It’s a fact: pretty much anywhere you point-and-click during your Bermuda vacation is going to result in a stunning photo. Out here, the colours just POP.
Your smartphone snaps will come out great. But we suggest you take the opportunity to unlock your inner travel blogger/photographer while you’re in Bermuda and get some shots worthy of framing. We asked four of Bermuda’s pro photographers – Gavin Howarth, Amanda Temple, Meredith Andrews and Nhuri Bashir – to share a few favourite spots for capturing the island’s singular beauty (and added a few of our own as well).
Nhuri: Lined with colourful buildings and filled with olde Bermuda Charm, the St. George’s streets will truly give the photographer hours, if not days, of subject matter to capture. From macro to full wide shots, the colours and textures of the older buildings lend themselves to the creative eye.
There are all kinds of evocative details to be found and photographed in the historical marvel that is the Royal Naval Dockyard – fine old stone buildings, the iconic clocktower, oversized maritime gear and much more.
Gavin: My favourite place to photograph Bermuda’s beauty is Coopers Island Nature Reserve. It’s a large and somewhat remote area of the island that is now a protected sanctuary. This unique location is only reachable on foot and, since it’s a peninsula, it’s ideal for both sunsets and sunrises, with the park jutting out from the mainland to the South. Coopers Island features several large beaches that are never busy, as well as a good selection of walking paths along the coastline. From the end of the park you can enjoy the distant views of Bermuda’s South Shore, and during the early summer months, an abundance of our local seabird, the Bermuda Longtail nesting along the rocky shoreline. There’s even a lookout built near the end, which gives fantastic views and features information on the park and what it has to offer.
Surrounded by jagged rocks, Jobson's Cove is a small slice of pink sand, blue sky and crystal clear water that always makes for a postcard-ready photo.
Meredith: I love Spittal Pond, as it has many different environments and textures to offer, from the rocky shore to the bay grape trees to the pond itself.
Amanda: There is nothing quite like Bermuda sunrises and sunsets. The two photos (above) taken at Horseshoe Bay were 24 hours apart. The beach changes so dramatically everyday that it is certainly one of my favourite places to shoot, particularly in the winter when it is often totally empty.
Nhuri: "You get some of the most spectacular sunrises and seascapes at Warwick Long Bay. The sand also tends to be pinker here, so for the photographer looking to capture the iconic Bermuda pink sand and the crashing ocean lined with jagged sandstone cliffs, this is the place."
An otherworldly subterranean landscape populated by stunning stalactites and stalagmites and a luminous underground lake, the Crystal Caves have attracted photographers since their discovery in the early 20th century.
One of the oldest cast-iron lighthouses in the world, Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is a mighty beacon that stands tall over Bermuda. Get a shot of it from below and then climb the 185 steps to the top for an unparalleled panorama.
Amanda: I have photographed weddings at The Unfinished Church but also like to be there alone. The way Bermuda’s limestone silvers with time and erosion is incredibly beautiful to me. The structure is a combination of this silver stone and yellow brick brought here from England. The church was to be a replacement for St. Peter’s that had been damaged by a hurricane but upon repairing St. Peter’s construction was halted on the new church and so it stands roofless.
Nhuri: Wait until just after sunset or just before sunrise and the City of Hamilton captured from the Bird Cage is a spectacular location. Slow down your shutter speed and capture the movement of the cars and people as they wiz by.
