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November 17, 2010

Ahh, Season Has Begun!

“Season” – that time of year when snowbirds arrive to take up part-time residency for the winter months and vacationers begin arriving in much greater numbers than they have for months.  Social activities on the is island are becoming more numerous and everyone is full of optimism for the lively months ahead.

One sign of the pending season that we look forward to each year visited just the other day. It’s the Club Med II, back with it’s regular visits to our island. What a beautiful sight to ponder over morning coffee as it glides across the water on it’s way to Cruz Bay. 

This week it’s sails were already down by the time we caught this photo. But maybe it’s saving that for next week. In our hectic schedule this week, we missed even looking to see where it anchored near Cruz Bay when we zipped through town during the day. Yet, luckily we got home just in time to say goodbye.

 

There she was, the Club Med II with her sails up in almost the exact same spot as we saw her earlier that day. This time her sails were up and shipboard floodlights lit three of the five in glorious color. 

As we watched, to our amazement the floodlights changed color and we knew we were in for a treat. We’re sure it’s also a sign of a wonderful season to come.      

So, come back Club Med II – we’ll be looking for you next week! And for the rest of you… happy season to all, and to all a good night.

Until later,

Bob and Karin Schleisnger
Your St. John Photographers

Filed under: General, Photo Essays — Tags: , , — Karin @ 9:28 pm

October 25, 2010

An Island Beauty

We’ve been at Cinnamon Bay, on St. John in the VI National Park,  frequently in the last couple of weeks and the location has never been better. Who can resist having their photo taking with this beautiful backdrop? 

    

We have to admit, Cinnamon Bay always has a very special appeal. Yes even parts of the access were completely underwater, as was the case after the islands were deluged with rains at the beginning ofr the month. 

  

What a natural beauty our own Cinnamon Bay is at any time!  We hope to see you there sometime soon.

Until later,

Bob and Karin Schleisnger
Your St. John Island Photographers

Filed under: General — Tags: , , , — Karin @ 7:20 pm

October 19, 2010

Trunk Bay – Not Just Another Photo

While archiving photos this morning, we came across this one that was worth sharing.  Just the same-o photo of Trunk Bay from the overlook? Maybe, but look a little closer.

There is not one person on the beach, in the water or anywhere else – just navigation markers and bouys. It was a beautiful lush summer morning in August - and this is the Trunk Bay beach of our dreams. 

Okay… maybe it was only a minute or two before we saw a handful of people appear.  But still… it’s a dream come true!  

Until next time,

Bob & Karin Schlesinger
Your St. John Island Photographers

Filed under: General — Karin @ 12:37 pm

October 11, 2010

On St. John – It’s Good to be Back!

Hello everyone!

We’re back from our month-long working vacation, the crazy weeks of non-stop shoots that led up to it, and the fantastic training conference we participated in during our  last week of off-island fun. While we had a fun time traipsing through New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida and Nevada, it’s good to be back on St. John where we belong.

October is Family Portrait Month (really!).  So get your family together and have your picture professionally taken to share with your loved ones.  This is a great time to be thinking about Holiday cards too, so work that photo session!  This month, many local property owners and rental management companies are updating their photos so visitors can find the perfect vacation rental fast. We’re proud to be so involved with this work and love every minute of it.  October weddings are amazing (auspicious 10-01-10 and 10-10-10 dates included) and this year’s crop of high school seniors seem to be getting a head start on their senior shoots, with an October rush in the islands!

This year, we promise to mix things up in our blog. Amazing photos whenever and wherever, tidbits about our islands and our life, and valuable tips to make your island time more perfect.  It’s good to be back where we belong.

We look forward to seeing you all at the beach sometime soon.

Until later,

Bob and Karin Schlesinger
Your St. John island Photographers

July 7, 2010

Photo Monday 7/5/10

Happy Tuesday!

Having Photo Monday on Tuesday may seem weird to some , but hey – we’re on St. John and we celebrated the 4th on the 5th down here this year, so it seems quite normal to us.  This week we’d like to share a few of the many photos we took yesterday in Cruz Bay. It was Parade Day, and the culmination of our annual St. John Festival (our island version of Carnival). 

 

The delightful Gypsies are a perennial delight and always a colorful addition. They got everyone in the crowd on their feet and dancing alongside them as they passed.

Can rain stop a Carnival Parade….?

Not on St. John.

Off and on showers just made parade day cooler for everyone. So what if there was even a deluge at one point? Drink, dance, throw some beads at the crowd and be happy!

 This marked the beginning of Caneel Resort’s floupe. (Parade troupes that have floats are called floupes – really.) Their theme was Guardian Of The Children and they led off with this dragon protecting the castle of St. John…or, is that the new entrance gate at Caneel? No matter. 

The Westin Floupe theme was Birds of Paradise and they even had a caged beauty on their float! Of course there were lots of mocko jumbies too in the parade and one troupe even lined up to create a long tunnel through their legs which they invited carnival goers to walk through. You can see how doable that is by the size of the stilts on this lone jumbie.

