Bluebird's Castle Photo Spots

St. Thomas In-Focus
Photo Ops Bluebird's Castle

In our previous article, 4 St. Thomas Photo Stops, we spoke about turning a familiar destination, St. Thomas, into a new adventure via photography.  There were four locations we visited during an organized mini photography tour.  

Objective

The goal of this photography exercise is to capture each of the destinations in a unique way.   You may have seen other images of the destination, in the past.  What makes your image something interesting to the reader?   How does the image enhance your visit?

Bluebird's Main Building

When arriving at your destination, begin the hunt for subjects to add to your portfolio of Bluebird's images.  Castles make very interesting photos, so this is probably the first subject matter you'll start with.  In our previous article, we included a photo showing the castle.   Here is another image, but this time we zoomed in and framed the castle with a tree and some flowers making it more appealing.   You'll want to experiment with several different angles, focal lengths, different parts of the building, etc. to completely document the subject.

Surrounding Area

Bluebeard's Castle has a colorful history  dating back to the 17th century.  The town was fearful for its safety, so this castle was fortified with several cannons which are still present today.

The castle was built on the side of a mountain with a clear view of the surrounding landscape.  This makes the current resort the perfect location for panoramic views of St. Thomas.

Imagine you are at the castle back in the early days, by gazing at the town from the vantage point of one of the cannons, as we have done in this image.

Look Closely for Unique Images

These local inhabitants have one of the best views at the castle overlooking the bay.  They blend in with the tree, so they are also protected from any foe. 
 
To bring home unique images, you will want to use macro photography techniques to zero in on a subset of the world around you.  These iguanas and flowers make the perfect subjects for your photography.  You should have several different focal lengths, including telephoto.

 Click on any of these images
 to see larger versions




Arches, Framing & Vantage Points

These two images were captured in the same doorway at the castle, but the vantage point changed.  In the first image, we are looking into the gardens while in the second we are looking out at the sea.   Archways make interesting additions to your photos, so be on the lookout for opportunities to include them in your portfolio.

Which image do you like better?  Which one is more likely to be unique?

Photography Helps You "See" the World

It's always fun to look at two sets of vacations images, made by two different photographers.  We suspect there will be some common images, and those would be the same images you'd find in a travel magazine featuring popular attractions.   It is the differences that help you "see" the destination in an entirely different light.

These are only a few images we captured at Bluebeard's Castle in St. Thomas.   Keep in mind that there isn't "right or wrong" when it comes to photography.  There are "better or worse" images, mainly due to some common errors, such as hand-holding a camera in low light conditions.  Sometimes errors can make interesting images.

We've enjoyed putting this collection of images together to demonstrate how you can take a familiar destination and rekindle the fire you felt the first time you visited.   We'd welcome your feedback.

Meanwhile, you can Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.