Tropical Imaging

Oh yes, And about the 4 dives a day thing. You may do it one day but it will wear you out. I always skip one or two each day and enjoy the above water lounging. Personally I never get sick of it, but I love being underwater. Once my kids get older, we'll get back into it in a more serious way. Krys

I am a master instructor. I have also done live aboard trips as well. As a general rule, most people going on a live aboard trip are more experienced. That being said, the live aboard will have instructors on board (check if you are not sure) and every boat I have been on (live aboard or not) offers some kind of guided dive for the passengers while more experienced divers can go on the buddy system. It is a great way to get experience and increase your comfort level. Night dives are fun, but you don't have to do them. I recommend doing your first one on a shallow reef 40 ft or less. I would also check what kind of dives you will primarily be doing in Thailand. Deep?(90 ft) Wreck? Drift diving? If those make up the largest percentage of the dives you may want to wait and get a few more logged in before you go. Mainly because anxiety is not fun to have diving and isn't as safe. If those make up a smaller percentage of your dives on the live aboard, then go for it. Take up the guided dive options and have fun. And don't ever feel pressured to do a dive you are not comfortable with. If you have any more specific questions feel free to ask. I haven't been diving in the Pacific but have many friends who have (including some of our photographers on staff) so I can ask them if you'd like. Krys

When I got married, my dad announced that he was pleased to welcome my husband and his family into our family. Just another option. Krys

Hope you got a little sleep and the antibiotics are kicking in. My 7 year old has had bladder infections. You need to be aware that your little one may be more likely to get them and keep her hydrated. Whenever my oldest doesn't get enough to drink during the day, I can see the symptoms starting. (I also have a friend with a 9 year old, same thing) I make sure she drinks lots of water, sometimes with a touch of cranberry juice as well. She's a lot more aware now that she's older. But when she was younger, I would watch the color of the urine to make sure it was clear or pale. When your daughter starts school, you need to make sure she has access to water breaks as well. Our school requires kids to bring large bottle of water for frequent water breaks so I know she's getting a lot. Take care and rest up (both of you). My experience is that the first infection is the worst because you are aware of the symptoms and catch it before it becomes worse or develops at all. Lots and Lots of H2O Krys Tropical Imaging wedding portrait commercial photography video in Turks & Caicos Caribbean http://blog.tropicalimaging.com/

Hi, I thought you might like the perspective from a photography company that is at the Destination. We actually do meet many of our brides during site visits. However those we don’t meet we are in regular contact with them via email and phone (at our expense by the way). We do have couples who book us based on our website and blog or through a resort or coordinator, but even then we make every effort to have contact with the couple before the day. Remember, we get better photos if we know you and your personalities. We also will meet with the couple prior to the event /to do an e-session if they haven’t had one and to make final prep. Because you must be resident on island here for 3 days, that usually isn’t a problem. Some things couples love to have when they are in the planning stages is photos of venues they are considering and photos of flowers/cakes/decorations from various vendors etc. Because we have been here for 10+ years (and well over 1000+ weddings) we can send them photos and ususally give them some direction on places to consider or at least help them narrow their choices. As far as photography goes, we shoot in this light day in and day out so we know how to work with it. We work and play here and know the island and the people well. For e sessions or day after sessions we know a lot of places that a tourist may not know or may not want to take a taxi to etc. Even at the resort, we find favorite spots to take photos that are off the beaten path. (And we know where to go if it is a bit windy or if there is a bit of rain…which is rare here) From our perspective, we want to show you your wedding photos as well. As long as you are not leaving the following morning, we pull out the stops to show you a completely edited and touched up wedding within 24-48 hours. We schedule the time in for the photographers to get that done. If we need extra equipment, we have it and don’t have to worry about carrying it on the plane. You also don’t have to pay our travel expenses (we’d rather you use that money for albums or big canvas LOL). Finally, if your wedding is in a foreign country, a local photographer has the work permit/business liscense to legally work here. Legally, the country you are flying into requires a person doing work to have a temporary work permit (here and the Bahamas they are $500 and $200 respectively) Most people try to just fly under the radar to avoid that but they are actually working illegally and many governments in the Caribbean are looking to collect that income and/or crack down on illegal workers. Is it likely to happen? No, but it is something else to consider as some venues are insisting on proof outside vendors have legal permits now. I think the main thing that is important to remember is that there are good and bad photographers at home and at your destination. Ask the same questions of both, but don’t avoid a photographer because they are located at the destination. There are some amazing togs around but ask the same questions you would if you were at home. Krys Mann Tropical Imaging wedding portrait commercial photography video in Turks & Caicos Caribbean www.blog.tropicalimaging.com

