Alabama 2023, Part I, Houses on Stilts

March 27, 2023 • Leave a Comment

After two days on the road, we pulled into the Paradise Isle Resort's parking lot, and I knew there would be many photographs of the resorts' buildings on stilts. While it is a common sight along the shore it definitely is not a common sight around Buffalo, New York. I immediately felt a connection and looked forward to exploring the raised house in different light. However, there was something captivating about that exact look in the middle of the afternoon with the sun in my eyes and the backlight skimming the walls of the resort.

I was tired from the long drive and a bit lazy and did not feel like digging out the camera at that very moment even though some lessons of the past went through my head. The light might not be the same again! We might not be there mid-afternoon again! Yet, all I did was pull out my phone and snapped a quick memory that way. For a few days afterwards, my worries kept coming true. Eventually I got my second chance though when we were not exploring elsewhere, and the light was similar to the arrival conditions.

Sunny AfternoonParadise Isle Resort

Sunny Afternoon at Paradise Isle Resort, Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +2/3 EV, 1/60 sec, F/16

The resort offered some other picturesque angles. Here's a pretty basic head on photograph across the West Beach Boulevard. I tried several other angles but in the end liked the simplicity of this one. I also liked how the palm trees fit in this frame.

OfficeParadise Isle Resort

Office of the Paradise Isle Resort, Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +2/3 EV, 1/200 sec, F/10

Since the houses on stilts also featured outside lamps I had to try a blue hour photo. We were lucky with the week spent there and evenings and nights offered clear skies with some decorative clouds floating by. And yes, I was happy with a scene similar to the opening one, just a few steps back to include one extra unit. I was hesitant about the cars on the right edge but did not have much of a choice as I absolutely wanted to include the utility poles. Why not though? These are vacation houses and the cars belong there.

DuskParadise Isle Resort

Paradise Isle Resort at Dusk, Blue Hour over Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +2 & 2/3 EV, 15 sec, F/10

The next evening we returned early enough to catch another dusk photograph. For this one I went around the corner and looked for a new angle. When I thought I was done someone turned on the light in the window on the right and I grabbed one more photo. And I am glad I did. As I reviewed the whole series it was that last one that came ahead of the rest for me. It added a little extra bonus.

Blue HourParadise Isle Resort