Tag: bahamas

Wednesday
June 9, 2010

Last full day in the Bahamas, and lots to do. Unlike yesterday we decided to go no further South than Governor’s Harbor and keep mostly to the North. We started the day by heading as far North as we would go to Glass Window Bridge, a narrow strip of rocky land that connects the upper third of the island to the lower two thirds. On the NE side the ocean is a dark blue with large swells crashing against the cliffs, but on the other side it’s a calm, electric aqua/teal bay (or something resembling a bay). The contrast is nothing short of breathtaking. The road through there has been torn up (washed away?) and rebuilt so many times it’s something of a slow rolling drive, with one point so narrow only one car can pass at a time. Needless to say we jumped out cameras a blazing.

Our next stop was a couple of hundred hards to the South at a turnout in the road that Heather & Susan had told us about, which allowed us to hike over to the cliffs, cave and tide pools on the NE side. With the storm clouds brewing in the distance, the dark blue water and big swells crashing against the rock we were mesmerized. As I climbed down to one of the large pools near the cave a large, rogue wave came in and broke so hard and high it almost washed me into one of the tide pools and who knows where else. Luckily I saw it first and both braced myself for it and held my camera high enough that it didn’t get wet (Sara got some photos of it below). Still, it was a really cool spot and I’m glad we stopped and made the effort to hike over to the cliffs and tide pools.

From there we headed back South exploring the beaches along the way including Moon Flower Bay (one of our favorites), Hidden Beach and the beach at Cocodimamas. As you drive down the little dirt road into Moon Flower Bay from the main road you pass numerous partially completed homes, mostly just frames with a roof. A little eery and yet beautiful in their own way. I don’t know what it is about the wood down here, but even the worn, weathered 2X4s used in the frames were beautiful barren of their wall coverings (don’t know if they use plaster board or something else down here). Once you get to the bay on the left side up on the cliff is a big home that’s actually completed (almost startling considering all the homes we passed that weren’t). If I’m not mistaken the home belongs to Lenny Cravitz who’s from Eleuthera.

Throughout the day we stopped at various road side points of interest whether settlements, piers or just random spots we just had to stop and photograph (it’s what we do!). There was so much to see and photograph that we ended up neither swimming or snorkeling during the day, just taking photos, even after we got back to Squire Estates. In the end it didn’t matter, it was a great day full of great memories & experiences that more than made up for yesterday, and made us both grateful we stayed here rather than back on Harbor Island.

The grain elevators that dot the road in the middle of nowhere as you head South from Glass Bridge.

The way we leaped out of the car and hurried off the side of the road with our cameras firing you would have thought we were marines practicing a pursuit of the enemy…

The Glass Window Bridge. On one side, the deep, dark blue ocean; on the other, calm, brilliant turquoise waters, separated by twisting, rocky, rutted road that has been rebuilt numerous times.

Just beyond the bridge is a turnout where you can park and hike down to the tide pools and caves on the west side. Looking up the coast on the hike over…

Looking north.

In for a closer look.

The rocky terrain…volcanic I think…

The large cave dug into the cliff side.

From Sara’s POV…see the large wave that almost took me out? Yeah, me too, just not soon enough to get out of the way…

At least I kept the camera dry!

This is what I came to look at…crystal clear waters.

One more look back up the coast (or is it down?).

A small settlement along the way…and eventual location where Sara got 2 of her conch shells.

Look ma, right-hand driving!

Moon Flower Bay —

One of numerous unfinished beach homes dotting the road in.

Clearly someone knew what they were doing when they tried to develop this – the most beautiful bay we came across on our trip. Sara got the jump on me and was the first one to the water…

Our trusty steed…er, old gray mare.

Didn’t have much time as lunch was pressing, so it was off to the next beach…Hidden Beach.

A cool little boat we saw as we were heading to Cocodimamas for lunch.

Cocodimamas. Another late lunch but an awesome one, and yet another lost opportunity to go for a swim afterwards (the brewing storm was a little intimidating – at one point a little funnel cloud could be seen trying to drop down on the other side of the bay)…

In addition to a restaurant there are several bungalows and ‘condos’ that you can rent. This was one of the places we considered and if we ever come back here I think we’ll stay here. A great beach, cool vibe and delicious food…what more could you ask for?

Just off shore was this cool little boat tide up. I didn’t get many shots with my iphone, but I did with the 50D.

