I have had the absolute luxury of traveling quite a bit the past 5 years and some of it was for work. Since November I"ve been able to call New Orleans my new home and started a new IG account @410inthe504. Here, I show all things New Orleans and from my travels.
Last Summer, I spend 4 gorgeous days in Bermuda shooting with Anna English who's Blog is called The Styled Fox. She is a Houston based Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger and she's my little cousin. Growing up our family was super close. I remember spending so much time as kids together but life takes us all on different paths and we grew apart. A few years ago, our paths crossed gain and we joined forces to create incredible content for her blog and for collaborations with various brands and properties. She crafts her review for the resort or hotel and plans out loads of additional fashion content, shot on site, for blog posts and social media needs. With all of the incredible exposure the properties receive from her considerable social media followers, I thought that I would also incorporate my thoughts on these spaces through my own blog post and images. Generally when I travel, I tend to photograph spaces and form my own opinions on experiences though my unique personal and professional lens. I'm not much for buying tons of souvenirs, though I would never pass up a new hoodie, what I take from these trips are my memories and my photos.
To that, here is a look at our trip to Bermuda.
We stayed at the Princess Hamilton Bermuda property. It's pretty iconic; the property is pink! When I told my mom where we were heading to, she told me that years ago, when I was very young, her and a bunch of friend went to Bermuda and stayed on the same property! The resort is extremely photogenic and there is no lack of fun nooks and spaces to create beautiful images. The resort reminds me of a giant art gallery. For a girl that took a bunch of fine art course in college along with a definite love of Art History, it was a silent joy walking the property and admiring the many installations and pieces in the resorts collection. The Princess Hamilton has some pretty remarkable restaurants, Marcus, in particular was a stand out for me. Anytime I can have a cosmopolitan martini and chicken and waffles, I'm a pretty happy girl. Usually, the first thing I do when my feet hit the ground is to photograph the room we are staying in and then explore the resort to scout out locations and seeing where to light is; where the sun rises and sets and good sight lines with even light for first impression photos of the property and for editorial shoots. I always like to photograph a space before guests wake up so that I don't have to Photoshop distractions from images excessively. Luckily, it felt like a fairly quiet time when we were at the Princess Hamilton Resort in Bermuda and rising at the crack of down wasn't necessary. ( Hindsight: the resort was practically booked solid and it never felt like it was overcrowded!) The resort is situated in the middle of the island on a bay. Our balcony faced the central courtyard area, marina and a gorgeous view of the southern part of the island. Waking up and seeing multi million dollar yachts from your balcony isn't a shabby way to start your day while sipping on coffee and savoring fresh fruit. We did have the chance to explore the town of Hamilton a bit. There are lots of restaurants, bars and shops to check out. Me, I went straight for a atypical beach town souvenir shop. Had to get a new hoodie for my collection! It was a super easy walk from the resort, not even 7 minutes and you're in downtown. Also, close to the resort is the Barcadi headquarters! We didn't realize this until we were on the way to the airport. Next trip to Bermuda, Bacardi needs a visit from me!
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There is a private beach for resort guests and it is stunning. To get there, you take a Jitney from your resort; they leave periodically throughout the day at around 20-30 minute intervals. Seeing the beach from the road, the first thing that caught my attention were the hammocks IN the water. After I was finished shooting content for the morning, I walked out into the water; schools of fish circled around me and I had a Little Mermaid moment. I hung out in the hammocks for a while relaxing...I forgot what that felt like. I eventually journeyed out into the water and I was surprisingly calm and not super deep. The way the cove is situated, the ocean waves break on the rocks and the water filters though and creates the most tranquil swimming hole ever. There are rafts, flotation noodles and I believe kayaks for you to take up at your leisure. There really wasn't much I could want for. The Fairmont Properties really know how to take care of their guests! There is more than ample seating and umbrellas to keep you in the shade, in addition to cabanas along the cove on the right. The bar and restaurant serve drinks and light fare that can be delivered to your lounge chair by the more than attentive staff. I had a flatbread pizza and we all ordered frozé's which totally hit the spot! There is a changing area and showers for when you're ready to clean up and jump on the Jitney to take you back to your home away from home.
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The next day, we hit the road to Turtle Beach. It was peaceful and tranquil listening to the gentle waves lap against the shore moving the perfect tan sand with each set as they lazily drifting along the shore. The color palette of the space was incredible complimentary and is literally the colors I want to my home. I've always been a sucker for teals, Caribbean blues, and neutral grays and sand tones. Turtle Beach became my muse. Seriously - go visit it!
The Island of Bermuda is very small and tourists are not allowed to rent full-size cars so mopeds, scooters and a suped up go-cart called a Twizzie were ok for us to rent. Twizzies are very small electric vehicles and will only hold two people at best. Driving around the island with Anna in the back "seat" was an experience I will never forget!
Insider tip: Once you leave the resorts, there is no cell service on the island. So, If you are expecting to rent a "car" download your maps to your phone before you leave the hotel. It'll save you from getting lost. Also, keep a paper map with you. The resort was kind enough to provide us with road maps as a back up.
We explored a decent part of the island - St. George, Hamilton, Horseshoe Bay, Turtle Bay, Jobson's Cove, Blu Bar and Grill, and the private beach for Fairmont Property Guests were all outstanding spaces! Some of the most iconic images I took on this trip were at Jobson's Cove and Turtle Beach.
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Jobson's Cove was on Anna list of places to check out and the view from the top was spectacular! For me, the color of the water is everything. I'm that girl who will travel to Greece just to see Mediterranean blue and the contrast of the bone white structures with the Greecian Blue accents built into the landscapes along the water. Life is about color and seeing the world for yourself! Having once in a lifetime experiences and then sharing that view with others, for me, it's part of why I love being a photographer.
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The last day at the Princess Hamilton Resort in Bermuda was spent at the infinity pool shooting loads of summer content! The wonderful part of traveling for photography assignments is that I get to experience a new place and make plans to take my husband with me or plan a girls trip in the future. Bermuda has so much to offer on the island. I would recommend spending a week here, and even then it may not be enough time to do all the things you want to do, but, it will be a good start to exploring and taking in all of the amazing things this island has to offer. That being said I can't wait to come back to this island paradise!
Lastly, Heres a little look at some of the content created for The Styled Fox in Bermuda! To shop her looks head to her blog, The Styled Fox to shop all the looks you see as well as her daily Outfits of the Day!
Host Resort: The Princess Hamilton
Big thank you to the team at the Princess Hamilton, Marcus, and Blu Bar & Grill for taking such great care of us and for always being so kind and gracious! You guys made our stay absolutely unforgettable!
XOXO
Tracie
**Tracie Smith-Hughes is a New Orleans, Louisiana and Baltimore, Maryland based National Wedding and Lifestyle Portrait Photographer who is available for content creation sessions for bloggers and partnering with resorts and various properties for publicity, reviews and digital content creation.