Garyfelton.com

St. John Morning Gold
I woke before dawn, chasing light — that eternal hunt that defines every true photographer. The assignment was simple on paper: shoot promo images for a new Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville going up on Water Bay. But when I got there, the place was wrecked — hurricane-battered ruins, sargassum heaped like forgotten wreckage, debris littered the sand.
I called the agency, told them the truth. They promised a clean-up the next day. But this is St. Thomas — time moves on island terms: slow, or slower.
I returned a couple days later, hoping for magic. The beach was still a mess. No crew, no rake, nothing.
But the light waits for no one.
I arrived before sunrise, hoping… praying… and then it happened. The sun cracked the horizon, molten gold spilling across the sea toward St. John. In the middle of that glowing path, a lone boat anchored in still water, caught in the fire of the new day.
I framed the shot from the future site of Margaritaville, heart pounding as I pressed the shutter.
Sometimes you wait for the world to clean itself up. Sometimes you find the beauty buried in the mess.
The agency loved it. So did I.
More from the Virgin Islands — and the stories behind them — in my gallery. Link in the comments.