

In early 2019, almost a year before the pandemic and restrictions, Allen-Ettinger had a photography client for a funeral service ask about being able to stream it to family in the States. Together, with her technology expert husband, Live Streaming Jamaica was started.

Having no insight as to what was to come the next year, Allen-Ettinger and her husband trusted in God and invested in the newborn venture. This proved to be a good strategic move as they were well prepared in early 2020 when the pandemic impacted everyone.

“Most people weren’t aware of the use of the Internet to stream events such as funerals or weddings but Zoom became the new buzzword making people more aware of the technology,” said Technical Director Shaun L Ettinger.

“While Zoom is a good conferencing platform, our solutions offer sophisticated broadcast quality streams that compare to what you’d get from cable television.”

Added Allen-Ettinger: “Transitioning from photographer to producer wasn’t an easy task. I not only had to learn the technology, I learned how to intuitively switch cameras in anticipation as to what was happening in real time. Photos or video recordings you can edit the final result after the event, but with live streaming there is no editing, no do overs because it’s going out live. You either get it right the first time or have to react quickly to correct any mistakes or goofs.”

Both Allen-Ettinger and her husband have personally experienced the loss of parents and loved ones. They understand the pain, sorrow and suffering their clients are dealing with in preparing a funeral for their loved one. With a background in customer service, Allen-Ettinger vowed to provide the best client services possible.

“With every live stream we do we identify with the family. We take every job personally and treat it like it was our own family. It’s our honour and a privilege to be of service to the families and their friends during their time of mourning,” she said.

“We feel proud that more families in 2020 and 2021 entrusted their live streaming needs to us than any other vendor,” said Ettinger. “Reaching nearly 20,000 views with over 5,900 hours of watch time from many countries around the world is a blessing.”

His wife added: “Bringing people together when it matters most, is not just a slogan we came up with. It’s the foundation and core of everything we do. We feel blessed that God has chosen us for this and trust in Him for guidance. We pray before each and every live stream and are thankful to God afterwards.”