travel – Page 2 – A Day In The Life

Well…

Well, this App is a bust – I can’t get it to upload images from my phone and I haven’t had time to figure out another solution…I’ll see what I can do tomorrow.

G’night.
-C

First day of shooting. We started early at the white beachhouse next door to Hibiscus Hill. Actually, we started on the beach since the morning light was so beautiful…pretty much a theme for the entire shoot (starting on the beach). Breakfast was at 5:30 a.m. with a call time of 6:00.

We had all 4 models today (Julie, Johannes, Danielle & Chad) and did a number of variations of one to all four. Of course a lot of my time was spent photographing product with Greg & environmentals when I had some down time. Since I didn’t get any of the product shots with my phone I’ll have to add them later, but I think we got some good shots in spite of fighting some rain showers towards the end of the morning. It gets pretty hot while shooting outside and with the rain it was very humid, so I was constantly sweating and looking for some AC time and cold Vitamin Water to quench an ever-present thirst. While taking a shoe shot in the seagrass near the beach (we try to shoot around where they photograph the models), I stepped barefoot into a fire ant hill and got a number of stings/bites on my left foot, which the next day and onward itched worse than anything I can ever remember.

The beachhouse is pretty nice, but not quite the style we’re looking for so none of the shots were done inside, just around the beach & outside decks and sun rooms. We shot until about 10:30 or 11:00 then took a break for lunch (12:30) and picking back up at 4:00 or so.

During the break Sara and I went for a swim on our beach back at Coral Sands. Once the sun gets above the cloud bank in the morning it gets pretty hot and humid (today felt really humid), but the ocean water is a perfect, cool temperature so it’s quite refreshing, especially after spending much of the morning outdoors. Add the incredibly blue water and easy waves and, well, it’s hard to imagine anything better frankly. I was too full after lunch to go back in so it was off for an air conditioned nap to try and recoup some still-lost sleep, which turned out to be a good call as a thunderstorm passed overhead while we were asleep waking us with loud thunder claps and heavy rain. By the time we woke up and headed out it was relatively clear and beautiful once more.

For the afternoon/evening part of the day we started at King’s Treat on King Street, another of India Hicks properties in town near the bay or waterfront (where 3 from the crew are staying). Like HH it’s beautifully decorated but the structure is quite old (the old, black shutters have countless layers of paint on them) and the yard is lovely. Her attention to detail is amazing, and her taste impeccable – there’s nothing but authentic about what she does, even the Pottery Barn towels & Restauration Hardware lamps and outdoor furniture feel natural and real. Now I know why Sara loves her style so much!

Again Greg and I, along with Sara, who joined us for the afternoon/evening, shot product and environmentals while everyone else was involved with the models. Speaking of which, I think we gave a great group of models this time (two are repeats, the other two new). The rest of the crew is top notch, and I think it was fun for Sara to see how it works and what’s involved in a big commercial shoot (altough afterwards she said once was enough and after the novelty wore off it was ‘just work’ so she’d rather do something else for the rest of the shoot…like take her own shots and check out the town).

After shooting around King’s Treat house we walked and shot around the waterfront. We got a few gawks and inquiries into what we were doing but mostly from visitors. The locals see this so often I don’t think they give it much thought. There are some great homes around where we shot – one in particular was one of my favorites – and the waterfront, while pretty much what it’s looked like for 100 years or more is pretty simple but cool, and beautiful at sunset (it’s on the west side of the island). Lots of little shacks and shops, several docks and a lot of fishing activity – small time stuff, not commercial. Conch is a big deal here and apparently plentiful (for now), so there are a lot of discarded Conch shells around. Where they remove the Conchs from their shells there are huge piles of shells in the shallow water..kind of sad…then again, they’re kind of just big sea snails 🙂

We wrapped up around 7:30 or so then did a quick change and headed to dinner as a group at a great little Italian restaurant called Auquapaza (not sure of the spelling), near the fishing docks by Valentines. The food there is amazing – we ate there twice during our stay – and the atmosphere is charming. It was Lance’s birthday so there was a little celebration, then off for our respective dwellings for what remained of the night. I didn’t get to sleep for a while since again I ate so much, but it was a great day. I love this place!

-C

Pre-sunrise from Coral Sands at breakfast.

Sunrise.

The light changes quickly and in this case it gave us a cool, even morning light.

A view of the crew at work on the beach while I’m back up the house looking for something…a little perspective.

