This winter, I had the pleasure to visit Grenada an island country located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. It is known as the “Island of Spice” because of its production and exportation of nutmeg and mace. The capital is St. George located at the water’s edge with boats of all shapes and sizes engaged in a variety of activities. Although working primarily as a family portrait photographer I had the opportunity to focus my lenses on different subject matter. It’s refreshing to study how the light falls whether it’s a storm coming through, a group of children playing or houses on a hillside.
A Storm Moves in off the Grenadian Island of Carriacou
The view from my hotel, The Flamboyant.
The capital city, St. George with harbor boats and hillside homes.
A Colorful Life in Grenada
String Fishing
My Travel Companions
The Nutmeg Factory in the little town of Gouyave.
Sailing Regatta on the island of Carriacou
The snack shack on Paradise Beach, Carriacou.
Rum from the rum factory. Food at the deli with EC [eastern Caribbean] pricing.
$1 US Dollar : $2.70 EC
Storms, Cruise Ships and Yachts come and go.
I hope you enjoyed the photographs! If you get a chance, go visit Grenada!
The past eight years have been transitional times for the region known as the Hamptons and for the world of photography. The evolution of the photographic medium has changed the way people capture images, share them, and recall memories. The ebb and flow of the economy, (particularly the ebb in this case, with work being scarcer after the crash of 2008…) created an opportunity for Phillip to focus his energy and creativity on a personal photography project about the culture, landscape and the people of the East End of Long Island.
These Hamptons was created at a time when Kodak was shedding its less popular film stocks, and Polaroid was discontinuing many of their products, it gave him one last chance to use many of these products (which initially drew him to the art of photography) for the last time. Varying the cameras, film types and techniques to create the images contribute to the book’s dynamic layout and vast range of imagery. Though the images were only taken a few years ago, many are timeless and nostalgic in nature.
Below are some images which appear in the book.
The surfer at Montauk Point was taken in 2009 when Hurricane Bill was moving its way up the coast. Phillip was standing on the edge of the point when a surfer sat down in front of him to take a break. As he sat looking out at his fellow surfers, Phillip managed to a get a few frames of the surfer sitting nearly motionless, which was important for such a long exposure (about 30 seconds.)
The Lobster Roll (aka, LUNCH) is an iconic restaurant in Amagansett where after many years, the sign was re-lit with gleaming white neon. Phillip was driving down route 27 on a misty evening when he saw the intense white glow about a mile ahead. The sign never looked better.
These Hamptons was published on May 28th 2013 and is available at BookHampton or on Amazon.com. If you have never been to The Hamptons and wondered what the buzz is all about or you have been to the Hamptons and love it, this is a beautiful book to own. Read it and come visit and you may see some of the actual locations these photographs were made at.
With spring upon us, my studio in Palm Beach, Florida relocates to The Hamptons in New York for the summer. There are always a few weeks where travel elsewhere is possible. This year my trip started in Los Angeles. It was marked with the special occasion of my older son’s twenty-fifth birthday. He accepted a new job in February 2013 and relocated from Santa Barbara. Less familiar with LA, I was looking forward to seeing his new apartment, where he worked and the neighborhood he lived in.
After a walk up the mountain behind his apartment, our first stop was to The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. I have always wanted to see it. It houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs.
J. Paul Getty Museum
The museum has beautiful gardens. With mountain side viewpoints of Los Angeles, I was able to see in the distance where my son’s new job is, a magnificent modern structure “Downtown”. Wandering around the outside of the building was as interesting as the artwork.
From Los Angeles, Jan, his girlfriend Allie and I traveled to Santa Barbara for the weekend. We took a horse trip high into the mountains in Goleta and could see the ocean from the highest point. We went to a lovely French restaurant off the beaten path for his birthday dinner. Of course the occasion had to be marked with a portrait of Jan and Allie. Sunday we went to the art fair held regularly along Cabrillo Boulevard. Over two hundred artists show their wares.
Jan and Allie
When the weekend was over we returned to Los Angeles. On Monday I spent the day food shopping to make the traditional meatloaf farewell dinner. I flew back to Florida to wrap up business, delivery equestrian portraits to dressage clients and drive north to East Hampton.
Along the way, I came across a mustard field full of horses. With “My kingdom for a horse” as my mantra, I had to stop.
Virginia
The studio in Palm Beach had started in 2000 when I took my champion jumper to the Winter Equestrian Festival to compete. After winning circuit champion in 2007 he is now retired and lives on a beautiful giant farm with endless pastures in Virginia. I stop and see him going to and from Florida. These days, he has found a pasture buddy. They equally torment each other for entertainment. Adam, the dark brown horse, looks strong, feisty and full of himself for a thirty year old. He gets an entire bag of carrots and some apples too!!
Adam
The final leg back to East Hampton I see a tranquil horse in a giant field of wheat. I contemplate times past with a quiet peacefulness and feel thankful for all of my adventures.
The view from my hotel, The Flamboyant.
The capital city, St. George with harbor boats and hillside homes.
A Colorful Life in Grenada
String Fishing
My Travel Companions
The Nutmeg Factory in the little town of Gouyave.
Sailing Regatta on the island of Carriacou
The snack shack on Paradise Beach, Carriacou.
Rum from the rum factory. Food at the deli with EC [eastern Caribbean] pricing.
Storms, Cruise Ships and Yachts come and go.