This beach had a ton of shells on it, many of which still had little critters in them. This one was just under the water about a foot (the water is so clear it would have almost looked the same under 3 feet of water).

Hard to see, but this was my shadow…

Looking back at Cocodimamas from the little blue boat.

The same boat as earlier in the day (post) on our way back to Buccaneer Hill. This time when we stopped at this pier there were a couple of guys who helped Sara find the best conch shells (when we stopped earlier we were a little apprehensive about just taking the shells since we didn’t know if it was ‘bad form’ or not – these guys put our minds at ease…there are so many shells they really don’t care).

We were so tired after lunch and it was so late we headed back to Squire Estates, grabbed showers, took more photos around the place (that follow) and hung out with our adopted stray.

See? Tired.

The view from the front porch of the larger house.

The house across the street.

Sara found this old bottle under one of the palm trees…must have been over a hundred years old by the look of it. Who knows, maybe it belonged to a pirate or the governor?

Tuesday
June 8, 2010

How time flies! After a great night sleep we grab some shots of the big house next door and a quick breakfast of Trader Joe’s instant oatmeal (or was it Costco’s?), then it was off for our first day of exploring Eleuthera with high hopes. Our first stop was Lighthouse Point at the most southern point of the island, or at least that was the plan. The road signs on the way down were all pretty much hand-painted, and the further south we drove the fewer there were. When we reached what looked like the end of the main road there were several dirt roads to choose from and no signs so after we took one that led nowhere fast we stopped and asked for directions. It didn’t take long before we both knew we might have to change plans for the day. The dirt road quickly deteriorated into something requiring at least better tires and more ground clearance than what we had and possibly 4WD (we turned around at a steep hill after about 45 agonizingly slow minutes of crawling along). At one point a Toyota Forerunner passed us encouraging us to continue (and suggesting that if we ran into problems they were at least in the area and could offer help/assistance), but given our lack of clearance and confidence in our car (not to mention our bald front tires), and the fact we were miles from anywhere without a phone or other means to call for help if we flatted or punctured the oil pan we decided to bail on this one. Too bad, everyone that has been there says it’s spectacular, but it will have to wait for another day.

As we headed back north to a spot we had read about for lunch and snorkeling some locals beckoned us to stop at this tower on a hill with a 360 degree view of the area, which we did. It was worth the 20 minute delay but at this point it was getting later in the afternoon and we still hadn’t eaten lunch (starting to feel like yesterday!). Without much of a map and only a few directions or road signs we per chance happened upon the place we were looking for, and although it was late in the day our host Ruby obliged us with a delicious home-cooked meal (her home is the ‘beach’ restaurant/bar on the bluff overlooking the ocean). Again the atmosphere was very authentically Eleutheran (kitschy and, well, cheap, weathered and old) but the food was great and we had some conversational company this time (some guy on a business trip studying the area for an eco-resort).

Instead of snorkeling there which we should have done after lunch, we went in search of this other place which turned out to be a big inland water hole, presumably fed by the ocean, but it just didn’t look very appealing and frankly we were both tired and a little frustrated so we headed back towards Governor’s Harbor and nearby Pineapple Fields where we had originally booked our stay in hopes of a good beach and swim until dinner. Turns out the beach was narrower than expected but beautiful and the water cool, plus we had the place to ourselves so we just swam and hung out until dinner at Tippy’s located at the end of the beach/bay. Several people had recommended the place – the people were warm and friendly and the food was excellent but the best part was the view and proximity to the ocean.

It was a good day all in all but more of an adventure than we had hoped, and frankly a little disappointing since we didn’t see Lighthouse Point or go snorkeling. Still, beats being back home in Seattle…

Some shots of the big house. Pretty cool table although when I bumped it I thought it was going to roll away…

Nice kitchen…something we didn’t have in our unit (it wasn’t that ours wasn’t, we just didn’t have one).

Even the ceilings were stylish.

The walkway from the front porch to the street.

Once that was out of our system we hit the road. First stop, an old sign on the side of the road.

In case you were wondering, ‘the road’…

The only shot we (Sara) got of our efforts to drive the dirt road to Lighthouse Point…doesn’t look too bad in the photo but trust me, in our little Toyota it was treacherous to say the least. OK, is ‘tenuous’ any better? Whatever, it was intense…

Since we didn’t make it to Lighthouse Point I didn’t take any other shots until we stopped at the tower. This is the old ruin at the top of the hill/base of the tower. The shots that follow are from or around the tower.

