Quoting jlunddk (Thread starter):
I really hope someone can answer some of my questions, cause I would love to come home with some shot that is a little different from the usually shots from Maho. |
This is probably the same thought of countless photogs that have gone down to
SXM. It's unfortunately a little oversubscribed these days
. As magical as the place is the physical scale does limit the type of shots you can get. I think if you really want to find something different then it's going to be up to you to go find that different shot.
Going into May the lighting might be one of the main issues that prevents you getting that new unique shot. It swings over to the sonesta side for most of the day which immeadiately will start limiting shots. You'll be ok taking a walk around the Sonesta without problems and will be able to easily access the wall along the beach. I think the Royal Islander is a different case though and you should really be a guest to access the pool that overlooks the threshold area of runway 10. You ask about the tower. There is a hillside that runs along the access road to the airport which you can go up and find some vacant land that will overlook part of the taxiway. Light should be ok later in the day for it. It doesn't go up that close to the tower though and you wont be able to get a clean overview without the terminal building landside blocking the view. You could always go prove me wrong though. I've not been down to Marys Boon before but I believe the shots taken in that area are from a balcony area at the hotel itself? I could be wrong but I'm guessing you'll have to be a guest. As for the perimeter fence, at Maho beach you don't need a ladder as you can shoot over the top of it but then you'd not get any different shots. Running along the runway I think there are some locations where you can go climb trhough the bushes and shoot through the fence, again you will need to go investigate but the thought of crawling through tropical bushes doesn't appeal to me. As for the airport road, I can't really think of too many places that wont be backlit and the fence is too high, and/or buildings in the way. There is a beach that also runs along the side of the runway but I think it's private land (again I could be wrong). The caravanasseri complex next to the sunset might be a good opportunity for some shots but the big burly looking security guards in the area were stopping us from investigating any further, and I think will be backlit now going into the middle of the year.
Generally, I think it's going to be up to you to go find something new that hasn't been done. I would like to take a boat out into the bay but it's already been done. I'd like to do some helicopter flights for overviews but it's been done. I'd like to go up the huge hill and shoot overviews but it's been done. Pretty much I think it's been largely covered
.
Good luck though and have a great time and go have a few Caribs at the Sunset for me!
This is my dream to go there 
!!!