While Dewey Nicks, our photographer, shoots beautiful people Greg and I shoot cool shoes…hey, it’s something!

Looking out through the shutter doors to the ocean.

Dewey photographing one of our models (Danielle, from Argentina) up at the beachhouse.

Our other model Julie Henderson doing what she does best while waiting for her next shot, next to modeling that is – texting (or Tweeting). I suppose when you’re on the road as much as they are (she’s on a shoot almost every week), it’s one of the best ways to keep in touch with family and friends…

Looking up the stairwell at the beachhouse. Again, the hurricane lights make perfect sense when you live in a hurricane zone.

Art or decor? Whatever it is, I liked it.

Morning sun reflecting off the Atlantic…or is it the Caribbean? I can’t remember which side of the island is which…

Julie and Johannes, our ‘main’ models, working it TB style (which is to say fairly relaxed).

Another product/shoe shot…we shot a lot of shoes today.

Like some of the hardware from HH I don’t know if these are really old or just weathered, but they’re pretty cool either way.

Gotta hand it to Greg – nothing escapes possibilities for props.

Always searching for a great beach shot…

Beachhouse detail.

How many people does it take to photograph 1 model? More than you would think…

Back at Coral Sands for lunch and the afternoon break, looking out over the pool area. Notice how intense the color of the water is as it reflects the blue sky…

Some of the perfect palms looking back up towards the resort as I head down the path down to the beach.

The view over one of the palapas to the beach and the big, white puffy clouds that are always on the horizon.

King’s Treat for the afternoon session. This is one of the locations on the lower deck we shot shaded by shutters on both sides.

It’s second floor counterpart. The frame leaning against the wall was beautiful and seemed strangely out of place just sitting ‘outdoors’ as it were.

Can’t resist a good palm frond…we use these kinds of things in our designs back home all the time.

Sara talking to Chad (not pictured) about ranching and farming (Sara wants to have a farm with Gernsey Cows that we use for making cheese in either Hawaii or Filmore, Utah…touch choice between Hawaii and Filmore eh?!).

Inside the home was a really cool tray of old bottles that I couldn’t resist taking outside for some close up shots.

Actually, this is the close up…

L to R: Heather, the producer from the Bahamas and her California counterpart Susan.

The small guest cottage in the yard and the path leading up to it.

On the way out to shoot around town I grab a quick shot of the weathered latch and fence gate.

One of our product shots around town (when they shoot, we shoot). I’d like to take more credit for how good this bag looked in our shots, but between the natural light and the color & material of the bag it was hard to take a bad shot…

Sara in front of the ‘Loyalist Cottage’ built in 1797 (I’m sure it’s had a few updates since).

One of the waterfront shops. Most are colored pretty brightly.

Another crew shot…we shoot until there isn’t any more light.

Looking out towards one of the local fishing docks at low tide.

How ’bout these beauties?! ‘Creation clouds’ if there ever were any…

Lights running up the support column at the restaurant. I wish I would have gotten more shots at dinner, it was a fun little restaurant on the water’s edge…

Bahamas – Day 2

June 2, 2010
Post Script: Days 2 – 10 were added after we were home due to the failure of my iPhone App to function properly.

Day 2 was ‘scout day’ as we prepared to begin shooting tomorrow (Thursday, June 3). WARNING – lots of photos for this post as we scouted the island for locations to shoot.

It was something of a late night getting to bed last night with such a delicious, large dinner at Valentine’s (the food was amazing). Afterwards Sara and I hung out in the hammock updating my blog for about an hour, so this morning we both felt hungover from the lack of sleep the previous night…er day, whatever. Sleeping in the Guest House feels kind of special with it’s mix of old world style and new (it was built about 10 years ago but feels older). I wish we could have stayed there longer, but not with everyone else…nothing against them, it’s just not the same thing when you’re sharing close quarters with workmates instead of family. Still, one night was better than none at all.

