We have our trip in mid April and was planning on bringing a portable set of gear to do 2 or 3 photoshoots while we are down there. Everything should fit in one bag so just thinking of bringing: 1 Camera, 2 lenses, 1 strobe, 1 power pack, 2 reflectors, 1 small Octa softbox, 1 compact lightstand and 1 tripod if it fits. My main question is if the nearby beaches from TTR are good for photoshoots (not too busy, not too much algae, nice sand and water)? I read different opinions of the quality of the beach in front of the resort, so I do not mind hiking a bit. Heck if need be I'll take a water taxi to Isla Mujeres to do the shoots there. Any additional tips we'll be welcome!
I'm not a pro photographer by any means, but Playa Norte over on Ilsa Mujeres is gorgeous and would be an awesome site for a shoot. The beach at TTR isn't what you're looking for.
The small marina's out front give some good back drop. There is no surf to say , you can venture out about 36 inches deep before encountering weeds. The sand is beautiful and white. I would defiantly do trips to the Island(s). The sun rises far to the right over the ocean. Early morning there is less traffic.
Both are excellent tips, thanks a lot! Being in front of the resort would be extremely convenient but if it's too crowded it might not be ideal. I was looking for the prices per person for the water taxis to Isla Mujeres and they seem super cheap, do you know by any chance if they can take you directly to Playa Norte or do they all just go to a Marina?
I'm no pro by any means but more advanced than your average bear. We managed to get away with less than that last year. Camera, two lenses, a speedlite with small modifiers, a reflector and tripod. And we managed to get some pretty great beach stuff. I couldn't imagine bringing bulky battery packs and whatnot. The beach by he resort was actually pretty decent. Didn't feel the need to venture far. Maybe in the next few weeks I'll post some stuff on here.
The fast ferry gets you over to the island in about 20 minutes or so and costs about 15 bucks I think per person roundtrip. on the island consider shelling out $50 and rent a golf cart for a day, then drive around to find a spot you want to do a shoot in and have at it. The golf carts are fun and they don't care if you are sipping a beer or 3 on them lol
I have Elinchrom strobes, so thinking of bring 1 RX600 and a Vagabond Mini to power it up. I have tried to do the strobist way in the past but sometimes I cannot control the sun to my liking with the power of a speedlite. You will be surprised how compact/lightweight the bag I prepare is (use it all the time locally for local shoots in the summer). Of course the ideal would be convicing a friend of mine to borrow me his Quadra kit. Looking forward to see them
$15 for roundtrip sounds perfect. $50 for a golf cart, not so much..LOL.. But is better than walking around. Is that the only means of transportation at Isla?
mopeds might be cheaper but the golf carts are a good value as you can have them for a whole day. or rent them a bit cheaper for a couple hours etc. there is a cool little pub as well as a drive through beer store I like to go through as well.
I'll give you some helpful hints from one who has been shooting on the Yucatan for about 15 years - less is more !! - scout your locations first without models present - pick your time of day - early morning or late afternoons shoots are best - as far as lighting all you really need are 2 collapsible reflectors be held by assistants that you direct + one on camera strobe for doing individual or even multiple models. PM me if you want to see some examples of what can be done following this method