The Shaka Zulus Troupe was on St. John in force - looking fierce and spectacular in their traditional garb. Others in the parade were not so fierce looking.

Can you say Princess?  There were also queens and kings, majorettes and steel pans, reggae and salsa, and so much more. It was all very exciting.  

It was a long day, so afterwards we retired to our little cottage above town, sat on our rocking chairs, set our cameras onto tripods and adjusted the automatic timer so it could take pictures for you while we took a rest and enjoyed fireworks like eveyrone else. Not bad for a mile away!   

 

Until next week,

Bob and Karin Schlesinger
Your Island Photographers

p.s. – Look for many more photos of Festival to be posted on Flickr soon. Just look for “tropicalfocus” and be sure to share with your friends.

Filed under: General, Photo Essays — Tags: , — Karin @ 12:01 am

June 28, 2010

Photo Monday 6/28/10 – On St. John

Happy Monday!

Where did the month fly? If you’ve ever wondered if it’s boring to live on a little island, we can tell you first hand- it’s not! (Sure we like to leave the Rock once in a while, but that’s a different story).  

You know that myth about St. John having no natural water? Well, there are certainly waterfalls galore when it rains like it did last week!

Isn’t it amazing? This waterfall photo wast taken while standing on the North Shore Road just past the Cinnamon Bay Campground turnoff. The water was way too much for the roadway drains to handle. It was worth getting our sneakers in the water to take some rainy afternoon images.  This next photo will give you some perspective on size.�
  

We weren’t the only ones out playing in the drizzle in between photos shoots. The waterfall was huge climing all the way up the mountain.

 Island kids of all ages can find fun almost anywhere, yours truly included.  There were plenty of snorkelers at the island beaches all week long – even in the rain. Why not? Since it only rained some of the time, there was plenty of time for other beach activities.

Everyone seemed to be making sandcastles last week. They were on every beach island-wide.  We could use some of those busy hands in our garden right about now. 

Our plants are loving the early summer weather and growing faster than we can keep them pruned. When rains and clouds pass through, picture postcard perfect days with crystal clear views often follow. We’ve had those too this past week with lots of puffy clouds and sunshine, and you know what that means.

Beautiful sunsets!  

On this particular Saturday evening we were shooting the wedding of Thomas and Phoebe – two St. Johnians (congrats you two lovebirds!) at Gallows Point Resort.  The sky colors changed from hushed muted pinks and mauves to blazing oranges and golds before nightfall was complete.  A

Now that’s what we call a sunset! We feel blessed that we can regularly experience such beauty living here on St. John. 

 Yesterday we were at the new Seashore Allure property in Cruz Bay taking pool shots. Just as we were finishing up, we spied the beginnings of a singularly beautiful sunset from the rooftop spa deck with the promise of many pinks and reds.

  

We headed home, hoping to catch the last of the promised fantastic sunset from home, but as we drove ur our driveway looking west, we realized we were too late.   For some reason, we both looked up to the night sky as we got out of our car and saw this.

It was the last cloud directly overhead - just waiting for us to say goodnight.

Next week we’ll do Photo Monday on Tuesday because St. John Festival’s Parade and Fireworks are on Monday and we plan to PARTY.  We promise to take lots of photos on the 5th for you!

Goodnight for now,

Karin and Bob Schlesinger
Your Island Photographers

June 22, 2010

At Long Last – For Island Brides

We are proud to announce the release of our new wedding’s website – www.vibeachwedding.com  

 If you or someone you know are considering a beach wedding or vow renewal, this site is for you!

Our existing clients will love the easy interface to review their photos,  share images with family and friends, and order prints.

For prospective clients, we’ve made the entire wedding planning process easy.  At www.VIBeachWedding.com see the latest on-line reviews from recent brides, review the diversity of our work portfolio and check the availability calendar for your own special day quickly. Connect with us to book your date. While you’re here, check out our on-line resources to help you with all the planning tasks.  

The on-line reviews are displayed via a link to certified www.weddingwire.com client feedback, so you know you can count on the source.  Our calendar is always up to date – call us and we’ll pencil you in immediately.  

The website includes a brand new blog, titled “Barefoot Romance”, where we share items of particular interest to our brides and their enlightened grooms. There are interviews with  local vendors to demystify planning details and help to sort out the locally available choices too. 

Married couples considering a vow renewal or even an anniversary shoot will love the special section geared just for them!  If you have any suggestions for topics to cover, let us know. Even if you are planning on geting married on Cape Cod or on Myrtle Beach, we hope you will find some useful information in our little blog.

Happy reading, everyone and please… share our links with a friend! We love weddings and hope it shows.

Your Island Wedding Photographers,

Bob and Karin Schlesinger
www.VIBeachWedding.com
www.TropicalFocus.com

 

Filed under: General, Weddings — Tags: , , — Karin @ 8:17 pm

June 15, 2010

Photo Monday 6/14/10

Happy Monday!