Since scouting with Lance (my boss) and Dewey (the photographer) didn’t start until after lunch, Greg and I took off for a spin around the area/town in a golf cart in the morning, photographing lots of things along the way. It’s an interesting mix of poverty and wealth but it seems like everyone gets along with each other as far as I can tell. The locals are pretty friendly as most wave to you (either initiating the wave or waving back after you wave), but I think it would be naive to think that there isn’t some tension in the mix, at least with some people on both sides. I certainly didn’t feel at ease or welcome on the fishing docks last night, but then again I was in the midst of sport fishermen and wealthy boat owners who I’m sure didn’t think I belonged on the same dock…like I care, but I wouldn’t have felt good about Sara walking around there by herself. Then again, if she were with me (she didn’t join us for dinner), maybe I would have gotten different looks…like envy 🙂

The architecture around town is mostly a mix of British Colonial and Bahamian with some modern or contemporary mixed in here and there and a plethora of varying local flavor. There are beautiful splashes of color everywhere due to either the flowers, trees and water (the most intense shades of turquoise blue I’ve ever seen) or the painted homes, fences and signs. I thought Merida Mexico was colorful, but it doesn’t compare at all to the Bahamas, particularly the Bouganvilla – there were so many bright shades and against the predominant white of many of the walls and buildings, it is truly striking. The Royal Poinciana were in full bloom too, so needless to say it was quite…uh, beautiful (remember, not a wordsmith).

The following photos are images taken throughout the day, starting around Hibiscus Hill and heading across the island with everything in between. We criss-crossed it several times, so by the end of the day I felt like I actually knew the place.
-C

Yeah, OK so what is this? The wooden floor of the Guest House…the wood used in floors, ceilings, even the wood studs is beautiful.

The coffee table upstairs outside our room. They have such great books in all the properties we saw, whether on tables or in bookshelves. Several of the ones I picked up were signed with a personal note to India and David…I suppose that’s what happens when you’re famous and wealthy.

The aged/weathered doorknob on the french doors heading outside to the upstairs deck. The structure is only 10+ years old so I don’t know if this is an old doorknob or they somehow aged it, either way I liked it. My obsession knows no bounds..if we lived here we would either be great friends with India & David or in jail for stalking…

Hats at the bottom of the stairs. Think of it like an umbrella rack in Seattle – you kind of need one almost everyday you’re outside for any length of time.

One last shot of the benches on the front deck as I head out for a ride about town.

I did mention that I love this grove of palms around the Guest House didn’t I? Apparently coconut palms are not indigenous to the island and are flown in for about 100K per tree…not sure if all these trees got here ‘that way’, but we found later in the trip that Harbor Island has a lot more coconut palms than Eleuthera and I imagine the other islands as well.

Swing to the right and you find parking…

OK, so maybe I’m obsessed with the hammock and palms in front…

Looking back towards the Guest House.

Maybe obsessed isn’t the right word…

The Guest House.

Greg and I head out for a look around while we wait for everyone else. Turns out to be quite interesting and fruitful…we see more than we eventually did with the whole group. Something along the way out…even the construction sites are visually interesting to me.

Pineapples are a symbol of ‘welcome’ in the islands…when they’re bigger like these (about a foot tall) does that mean you’re more welcome than at homes where they’re smaller?

Beautiful garden/walkway at one of the homes we drove by.

One of the more modern homes we came across while scouting.

Something a little more traditional.

Couldn’t resist this sign. I guess one does what they have to in order to eak out a living down here…

Street sign for a speed bump…not sure if it’s intended for the golf carts or cars/trucks, but if you don’t slow down you definitely feel them.

Not what you would expect for a ‘Queens Highway’ sign, then again nothing is as expected here. Love the hand-made quality of things here, there’s a certain charm in it vs. mass produced things.

Never too early for something cold for relief from the heat.

What came first, the sign for ‘Bahama House Inn’ or the ‘Tommy Bahama’ logo type from a few years ago? I’m going with this sign…uncanny how much our logo resembles this typeface (coincidence? I think not ;))

These two panels are located on posts outside St. John’s Church. Again note the hand-made charm…

St. John’s Church

Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs…and I can’t help but photograph them.

This particular graphic was on a gate across a driveway entrance. No doubt about the influence of this place in our brand/company…

Little structure across the street from the King’s Treat building on King Street. I have no idea how old it is, but judging from the rust and weathering on the layers of peeled-away construction it’s gotta be old. And someone actually lives inside…

Some sort of shop on the waterfront at the end of King Street.

Typical architecture of the homes along the waterfront/town.

Tile on that house’s fence post. It’s all about the details.

Another little sign on a fence gate that I had to get in two shots. Hand-painted of course.

One of the docks along the waterfront. A view I would also photograph often on the trip.

Looking back across the bay towards the main dock for island shuttles from the waterfront.