Rubies for lunch. Cute, but not what you call 5 star (not that we were looking for 5 star mind you).

The bar…not hopping at this time of day although there were 7 other people at the place while we were.

Outdoor dining area.

The view.

Back on the road and a stop at a beach-side ruin.

One of the beaches we stopped at looking for a place to snorkel…didn’t find it here, but was still pretty.

Some shots from the town/settlement of Tarpum Bay. Some of the buildings like this look like they were around when pirates roamed these parts…probably were.

Our last stop of the day – the beach across the street from Pineapple Fields where Tippy’s is located.

You know me, can’t resist a closeup of something interesting, even if it’s the sand after the waves wash back into the ocean.

Like I said, narrow beach. Probably wider at low tide as there’s a considerable drop off in the sand where the waves were crashing.

Don’t know where this trail lead to but it was intriguing…

While I explored Sara decompressed from the adventure of the day.

Heading up the beach for my towel and swim trunks. Enough photos, time to swim…

A view of Tippy’s on the way back to the car. They assured me that know one had ever been bitten by a shark here.

Sara hadn’t moved while I was away and with some assurances that sharks this late in the day weren’t an issue she joined me in the water (I think she figured if they hadn’t gotten me yet she was safe, or at least if they did they’d go for the bigger meal first). Either way the water was beautiful.

Waiting for our ‘reservations’ time before dinner outside on Tippy’s deck as are the detail shots that follow. Lovely and charming…seriously, why would this be such a bad place to live?

Close up of the table where Sara was sitting…authentic wouldn’t you say? Nothing phony around here.

Old mine or old buoy outside the patio deck.

The view. See what I mean?

Yet another stray we wanted to take home. Bahamian dogs are the only dogs known to look both ways before crossing the street (no lie). This one was looking for some handouts but was also running along the beach and playing/swimming in the ocean…either having fun or trying to rid himself of flees.

Yup, I was actually there.

Finally we’re hungry enough for dinner…Sara contemplating which conch dishes to order (she got 2). Me? I ordered the chicken…still not confident I can eat seafood without a reaction.

The waiters haul this large menu board around from table to table, but it’s charming.

The smaller version for drinks or regular menu items (I think the larger one was for specials or limited offerings).

I did mention that even the ceilings are charming…and I mean just about every place we went the ceilings were beautiful, stylish or charming. Maybe it’s because none of them are dry wall…

Cleaver door handles.

A look through the screen doors…the only thing between us and the ‘noseeums’.

I kept running back out to the deck to photograph the sunset at least until I finally started embarrassing Sara. I couldn’t help myself, what can I say?

We went home full and satisfied after the long day. Life in Paradise for at least another day ahead…

Monday
June 7, 2010

Last day on Harbor Island. Only a few of us are sticking around the islands for some extra time after the shoot. Sara and I start the day by heading back to the tree for some high tide shots then over to the Guest House & HH to say good bye, get one last look at India HIcks’ place then take Greg with us for a quick look during the day at Ocean View…it doesn’t disappoint, although Greg is in such a hurry that we don’t get much time there which is a bummer. What a cool place it is – someday I’d love to come back and stay there for a few days (or live for a bit ;).

Once back at the hotel we grab some last shots of the beach and resort making sure we didn’t miss anything, then head out for a final run around town and one more stop at the tree (it was the first day of little white puffy clouds floating on the horizon, so of course we had to try one last time for the perfect shot with such perfect little clouds). Along the way we stop at Princess Street Gallery, which Greg had suggested days ago and it turns out to be amazing. Unfortunately we had all our gear and luggage on the back of the golf cart so we had to take turns quickly going through while the other stayed outside…I wish we had more time here and could have walked through together! I found an artist I really like: Stephen Scott Young. His watercolors are stunning and look like well-done photographs. I think he’s American but his wife is Bahamian so many of his subjects are locals down here. Inspirational to say the least.