 It’s the beginning of another beautiful week here on the island of St. John. The last few days have been so crystal clear, that the views take our breaths away.  It’s doubtful we’ll ever tire of these fantastic vistas.  

This gorgeous panoramic photo shows only a partial view(!) from lovely the lovely White Seagull property perched at the top of Bethany where we were shooting some photos for the vacation rental market. In this photo you can see Hart Bay, Chocolate Hole and Great Cruz Bay with the sprawling Westin Resort.  

While shooting at Pelican’s Perch overlooking the south shore this week, we couldn’t resist this sweet photo with their carved wooden pelican standing watch over a clear Caribbean sea.

We tried to resist taking any flamboyant photos this week, but it was hard. When we saw this early bloomer already shedding its flowers while most trees are still coming into bloom, we lost our willpower.

Still, we limited ourselves to a single big bloom. The blossom-covered acres of trees can just wait for another time. 

After all, the flamboyant trees weren’t the only things blazing this week on St. John. And we do mean that literally!  

We were dazzled by this blazing entertainer at a private party on the south shore one evening. This shot in catches the excitement of the evening and the frenzy of the entertainer’s movements and brings those moments back to us in a flash.  

Evenings were also a time to catch some beautifully tranquil moments, even in bustling downtown Cruz Bay. This was a little test shot we took quickly at the new Grande Bay Resort  just as the moon and the stars were coming out. We’re shooting another unit there later this week.      

   

That last photo was a requested photo from one of our Facebook fans and so is this next one. 

This one was taken right next door at Lavender Hill Estate, which is a perennial favorite for honeymooners and return visitors to the island both. While we didn’t have a chance to take a great photo with the lavender namesake roofline showing (sorry, Brian!), we did take this postcard perfect photo from one of the Lavender Hill units.

 

(Yes, Bob was sitting down as he shot this one.)  Was he exhausted from a tough week or was it the spectacular Lavender Hill Estates view that made him want to sit back to enjoy it? You decide. 

It’s been that kind of crazy week, but you are all worth it! Keep those suggestions for photos coming. We promise to work them in whenever possible.  And, yes – we haven’t forgotten the southeast portion of St. John… ’soon come’ as they say!  

Until next time,

Karin and Bob Schlesinger
Your Island Photographers

Filed under: General — Karin @ 12:35 am

June 7, 2010

Photo Monday 6/7/10

Happy Monday!

This week’s photos are all photos our readers have requested. So, if you have a favorite slice of St. John life you’d like to see pictured here, just -e-mail us and we’ll include it in an upcoming Photo Monday.

First up this week is Caneel Bay. We were asked to capture the Ruins, the Equator Room, Turtle Point,  and the boat dock all in one photo.

Yes – Caneel Bay Resort is a beautiful sight even on a hazy day. Notice how the island has gotten so green lately! 

The flamboyant treese are coming into full bloom and we admit this photo is just a little teaser with more photos to come. But we didn’t want to disappoint those who’ve asked about them recently because Flamboyants are the harbinger of summer here in the islands.

  

Someone pointed out to us that no one ever takes a photo of Maho Bay showing the old building and picnic area. It is rumored that the VI Nationatl Park will be making improvements here in the future, so archive this photo for fond memories.

Yes, you can catch a photo of a mongoose standing still.  They are cute little devils, aren’t they? 

We admit, we almost didn’t include this last photo this week. But, who are we to ignore our fans?  

 

Yes, this is the beautiful villa on St. John where the Housewifes of New York stayed during their recent vacation, taken from a relatively new well-marked overlook on the North Shore Road.  

Hmm… what would you like to see photos of?

Until later,

 Bob and karin Schlesinger
Your Island Photographers

June 4, 2010

Voted Best Photographer on St. John for 2010

Thanks to all of our friends and fans who voted for us in this year’s Virgin Island Daily News Best of the USVI contest.

Because we’re not yet well-known on St. Croix, the fact that we didn’t win the territory-wide accolades after the thousands of votes were counted didn’t surprise us.  (Congratulations to Ashley Armitage for that honor).  

On the other hand… we’re pleased to announce Tropical Focus was voted:

       The Best Photographer
of the Virgin Islands on St. John
                   for 2010

Yes – we just heard the good news this week! 

 As most of you know, the island of St. John is our primary studio and we love it dearly and are only one of  over 20 photographers shooting regularly on the island of St. John. Since our fist ad in the VI Daily news doesn’t even come out until this month, this reader-voted award is  especially sweet.  Wow!     

Our special thanks to everyone who has let us take their photographs this year on the beach, at their resort, villa, in plantation ruins, and at many of our island’s bars and restaurants. Without you, none of this would have been possible. 

We promise to keep earning your vote of confidence every single day and with every single photo we take.

Sincerely,

Bob and Karin Schlesinger
Owners – Tropical Focus Photography

Filed under: General — Tags: , — Karin @ 7:29 pm
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