Another dock…they never get old to me.

After Greg and I made our trip around town it was back to Hibiscus Hill for lunch and picking up the others for the official scouting trip around town. A view off the porch from the Cricket Pavillion.

Porch furniture. Big, chunky and beautiful.

Hurricanes on the deck table. In a place like this hurricane fixtures actually make sense.

Large conch shell on the coffee table outside. Conch’s are plentiful, and India uses them at all her properties.

Large globe on the table inside the entry.

Did I mention India likes books? Note the Hermes items on the lower right hand…just like ours. As if!

I don’t know who the artist is for this, but I love this framed sketch. No doubt it’s an original.

While waiting for the group I head down to the beach below HH. It’s actually quite steep and long…

…but the view is worth the effort.

The beach. Yes, it really is that dramatic.

Once everyone showed up it was off to scout. First stop – on foot to the beachhouse we used for the first 2 mornings of the shoot next door.

This is a detail of the weather vane.

How ’bout them knockers? What?! They’re cool.

Palm detail. There’s something about the palm trees here…they’re perfect!

Another detail of what I assume is a studio or garage of some sort.

View of the beach from the backyard, about 50-75′ below.

Looking back up at the house from the beach. I came to know these stairs quite well over the 2 days of shooting.

The neighbor’s steps leading back up the bluff from the beach.

Looking back up the beach (or is it down?).

Next stop, Hibiscus Hill. These are the 2 large entry columns at the ‘front gate’. Not really a gate, just a dirt road off the main road, but this is what greets you so you know it’s not just a road to the beach.

The main residence of India Hicks and David Flint Wood.

Porch detail. The bougenvilla were amazing.

From the pool area. I’m not certain but I think the monolith is a replica of the one in town indicating an historical site.

Another detail…what else can I say: beautiful!

Into the golf carts for a lengthy trip around town and the island.

Off to the beach at Coral Sands…one of the palapas that dot the beach.

Once in a while you just gotta look up…

…and down.

Then it’s off to a little resort/restaurant near the waterfront/harbor on the opposite side of the island, near Valentines.

Definitely not short of color or style.

When you’re in the path of Hurricanes the shutters are more functional than say in Seattle, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look great!

This is a burned out hotel that is used for weddings, receptions and other festivities. And it’s haunted to boot.

Yes, this really is a big tuba hanging on one of the walls.

Into town and the waterfront with the group. This house is one of my favorites. The wood siding is amazing – what is it?! The details tie it all together…Sara, Greg and I all end up photographing this several times throughout the trip.

See what I mean?

A little local flavor. Can’t say these people aren’t interesting…the older residents are as weathered as some of the buildings, but they seem happy.

Queen Conch, one of the many shops that dot the waterfront. They sell fresh conch salad and, surprise, shells. Only $200 if you want to use the place as a backdrop for a photoshoot.

What other color would you expect for the color of the building?

Also dotting the waterfront – piles of conch shells. The Bahamas are known for their abundance of shells, and this is proof that you don’t have to look far to find something impressive. We ended up bring back 3 large shells from the islands, all of which Sara found along the beaches and waterfront, not to mention the many smaller shells found and bought.

Detail from the neighboring shop/shack with contrasting colors. Makes for quite a colorful waterfront.

From town and the waterfront we head north, passing this barge that Sara and I photographed several times (it’s right next to the famous ‘tree’ which will show up later in the trip).

What else, another sign…at least it’s on the other side of the island.

We didn’t find much over on that side of the island but we did find Micky Drexler’s place, the CEO and visionary of JCrew. Would love to see inside the gates, but not going to happen this trip…I also spotted ‘the tree’, but wouldn’t get there for a few days longer.

L to R: Dewey Nicks, photographer extraordinary; Denard, the local contact who helped us out on the island during the shoot and helped Sara and I secure a rental car; Jodi, our producer’s assistant.

We wrap it up by heading back across the island towards Valentine’s looking for a good dock. We never find it, but we found this at one of the oldest estates on the island.

Bahamas – Day 1

Photos from day 1.

Hard to write much on my phone, but this place is amazingly beautiful! The weather was overcast today with occasional sun breaks, but the temperature was lovely and hey, it’s the tropics, I have no complaints.