We were supposed to meet the producers (Susan, Heather, Denard & Jodi) at the dock for the trip back to Eleuthera (Denard had arranged our car rental there for the rest of the trip), but when we got to the docks no one from our group was there. We finally asked one of the dock hands to call Denard and found out no one was coming down to meet or see us off, so he quickly put us on a boat to Eleuthera, told us ‘Fine Threads’ would pick us up on the other side and take us to the airport where ‘Sans’ would get us a car…needless to say it was hurried, a little stressful and confusing, but it worked out just fine – Fine Threads picked us up (he’s a good dresser for a cab driver), and he found our car guy at the airport. Turns out there aren’t any nice, new cars for rent or car rental agencies, just people who rent their ‘weathered’ vehicles. We handed a guy $210 bucks and he gave us the keys to a little 4-door Toyota with bald tires, that ‘smoker’s car’ smell, less than a quarter tank of gas and the steering wheel on the right side (they drive on the opposite side of the road as this was a British colony at one point). It all happened so fast that before we knew it we were heading down the road looking for a gas station and wondering how much of an adventure this was really going to be. It occurred to me about an hour down the Island that I didn’t know how to get a hold of the car guy if something went wrong with the car. In fact, I didn’t know who I would get a hold of or what to do if the car broke down…so I did what any guy would do – hoped for the best and tried to keep my worries to myself 🙂

Eleuthera is very different than Harbor Island even though they are so close to each other. For starters, Eleuthera is a lot bigger yet less developed and affluent. It’s about 100 miles long and about a mile wide at it’s thickest point. There are 3 airports on the island (we flew in & out of the northern one) and we were staying at Governor’s Harbor, about the midway point on the island. It took us about an hour and a half to get there and I found driving on the other side to be less challenging than I thought it would be. It was an interesting drive down…some beautiful sections (the Window Bridge was amazing), and some not-so-beautiful sections – there are less palm trees and less flowers as it were. It’s definitely tropical, but feels more arid than lush if that makes sense. The population as a whole is fairly poor or low income and traffic on the road (there is only one main road down the island) is pretty sparse, making the idea of a breakdown more worrisome. We picked up the car just before 2 so by the time we got to Governor’s Harbor and checked in to our place (more on that in a minute), there wasn’t much open for lunch and we were hot, tired and starving. Luckily we found a pizzaria that was more than willing to cook us up a pizza which we ate by ourselves in their unairconditioned seating area, but at least we weren’t hungry any more and the pizza was great. We (I?) were a little worried about our cash situation, wondering if we had enough. We were told that most places/businesses only accept cash here on the island and things weren’t cheap. It turned out to be a non-issue, but for that first day or so I was a little too preoccupied with coming up with a backup plan if needed (what, me worry?!).

The place we reserved for our stay is part of Squire Estates, a collection of buildings on 2 different plots of land on top of Buccaneer Hill in Governor’s Harbor, the oldest settlement in the Bahamas and originally the capital. Turns out that Buccaneer Hill had the most affluence and nice homes that we saw on the island and the view from our place was awesome. Squire Estate had been renovated quite nicely fairly recently, and while we stayed in one of the smaller buildings our key fit the big house on our property that offered us internet, phone and access into the home for photos (what else?). No one else was staying at the property while we were there so we had it to ourselves. The grounds are beautiful and immaculate, and for a couple of days we had a stray or someone’s lost dog keep us company (the left overs we fed him kept him loyal as long as we kept it coming). Strays are either attracted to us or us to them, and we started feeling for this dog the way we do about Chewy in Mexico. At least this one wasn’t around when we left so we can only hope he went home or his owners returned.

After our late lunch we came back to our place and crashed for a couple of hours. Since we had eaten so late for dinner we just ate the rest of our pizza in our place and relaxed for the rest of the evening hoping to rejuvenate ourselves for the next day.

Some photos from the day, most if not all from my phone (I might sprinkle in some from our big cameras if I get the time later)…

The tree.

A close up.

Part II about 3 hours later with more clouds a the tide receding. Didn’t get any of Ocean View with my phone I guess…will try to add some later…

Some last looks around the beach when we got back to Coral Sands.

One of Sara’s famous self-portraits of us on the beach.

Beach chair anyone?

The beach hand. Tough job but someone has to do it.

The water in it’s full glory when there’s a bright, blue sky overhead.

Sara heading back up from the beach.

A bit late for this (or early depending on you POV).

The pool area where I usually catch sunrise (breakfast was served in the restaurant overlooking it).

The restaurant…I guess I just turned the other way and took this after the pool.

The huge, billowing clouds overhead. Love ’em!

