Photography and Island Adventures in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Hello! I'm Sage Hammond, the owner, and photographer of Crown Images, based in beautiful Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. My background is in fine art and I specializing in engagement and intimate beach wedding photography. I'm obsessed with sharing my love of island life and creating relaxed, timeless, meaningful, and authentic photographs of your island adventure that you will cherish.
Capturing the Charm of St. Thomas
I really love this island because of how easy it is for americans to visit but still get a good mix of the Caribbean lifestyle and scenery. No passport is needed for this island. One of my favorite areas, which is sort of Cliche is the Charlotte Amelia area. It has so many French inspired buildings and beautiful alley ways. We ate tons of food all over the island, visited Magens Bay. We stayed in the super cute Frenchmans Cove by Marriot It had a giant pool, a restaurant, store, amazing coffee, music, activities and a cute bar!
Traveling and photographing sessions in new destinations will forever be one of the things I am more grateful for in this business. This trip, to the U.S. Virgin Islands, was a fairly short one of only three days but WOW, it ended up being packed. What started as a trip for one couples portrait session, became three sessions and a few mini “let me photograph you real quick” stranger minis.
Venturing to St. John and Beyond
Day one started by taking the morning ferry over to St John to spend some time beach side. I added in St. John because technically when we went sailing we went over to St. John and we swam over to one of the beaches from the boat while snorkeling. A handful of the photos are from St. John from when we went sailing, which was by far the most fun part of the trip! We were out during the solar eclipse which was so magical. We were fed a beautiful homemade meal by the sailors and given as many tropical cocktails as we desired.
A taxi that went by the name of “Brown Sugar” took us to the top of the island so we can make pit stops and work our way down. He stopped at every overlook so I could snap photos for my print shop and even ran into town once to grab water bottles when no stores were open nearby. On one of the overlooks I had a chance to snap some photos of this couple who rented a jeep to explore the island.
Life on Water Island
We finally got settled on Water Island the second morning and enjoyed our first Kawasaki mule ride. The view from our balcony somehow made up for the extra long wait. About Water Island in particular you don’t need rental car. In fact you can’t bring a car over. Golf cart is the main means of transportation. We rented a Kawasaki mule as it has more room for luggage. It is perhaps more suitable for bumpy roads with better speed and power.
Destination Weddings and Photography Logistics
Last year, my best friend, Stephanie and I had the most amazing opportunity to travel out to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to photograph Fe and Davy’s wedding! They chose to marry at Sand Dollar Estate because they wanted an intimate and private destination wedding. Fe and Davy love quality food and wanted to treat their guests to a seven course fine dining experience under the Caribbean skies. The day was hot and humid – it even rained a few times during the reception!
Now after a brief discovery, here are some fun facts and tips for your visit to the US Virgin Islands:
- Driving: You drive cars on the left (like UK) …but your car’s steering wheel is also on the left (like US). So it’s a hybrid model.
- Rentals: Rental cars are limited you need to book early. We booked one month early and couldn’t get an SUV.
- Drones: If you have drone, you might not be able to fly due to airport restrictions, unless you apply for a certificate.
- Weather: iPhone weather app is showing exactly the same weather everyday with temperature between 75 and 82 and high wind in late mornings. But it hasn’t showed the sprinkle here and there so we don’t really know how reliable the weather app is and just have to go with flow.
Island Travel and Photography Overview
| Location | Key Features | Transportation Note |
|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas | Charlotte Amalie, Magens Bay, Sand Dollar Estate | Drive on the left; book cars early |
| St. John | Cinnamon Beach, Snorkeling, Overlooks | Morning ferry from St. Thomas |
| Water Island | Quiet atmosphere, scenic balconies | Golf carts or Kawasaki mules only |