inspired photography with just enough perspective
Last autumn I was here on a ship leaving out of St John’s Antigua at the end of a typical day. As it’s now February that seems lifetimes ago. We arrived early in the morning and saw everyone headed in to work including the president in his limo. That’s the thing about foreign lands, even the most mundane things like going to work seems kind of interesting. I wonder why that is? Maybe if someone from Antigua saw me in Florida headed to work and wrote about it, …never-mind, it’ll never happen.
On the last day of our journey aboard the Jewel of the Seas I got up before sunrise to capture a few pictures around the ship. This is the top deck and running track which overlooks the pool area. In a couple of hours this would be full of folks catching some rays or enjoying water volleyball. But in the tranquility of the morning the sun rose behind a layer of clouds and cast these rays that I was lucky enough to capture. The cruise season is in full swing now and I suspect the economies of many Caribbean ports of call are doing quite well right about now.
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A couple of months ago I was in Antigua and longed for an authentic meal. It just so happened that the wife of our taxi driver had a stall in this market. When we found it she invited us inside out of the afternoon sun to serve us at her table table. Despite the humble surroundings her kitchen was spotless and the food was full of flavor, my favorite was the salt fish. Yet the most authentic part of the meal was her warm hospitality, for that brief time she made us feel like family. Apparently she was in accounting at the banana factory before it shut down, now she runs the food stall temporarily until things improve. After that wonderful meal and conversation we walked through the market where I captured this scene.
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was in Saint Lucia recently and traveled up a mountain to a rainforest. I stopped at a shop along the way for some refreshments and then walked up a little path behind the food stand where I captured this stream in and amongst the lush vegetation. The rainforest are a source of water for the residents of the island and I found it a nice place to sit in the shade to escape the heat. We could use a rainforest or two near my home of Florida, but until that happens we’ll continue to use tiki bars for shade and refreshment.
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In October I arrived by ship at this port in Bridgetown Barbados. The sugar elevators used to play a major role in the economy but are little used now due to the world market. However in it’s place tourism has taken hold and as most people know, Barbados has the most friendly people anywhere in the Caribbean and perhaps the most beautiful beaches. I was intrigued by these towering elevators which represent the old economy as they silhouette the tug in the foreground. This tugboat is used to guide large cruise ships into port which deposit the new economy (tourist) to the island. Either way, it’s an island that relies on the sea and is undergoing transition and I, for one, can’t wait to go back.
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In addition to photography I’ve worked in IT for quite a while. That takes me into a lot of big buildings and, a lot of elevators. This is a wild guess but I’d imagine I’ve taken about one hundred thousand elevator rides in my career. What’s a guy to do when the vending machines are four floors down, but I digress. Not one of those rides prepared me for the elevator on a cruise ship called The Jewel of the Seas, which as you can see, rises above the ocean. In fact there are two banks of elevators midship, one that faces out and one that faces in. I found myself waiting for an elevator facing out just so that I could see the ocean as I ascended. On the final day of my trip I snapped this at around sunset. Then, put my camera away and headed for the buffet.
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In Saint Joseph Parish in Barbados is Bathsheba Park and along the beach are these rocks eroded by the waves at the bottom. Water is one of the most powerful forces on the planet yet you can put your hand in it, swim in the warm waters of the tropics, take a shower, and it all seems so harmless. I think it’s one of those things that’s hard to fathom until you experience it’s force first hand. Reminds me of Niagara Falls, until you see it for yourself you really can’t imagine. But back to Barbados, the waters here seemed perfectly harmless, warm and inviting and the only force I was feeling was urge to take a nap in the shade.
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Not too long ago I found myself leaving out of a port on a ship. This is my impression from the back of the ship with the lights of Barbados in the distance and the full moon as it reflected on the ocean. Life should be like this, and from time to time it is. Moments like this are few and fleeting and I like to think that if I can capture the essence of a moment with an image, then I can go back to it from time to time.
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