A shot down the street while waiting for Sara to make her way around the Princess Gallery on our ride about town before heading to the dock for the ferry back to Eleuthera.

Some shots of the Gallery where one is greeted by a wall of large clocks.

Watercolor by Stephen Scott Young. I thought it was a beautiful photograph at first…

Large B&W print.

Love this fish print and the framing/matte. This was for Sara.

Last grab with my phone before leaving the island…gotta love their little license plates.

Sara on the boat ride over. She looks relaxed but I’m feeling a bit stressed and hurried.

And here I thought I snuck a shot without him noticing…or maybe he was just checking out my phone…

Looking back to Harbor Island. Hope we get back someday…

A quick shot from the car when I pulled over for Sara to get a shot of the water on our way down Eleuthera to Governor’s Harbor.

Our new digs at Squire Estate for the next 4 days. Small but it’s got charm and style.

Even the bathroom is noteworthy…if you’re into that sort of thing 😉

Sara doing a quick rundown on our lunch options.

Not a very good shot of where we ate lunch but it was dark inside since I think they were closed so they never turned on the lights. It gets across the point I guess…not much in terms of ambiance unless you’re a local in which case it probably feels about right (authentically Eleutheran). Our host did her best to help us feel welcome in ‘Paradise’ but she also had ‘Divorce Court’ on TV with the volume up so our lunch was a bit, uh, down market (if you know what I mean) except the food which was great and did the job.

Sunday
June 6, 2010

Last day of the shoot, and it’s starting to feel that way. We’re down to 2 models today and a flurry of shooting until after sundown. We started again at our beach and then around Coral Sands, then off to the Guest House for the afternoon/evening.

During the break Sara and I jumped in a cart and headed off for ‘the tree’. Oddly, it’s the first time the entire trip that either of us have driven a golf cart (we’re usually just passengers). It’s quite liberating and a flood of memories come to mind as I jump on the gas, from the feelings of driving when I turned 16 to the many times out on the golf course when I was younger (I haven’t golfed much in years!).

The tree is just outside of town in a shallow bay, and by the time we got to there it was low tide and there wasn’t any water around it so we took a bunch of photos and made a plan to come back early in the morning just after high tide. The tree has lost a few branches since it was photographed with India sitting in it (from her book), but it’s still quite striking visually. Needless to say Sara and I took a lot of pictures (dueling cameras!). Instead of just heading home we decided to drive around town and take some pictures so off we went.

As is customary we had a ‘wrap dinner’ with the entire crew (last day of the shoot). This one was at a place called Ocean View, which is a property on the beach with several buildings on it that are used for living (the owners), vacation rentals and events (weddings, parties, etc.). Each building is unique as are most of the items inside the main building where we had dinner. Some of us were late getting there since the last shot took so long so by the time we got there it was dark and we couldn’t see much beyond the interior, but the food was amazing and it was a nice way to end the shoot. Needless to say Sara, Greg and I went back on Monday to see the rest of the place during daylight – it was as great as the food!

There’s a lot of photos in this entry but it was our last full day here on Harbor Island so we just let ‘er rip.
Enjoy.

Kind of goes w/out saying at this point doesn’t it…

I guess this one does too, but when you work so closely with these people for so many days you tend to bond with them…so here they are again. Probably for the last time this trip though.

Loved the weathered wood here in the Bahamas, whether it’s driftwood or the old wood on homes, it just reeks of authenticity…after all, it is which is why I guess I love this place – there isn’t much that isn’t. Back home people pay a lot of money to recapture this feel. Go figure…

The light was just too good to stop shooting…as was this piece of wood.

Clearly I’ve become obsessed with it, as has Greg and the others.

Then back to the lounge chair for some more product shots. I feel like I’m actually getting the hang of this…

Sanchez, one of Dewey’s crew and Susan our producer making their own shade while waiting for the next shot. It was only around 8:00 or so but the heat already starting to rise.

This guy was on the beach with his horses every day, so we figured we’d just include him and his raggedy crew in the shoot.

I guess it was still too early for this guy, he couldn’t stop yawning the entire time.

Kind of wishing I could have joined them…

Once the light got too harsh on the beach we went up to the restaurant overlooking the beach for some covered shots.

Railing detail…

…and a quick look back down to the beach.

One last look back towards the restaurant after we wrapped up and headed back to our room.

My view of the room before heading out for a trip around town and to the tree.

