10 BEST

LOCATIONS FOR PORTRAITS ON ST. JOHN
St. John has many opportunities for wonderful photographs, but some places are extra special. We have cited only 10 of them. When camera information was available we have cited that as well. Please go experiment--the results last a lifetime! And special thanks to Tropical Focus for sharing some of their work with us.

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TRUNK BAY November, 5:28pm
I call this the pink light time--near twilight (between 6:15 and 6:40 in February). The water is a mercurial pink and blue. Trunk Bay is the best, but Cruz Bay beach is also consistently nice, and you get the nice outlines of boats in the background. Photo: Tropical Focus Photography f/7 | ISO 400 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Nikon D700
FRANCIS BAY December, 5:28 - 5:37pm
In the late afternoon the light is golden at Francis, and you can get a variety of different portrait styles in the span of 10 minutes, as above. Really, the light does all the work! Photo: Red Sunset Photography f/9 | ISO 100 | shutter 1/320 | Nikon D60
BORDEAUX MOUNTAIN OVERLOOK May, noon-ish
Bordeaux Mountain on a clear day is a glorious thing to behold. Yes, all the tourists go to the spot right next to Le Chateau de Bordeaux, and thats awesome as a landscape photo; but, if you go down the road towards Coral Bay a little bit, theres a stone half-wall thats a better place for portraits. Photo: Private collection

SALOMON BEACH Afternoon

That palm tree is a perfect prop: you can lie on it, sit on it or sit under it. Its low enough that you can get the entire thing in your photo. If your girl lies on it, its a sultry thing; if you sit under it, it casts lovely shadows on your face. Go late afternoon for the longest shadows! Photo: Polly Judge
CINNAMON BAY October, 4:30pm
Position your model in the water with the unpopulated green expanse of mountain behind. Pumpkin optional. Photo: Red Sunset Photography f/3.1 | ISO 100 | Samsung NV7 OPS
HONORABLE MENTIONS JOST ( close to St. John)
If you can get on a boat and be emerging, glistening wet, from the clearest blue water around, you too can look like Brummel. Again, nature does all the work for you. Photo: Red Sunset Photography, with permission from Sun Seekers Charters (340) 643-5527
SKINNY LEGS RESTAURANT Coral Bay
Because its iconic in these parts--the Skinny Legs sign. Enough said. Photo: Polly Judge
CINNAMON BAY RUINS October, 9:30am
How interesting this is! One look at this photo setup and people will be intrigued. The near-oval branch configuraton is an organic frame. Small children would also look adorable. And, its a short walk to other great portrait setups. Photo: Tropical Focus Photography f/5.6 | 1/60 | ISO 400 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Nikon D700
CANEEL BAY RESORT February, 5:24pm
Children especially, seem to look natural under the sea grape trees. I dont know what explains it, but take a look at these adorable children. Maybe the roundness of their faces and the roundness of the leaves are somehow in balance. Anyway--try this! Photo: Tropical Focus Photography

CINNAMON BAY May, 6:05pm

Sometimes--many times!--a photo is perfect for the details it leaves out. This is a lively family portrait even though you dont see their faces. The fellow jumping is the icing on the cake--aim for a detail like that. Photo: Tropical Focus Photography f/16 | 1/250 | ISO 200 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Nikon D700
f/4 | 1/80 | ISO 100 18-200mm f/3.6 lens | Nikon D200
GALLOWS POINT RESORT July, 9:21am
Can we say, Awww! Cuteness. Our blue/green tropical landscape accented with fuschia bougainvillea, early morning, nice. Gallows has the benefit of being near sea level and landscaped, so you get a more formal-seeming portrait. Photo: Tropical Focus Photography f/6.3 | 1/250 | ISO 100 | 18-200mm f/3.6 lens | Nikon D200
CRUZ BAY DINGHY DOCK February, 11:23am
The truth is, human flesh surrounded by our pale blue water is universally flattering, the dock just adds a nice warmth to the composition. And its a setup that makes the model giddy--you feel like a kid again. Photo: Red Sunset Photography f/8 | 1/250 | ISO 100 | Nikon D60