I love Puerto Rico because of the convenience of the island, which I think plays a major factor in deciding which island to visit, because in the end, they are all the same sand and palm trees. I am a lot more familiar with parts of Puerto Rico the more I visit, and this was my second trip back to Luquillo Beach for a model shoot. It’s about a 40 minute drive from San Juan which means less tourists and more locals and less crowded. The second location was in Hotel El Convento in Old San Juan.
This was my first shoot with my Pocket Wizard Plus II and Canon Speedlite, which was setup on the beach with a small light stand. I only used the fill flash for the black swimwear, as I still do not like artificial light. The beach shots were shot with a Canon 24-70mm with a circular polarizer to darken the sky and minimize water reflection.
Jestina is one of the easiest models to work with and has a lot of experience. My style for the beach shoot was a mix of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and black & white glamour nudes. She had no problems running around splashing in the water completely bare in front of local people. That’s what I call professional.
Though not as entertaining as El Bob’s trip, here are the rest of the photos and videos during my trip to Puerto Rico. All photos taken with the Sony DSC-W170.
The first couple I met at San Juan airport.
The view from Don Jose Hacienda, Mexican restaurant
Appetizer.
Enchiladas with some weird powdery cheese.
Red fish.
Sculptures on Av Ashford, Condado, PR.
Salmon and mofongo at Yerba Buena.
Things to buy at Wallgreens.
More things.
Delicious chocolate ice cream.
Mmm, breakfast.
And some sausage omelette.
Rooftop of Radisson hotel in Condado, PR.
Panning across the balcony.
Oceanside.
Nothing like swimming on a rooftop. If only I swam.
Charlie, a.k.a Hyundai Brio. Our first stop at Cayey, PR looking for some lechon.
I adopted El Bob from Ceyey, Puerto Rico. I drove down there from San Juan to have some lechón (suckling pig) at local restaurants, or lechoneras. It only cost $3 to adopt this piggy from being eaten. Don’t worry, I did’t eat in front of him. Unfortunately Bob didn’t get into any other photo opportunities other than Old San Juan. I’ll post the other photos of my Puerto Rico trip next.
I dropped Bob near the water fountain when I was trying to take a picture, and his ear broke off. While doing some window shopping I spotted a butterfly store selling ugly yarn dolls. I met store owner Cirene, a gorgeous woman, who explained all the stories behind each yarn doll. I found her intimate knowledge of about 100 of these dolls extremely attractive, as I am attached to all of my ugly dolls back home. When she heard about Bob’s accident, she was heart broken and immediately offered to help me reattach his ear on the spot. As her gratitude for making her day more interesting, she offered to let me take a picture of Bob with the butterflies, since her store has a “no photography” policy. I can easily say my experience with her was the best 20 minutes of my entire trip.
All photos were taken with my point and shoot, Sony DSC-W170. The trick is to use a tabletop tripod, set your ISO at the lowest possible, and use a timer to take longer exposure shots for the best quality. Of course in daylight, you can just snap away handheld. I also have grid display on my LCD so I can easily apply the rule of thirds. One of the very few advantages this Sony has over my Canon Elph is the wider lens.
Bob stayed at Hotel El Convento.
Bob is amazed at the size of the front entrance door.
Bob checking out the courtyard.
Bob is testing the bed.
Closeup of Bob testing the bed.
Bob decides to take a nap.
Bob is dreaming about Ms. Piggy.
Bob likes keys.
Bob also likes lifesavers. He can’t swim.
Bob taking a trip on Noah’s Ark.
Bob visiting Catedral de San Juan.
Bob wishes he could be on top of the totem pole in Plaza Quinto Centenario.
Bob lost an ear after a fall.
Bob visiting Fort San Felipe del Morro.
Bob is free.
Bob enjoying the breeze.
Bob is thirsty.
Bob admiring the cruise ships. Will he fit?
The Butterfly People store where Bob was fixed by the gorgeous Cirene.
Bob feeding with the pigeons at Plaza de Armas.
Bob’s night out in town.
Bob reading the wall.
Bob’s new friends, Jo Ninja and Buster.
Pork and beans.
After feeding Bob, it’s my turn.
Bob visits the Bodies Exhibition. Glad it wasn’t about piggies.
Bob likes pina coladas. Where’s a bendable straw when you need one.
Bob at Playa del Sol at the airport. It’s chicken.
Bob gets the window seat. But he can’t see out the window.