Self explanatory.

King’s Treat. Again.

Her neighbor. Again. The thing is, light changes so if you like something in particular you’re always looking for the best shot of it…

The question isn’t why did the chicken cross the road, it’s how did we never hit one of these things – they’re everywhere. I also think it’s an old wives tale that cocks only crow at sunrise…they never stopped! Then again, I’m pretty certain any time I ordered chicken on the menu it was fresh and not from the freezer section, so revenge was sweet (with a hint of rosemary).

The birds/gulls in the tropics are as varied and interesting as the floral & fawna. Thinking this is a territorial thing, only one per post!

Some more shots around town…

A notable landmark in town (this is just one piece of it). One of the signs asks for money for every photo taken ($1), but we couldn’t find any place to put it…

Belts, shoes, hats…we shoot it all.

A quick grab while hanging out waiting for the last shot was the beginning of several close ups of this hammock. Kind of a fitting obsession before leaving Hibiscus Hill for the last time.

Ocean View | Wrap-up Dinner

Couldn’t get enough of this place it was so unique and charming. All of the photos and artwork on the walls is original work and while it’s eclectic to the nines, it works – it’s very Bahamian, or at least Harbor Island. This particular shot is of the outdoor table with what I assume is hand-engraved details (notice the weathered wood?!).

Saturday
June 5, 2010

Day 3 of shoot – more than half-way finished, at least with the work part of it. Breakfast was at 5:30 with a 6:00 a.m. call time again, but this time we started shooting on the beach at Coral Sands (about a 100′ walk from the main building) and ended up shooting there for the entire morning session. At the beginning of breakfast it was lightly sprinkling but by the time we got down to the beach to start shooting it had stopped and we were greeted with a beautiful, fiery sunrise. The cloud bank that was left from the storm was pretty thick and high giving us almost 3.5 hours of amazing light and the ocean was so calm and glassy that it was…uh, magical. OK, ‘magical’ is a little cheesy so I’ll go with ethereal.

We’re down to 3 models today (Danielle left on a morning flight) but we basically just photographed Julie all morning while Johannes slept on a lounge chair and Chad just hung out – easy money. We were supposed to shoot on the other side of the island at a French couple’s home (I guess they have an amazing infinity pool), but they had a change of plans and said we couldn’t come today. Gotta love the French…or is it the wealthy? Either way, it turned out great since it was so beautiful on the beach.

We wrapped up the morning by around 10 so Greg, Sara and I jumped on a golf cart and scooted around the island getting shots of town, the harbor, boats, people, you name it. It was a little bit of a frantic pace but we got some great shots of a Dunmore town and this time Sara was able to go with us and see a lot of what she hadn’t yet.

For the second half of the day we went back to King’s Treat and shot there and along the waterfront once more where we shot until it was dark. The calm beauty and magical (what, it fits!) light from this morning continued through the evening. Needless to say I took a lot of shots today!

For dinner we were originally going to go our separate ways but instead several of us went back to Aquapazza. In the spirit of the day it was one of the best dinners I can remember eating in recent memory. I don’t know, maybe I was just delirious from the light (and heat?) of the day, but it was one for the books to be sure.

Sunrise just doesn’t get boring no matter how early I’m up. In fact, it takes away the sting of sleep.

About 30 minutes later once we were down on the beach. There wasn’t much wind or chop so the ocean was smooth and glassy for most of the morning. Take into account the cloud bank and amazing light and you have epic (relatively speaking).

Lance found this cool piece of drift wood that we used as a prop for both Julie and for product, and for just some great drift wood shots.

The crew, hard at work.

Dewey’s rules: 1. Never stop shooting. 2. Never stop looking for creative ways to shoot (or something to that effect). Here’s Dewey doing both.

Cool, weathered teak lounge chair…we used this a lot too for a prop (as one might imagine).

…never stop shooting.

One more for good measure.

Did I say one? I meant two…kind of looks like show doesn’t it?! I bear witness the only thing cold on the shoot was the air conditioning and the drinks 🙂

You’d think all I photographed today was chairs…which was mostly true, at least with my phone.

Shots from around town after lunch:

People try to get away with this kind of paint job around Seattle and it just doesn’t work. In the Bahamas on the other hand, it’s perfect.

India Hicks shop near the waterfront. Sadly, it was never open while we were there…

Traffic? Nope, just street parking…the whole idea of traffic here is unimaginable.

