We flew into Anguilla on a Saturday afternoon, so Sunday was our first full day on the island. We hit the beach early, and were just starting to think about lunch when we heard the music start up at the Sunshine Shack, just down the beach from our resort, Aurora Anguilla. We grabbed our things and walked down the beach, ready for a great afternoon. Omari Banks was doing an acoustic show that afternoon, and he was joined by his father, Bankie Banx. The highlight was hearing Bankie and Garvey sing “Busted in Barbados.” I can think of no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
This was our 7th trip to Anguilla, and our third stay at what was known as the CuisinArt Resort, now Aurora Anguilla. For more on our stay at Aurora Anguilla, see the full post on our Caribbean travel site, My Irie Time, with loads more pictures and details. Here are a few of the film images from around the resort and along the beach.
Since joining the North American Travel Journalism Association in 2016, I have looked forward to the announcement of the winners in its annual awards competition for excellence in travel journalism. Each year, the competition honors the best in travel journalism, photography and destination marketing in the industry. I was thrilled to learn that I had received honors in three categories when the winners in the 29th annual competition were announced today.
I received an Honorable Mention in the category of “Photography – Landscape, Seascape, Nature” with my image, “Meads Bay Moonset,” from our 2020 trip to Anguilla:
I received a Bronze Award in the category of “Photography – Portrait, People” with my image, “London Gentleman,” from our 2019 trip to London:
And I’m so excited to announce that I was selected as a Gold Award winner in the category of “Photography – Cultural” with my image, “Everything is Relative” from our 2019 trip to London:
With a Gold Award comes a bonus destination prize! Last year, I was awarded a two-night stay at The Confidante, Miami Beach, which will be the start of our road trip from Miami Beach to Key West, coming soon to Film Road Trip and My Irie Time!
I am honored to have been recognized each year in the awards competition since joining NATJA in 2016:
2020 began with our sixth trip to our favorite Caribbean island, Anguilla. Although I spent the majority of the time relaxing at the beach or pool, I managed to find some time to shoot my Mamiya 6 with the Mamiya 50mm f/4 lens, and the Canon 1v with a variety of lenses. I was able to shoot both Ektar 100 and Velvia 100 in my Canon 1v on a long beach walk, and you can see the comparison of those two film stocks in this post. Enjoy a few of our images from this trip, and for more images from the trip, both film and digital, take a look around our Caribbean travel site, My Irie Time!
Today the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) announced the winners of its 28th Annual Awards Competition, and I am thrilled to share with you that I was awarded Gold in the category of Photography: Featured Photo, Illustration for this image from my article, “The Heart of Anguilla.” This image was shot on my Canon EOS 1v, on Fuji Provia RDP III.
I am humbled to be recognized among so many respected professionals in the travel industry. You can read the full press release here, and please browse the wonderful work of the award winners in all the categories.
Founded in 1991, NATJA is a travel journalism industry leader that fosters high quality journalism by supporting the professional development of its members, providing exceptional program benefits and valuable resources, honoring the excellence of journalism throughout the world, and promoting travel and leisure to the general public. NATJA also publishes TravelWorld International Magazine. For more information about NATJA, visit www.natja.org.
I have been honored to be recognized each year in the awards competition since joining NATJA in 2016. My award winners were shot on film or featured a mix of film and digital images.
GOLD – Photography: Featured Photo, Illustration – Online Publication: “The Heart of Anguilla”(Canon EOS 1v, Fuji Provia RDP III)
A lot of people would not bother to travel with film anymore given the convenience and ease of travel with digital cameras. If I didn’t see a difference in my images, I wouldn’t commit to my super heavy cameras and multiple film rolls over a mirrorless camera and a few slim SD cards. When I get my scans back from the lab, I see a genuine difference, something I don’t get when shooting digital. So I will continue to lift weights (my camera bags) to go for that unique look.
Do you still pack film cameras when you travel? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
We were excited to return to Anguilla in January, our first visit since Hurricane Irma struck in September of 2017. Irma was a Category 5 hurricane, bringing wind speeds of 185 mph, with gusts up to 218 mph. The storm damaged 90 percent of the government buildings, including the hospital, schools, airport, and ferry terminal. The island’s infrastructure was heavily damaged, leaving the island without electricity, telephone, and internet.
The island’s recovery was incredible, a testament to the determination of the Anguillan people. Enjoy these images from our January visit, showing that Anguilla is back, and better than ever.
This was our fifth trip to Anguilla, and I shot nearly everything on film. I took the Canon EOS 1v with the 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, and 135mm f/2 lenses, as well as the Mamiya 6 with the 50mm f/4 lens. I shot a wide variety of film stocks, including CineStill 50D, Fuji Pro 400H, Fuji Velvia 100 RVP, Fuji Provia RDP III, Kodak Ektachrome E100, Kodak Ektar 100, and Kodak Portra 800. I also shot four cartridges of Super 8 on my Canon Auto Zoom 814, two Kodak Ektachrome 100D (7294), and 2 Kodak Vision3 50D (7203), but more on that later. Follow us on Instagram for more information on the camera and film stock used on each individual image.
For more about Anguilla, check out our sister site, My Irie Time!
Anguilla is located at the northern end of the Leeward Islands chain in the Eastern Caribbean, a short 25-minute boat ride north of St. Martin. It is 17 miles long and 3 miles wide. You won’t see any mountains or rainforest on Anguilla, as it is largely coral and limestone with limited vegetation. However, what it lacks in elevation, it makes up in gorgeous turquoise waters and stunning beaches.
For more about Anguilla, check out our sister site, My Irie Time!
