Wow, it’s certainly been a long time since I’ve posted to this blog. I’ve been so wrapped up in cycling and work that photography had taken a back seat. Time to get creative again. And what better place than Nassau, Bahamas! I was invited to attend a business conference in Atlantis, Paradise Island, in Nassau last month and decided that my camera would make the trip, too. I was going to have some free time to myself and felt that some photography was in order.
I had two partial days of free time. The first day, I walked all around the Atlantis property. Make no mistake, the property is huge. If all you’re interested in is a cardio workout, why pay $17.50 for a one-day pass to the gym when you can walk to your heart’s content all over the Atlantis property? You can spend a couple hours walking and still miss some areas. The second day, I decided to walk off the property, head into town, and get some local food – with camera in tow.
While pouring over the images of both Atlantis and Nassau, I decided that I would focus most of this this post on the Nassau images. The Atlantis images, for the most part, are too antiseptic, too clean. I’d rather present real life.
For the technically minded, all of these images were shot with either my 24-105 f/4 L or my 17-40 f/4 L. I rarely switched lenses. Whatever was on the camera at the beginning of the day was what was used.
First, the Atlantis images. This is a nice shot of the Royal Towers in the background and a slow waterfall in the foreground. This was handheld at 1/8 second. I wanted to capture some of the water’s movement, but it was running so slowly that it didn’t seem to make that much of a difference. Oh, well. You take what you can get.
Not groundbreaking, but I like the angle and the backlit glow.
This was taken from inside one of the aquariums. Interesting architecture and decor designed to carry on the Atlantis theme. The skylight was pretty cool.
Ceiling detail.
Okay, now for the Nassau pictures. In order to get from Paradise Island to Nassau, you have to either walk over one of two bridges or take a water taxi for a few dollars. I opted to walk. I needed the exercise, plus you never know what you might find when you go walking. Once on the other side, I decided to hunt around for a place to eat lunch. On the way in from the airport, the bus driver directed our attention to a group of small restaurants and bars called Fish Fry. I figured I’d walk down West Bay Street until I found it.
From the top of the bridge, you can see a number of boats tied up.
While on the other side, I found that the city of Nassau is fairly run down and dirty. The roads are in poor shape and so are quite a number of the buildings. While looking around the city, it became apparent to me that few Nassau residents would ever be able to stay at Atlantis, where rooms are between $300 and $800+ per night. Below is my pictorial statement about this, the razor wire separating the people of Nassau from Paradise Island. (In truth, the razor wire was borrowed from a Nassau parking lot. There is no fence around the resort.)
Bunny’s Drygoods and Clothing.
Detail of a wrought iron fence.
The Hotel Corona. I believe this establishment has been closed for some time.
One of a number of construction sites on West Bay Street.
These are lyrics from the song, “Cry of the Potcake” by Phil Stubbs, but I feel it could apply to people, too
Artful graffiti lines West Bay Street. I wish I could draw this well.
Coconuts for sale on Western Esplanade Beach. This area of the beach was full of kids on Spring Break. No one was buying coconuts, though. Maybe when the price drops to $2.00. Maybe.
A sunbather with a view of Hog Island Light, built in 1817. This is the oldest surviving lighthouse in the West Indies.
I finally reach my destination, Fish Fry about 4 miles out. Some of the buildings could use a little maintenance.
Everyone here sells Sky Juice. Google it.
Goldie’s Conch House.
I finally settled on lunch at Twin Brothers. Steamed chicken, corn on the cob, and rice and red beans. Great food at a great price served up with some Bob Marley tunes in the air. I ate on the second floor to catch the breeze and the view.
Like many other cities, Nassau has a growing homeless problem.
After finishing lunch, I walked back toward the resort. I was about to cross the street and walk over the bridge when I noticed a graveyard to my right. Those of you who know me know that I love graveyards and cemeteries. Churches and their graveyards are rich with history, love, and remembrance and are special places. I had the time so I made a detour.
The foundation of St. Matthews Anglican Church was laid in 1800 and the steeple was erected in 1816. The opening service was held on July 18, 1802. Below are some images taken from within the graveyard.
Frank Glanville Duncome. 
Is William perhaps a relative of Frank’s? Died 1871.
Peace.
A shared gravestone that spans over 100 years.
Gone, but not forgotten.
Detail of a wrought iron gate.
Charles Smith. Died 1889.
An angel watches over the departed.
St. Matthews steeple.
Taken from outside the graveyard’s walls. It is suspected that Brenton Hector Smith was killed by a policeman’s stray bullet. Almost a year later, the killing is still being investigated.
One last shot walking back over the bridge to Paradise Island. Tomorrow I head back to Florida.
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