You never know if something is really old or really weathered…either way, I photographed it.

Valentine’s Marina. New, but trying to look authentic.

If Bingo was her namo, then she was not a small woman. Then again, could just be the large scoreboard for Sunday Bingo…

Back home for a break before the afternoon shoot.

The second half of the day began at King’s Treat…the front gate.

Someday this will be my studio off the main house…

…and this the outdoor table for tea. Er, lemonade.

The neighbors place as we head back to the waterfront for the final shots of the day.

My favorite building in town.

It’s not a nice boat per se, but it is a nice picture so I took it (they don’t call me ‘trigger finger’ in these parts for nothin!).

As fortune would have it, this was right next to it…a better boat and better picture.

That’s a wrap for today!

Friday
June 4, 2010

Same call time, same models, same location to start the day (white beach house next door to HH). Another beautiful day in Paradise. While the forecast calls for thunderstorms all week there was only a cloud bank on the horizon this morning, otherwise it wasn’t as humid as yesterday and a beautiful day all around.

Again we started on the beach below the white beachhouse and worked our way up to the house until around 11:00. Greg and I shot more product albeit the morning seemed a little more relaxed than yesterday. Once we hit the break I grabbed a short swim before lunch, then Sara and I went for a longer swim afterwards although I must have stayed out too long w/out sunscreen between the 2 swims because I was sunburned by the end of the day. Not too badly but enough to make the next couple of days uncomfortable wearing the camera bag on my shoulder. All I can say is temptation got the best of me 🙂

For the second half of the day we shot over at the Guest House wrapping up with a bonfire shot on the beach. While we were waiting for the crew to get set up there was a huge cloud gathering above us towering what must have been thousands of feet high. It was one of the big clouds that always seem to be floating on the horizon but this time it was above us, and it just kept ballooning bigger and bigger as we watched. After about 20 minutes of getting the fire going I looked up and the massive cloud had all but disappeared. I had no idea that happened to those big clouds, we were all expecting a heavy rain but instead it was a beautiful evening. Go figure…

For dinner some locals fixed a great barbecue for us at the Guest House then off to Coral Sands. It’s feeling a little like ground hog day but still, I’m really starting to enjoy this place…

-C

Sunrise from the deck of the beachhouse. I could get use to this!

Sunrise just keeps getting better as the morning passes by (shot down on the beach).

The cloud bank on the horizon gave us more time than usual to shoot with diffused light before it got too intense, which happened pretty quickly once it came up over clouds.

What else but the beach one more time?! Surprisingly it’s hard to get a perfect beach shot.

With this kind of natural light you don’t need much more than a camera, model and fill card. Dewey photographing Chad in a turtleneck and shorts for an image that will used for advertising the new Laguna Beach store in Southern California this Fall. I have to hand it to these models, they wore some pretty heavy ‘Fall’ clothing in some pretty oppressive heat without much complaint.

Sweeping view of the beach from the deck. As the sun moves overhead and back towards the western side of the island, the water on this side continues to get more intense in color.

Danielle heading down the stairs for her next shot.

Couldn’t resist a closeup of the beach once the sun was overhead.

From this point of view the beachhouse actually looks a little foreboding. On this side of the island the homes are fairly spread out giving each just enough space for breathing room and privacy.

Detail of the beachhouse, upstairs family room.

The main residence of India Hicks and David Flint Wood. I don’t know why but I really liked this POV and shot it several times.

Shooting through the plant from the foreground of the previous shot but noticed that this plant was amazing!

This is the lone set of flowers at the top of the plant (from above). They look a little like Plumeria but w/out the dark red center, but I’m not sure what flower it is. One thing I do know is that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more perfect flower on a living plant than these – they were perfect! In fact, they looked like they were hand-made of porcelain they were so beautifully perfect. Come to think of it, the leaves didn’t have any blemishes on them either…

Couldn’t resist another shot of the upstairs deck sitting area at sunset.

2-part shot of the ominous cloud that arose and blossomed above us…

…and another off in the distance above the beach house. I love the clouds in the tropics where they can be seen in their fullest glory.

Once they disappeared this is what was left for sunset…

…which made for a nice little bonfire shot (albeit once the palm fronds quickly flamed out it took another 20 minutes of gasoline and stoking the fire before it got good and big).

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.