There’s definitely a third-world feel here but it has charm. Locals seem friendly enough although we’re definitely visitors here (at least that’s how it feels). We were all pretty wiped out so we didn’t do much scouting today (that’s on tomorrow’s schedule). After a long, post lunch nap I awoke and went to dinner with the crew (Sara wasn’t up to eating again so soon, but I was). We ate in the harbor and the food was as good as the views and the beautiful evening light.

I’m writing this as we wind down, laying in the hammock outside our building (the 2-story white building in the photos). For some reason I can’t add captions on my iPhone app so I’ll have to add them later, but the photos start in Miami as we’re waiting for the shuttle to take us to the puddle jumper to Eluethera (we took the redeye out of Seattle and didn’t get much sleep).

Enjoy! More to come…wish you were here 🙂
-C

A view out the bus while we wait to be taken to the plane for Eleuthera.

It was freezing in the bus, resulting in the condensation on the windows.

Do we look tired yet?

Sara getting ready to board the plane.

Our fellow Bahama-bound travelers.

Me, boarding…

Not sure what islands these are, but it was beautiful and exciting to think what awaited us.

A slow shutter and a fast-spinning prop make for a warped photographed, but pretty cool.

The endless ocean below.

Penny for your thoughts?

A portrait of the mundane (or unexpected). You never know what you’ll get until you try…

North Eleuthera International Airport, right before the big guy with dark shades told us ‘no photos!’. Apparently they take their security risk seriously here in the Bahamas…

The boat that took us to Harbor Island from ‘The Land’ (local name for Eleuthera, which is also known as the “island of Freedom”).

Our arrival to Harbor Island…not what I had expected…

Looking left from the dock.

Landed. It’s hot, but never too hot for a quick photo amidst the greetings and culture shock.

Most travel by foot or by golf cart. In my case, I was on the back of the golf cart as we headed for Hibiscus Hill, the residence and estate of India Hicks and her partner David Flint Wood, known for their inspirational island interiors and good taste, which we found to be true and impressive.

The palm grove right outside the Guest House at Hibiscus Hill. Perfect palm trees, with a hammock perfectly shaded.

The Guest House. I could live here, but would need more income to afford it. That’s Sara and our producer Susan walking ahead of me.

The lower porch as we were heading inside. The contrast of the white against the greenery was, well, perfectly tasteful.

The decor was beautifully simple (the chest these are on was wrapped with old maps and glazed over).

Tortoise shells on the walls as decor are petty common here. They’re beautiful, but it’s sad knowing a living creature gave it’s life for this ‘art’. In the Bahamas they’re considered a delicacy, but as endangered creatures it shouldn’t be legal.

Correspondance desk with personal treasures, photos and other cool knick-knacks…OK, so I’m not a writer equipped with language skills to describe what a cool place this is!

Living room/space wall, upstairs (2 couches facing each other, both with walls of photos, prints and other artwork.

Island Colonial with a dash of Africa…seriously, I want to live here!

Our bedroom (king bed) for the first night. Given the circumstances of the shoot, we ended up moving the next day to Coral Sands resort, but at least we got one night at Hibiscus Hill. Hopefully it was enough to ‘rub off’ on us!

Sara. In Heaven. Check that one off the bucket list (too bad she didn’t get to meet India!).

The upper deck sitting area (mirrored on each side of the French doors leading out).

Looking down on the hammock and perfect palms.

Just another angle…one I would shoot several times while there during the shoot.

Lunch at Pink Sands restaurant overlooking the beach.

Loved it so much I had to include another shot.

Greg exploring locations while we wait for an ice-cold lemonade. Notice the pink sand? Unique to the Bahamas, it’s amazingly find, beautiful and apparently never-ending (they don’t truck it in here!).

Heading down to the beach after lunch.

Greg.

Heading back up off the beach next door at Coral Sands, our eventual place of residence for the next week.

Beautiful plants that I never could get enough of…

The alo plants are huge…feels like a million years ago.

Sadly, those close to the path get their share of graffiti even here…

Fan palm outside Coral Sands.

Back at Hibiscus Hill…detail of a little triptik.

The road leading to the beach from HH.

Valentines for dinner…a modern group of buildings at the sport fishing docks, predictably period, but still charming.

Views from around the docks. Didn’t really fancy the vibe around the sport boats – too much testosterone for even my likes.

There were a number of overly large fishing boats, costing small fortunes I’m sure (even the NBA ball player Jerry Stackhouse was down here on his boat, although his was a pleasure yacht). Notice, no closeups of the macho guys around the boats 🙂