Welcome! It's a great Island! Krys

Quote: Originally Posted by Lillie09 Hi! Glad to know there is someone else getting married in Turks and Caicos..I'm getting married in July 09. Yes I am working with NILA Destinations. Which wedding planner are you working with? How has your experience been? My fiance and I are planning on getting married on Grace bay beach and having a reception at Grace's cottage. Rosalind (the planner from NILA) hasn't responded to the e-mails though. I'm thinking they're busy this time of the year. Looking forward to talking with you! May and June are the busiest times of year for weddings here. Just in case you may want to email her again if you tried this weekend. The internet provider on island upgraded and changed servers last Friday and Saturday and although they promised no emails would be lost you never know. Krys

Quote: Originally Posted by Nrvsbride Well I see your from San Fran so did you think the water was too cold in Feb b/c you are used to warm temperature? I am from NY where the weather is brutal in February. We are talking below zero, freezing cold temps. But I would like to be able to go in the water. Hmmm maybe we should go at a different time. The residents will stay away from the water in February (water temp that time of year is around 76-80F), but the tourists seem to be happy to swim then. It is all relative really. My kids can be in 85 degree weather and wearing long pants and sweaters and telling me it's cold. Mind you, they'll still jump in the pool or the sea if I let them!!! Most of us residents are wimps....LOL. We did underwater photography for years and I don't remember ever having the water temperature below 76 here (and that was diving 60 feet and below.) It won't be like bath water as it is here in the summer, but won't be freezing either. Krys

Quote: Originally Posted by mushkilla Heya Jen, thanks for the quick reply! Can you tell us when the best time to travel is ($$). We are quite limited in dates, and are thinking either End of August, end of October, and maybe (sniff sniff) end of April... We have only a handful of kids coming, all under 10. There are about 25 adults. Thanks! N&D I've lived here 13 years. I would suggest October as a first choice as well as it's a bit quieter here at all of the resorts and there are some better rates that time of year. August is still pretty busy for the hotels etc through Labor day. In October it's also cooling down from the summer heat (mid 80's to mid-90's vs hotter) and the breezes are picking up a bit (in a good way). If you have to look in the spring, early May is a good choice as the easter breaks are out of the way. Krys

Thanks everyone! Nice to be here! Lucy106, Diving is great here. Hubby and I (and 3 others on our staff) are all dive instructors/master scuba diver trainers so we are very familiar with all of the underwater life here. We do underwater photography as well. Hubby was just up on a trip to see East Caicos and was in the water taking pictures of a mama and baby humpback. Lots of great stuff here. Lillie09, we look forward to hearing from you! Krys

Hi, Just posting here to introduce myself. My husband and I have a photography business in the Turks and Caicos. We deal with quite a few weddings and love to keep up to speed on what brides are looking for. I am from the US originally and hubby is from the UK and we have lived here now for 13 years (have two kids 4 and 7 years old), so I am definitely an "old timer" by island standards. When I got married we had 3 weddings in a 2 week period...2 in the US and 1 in the UK....so we love weddings!!! If you have any questions about the T&C please feel free to ask, we love it here and love sharing it with others. Krys Mann Tropical Imaging wedding portrait commercial photography video in Turks & Caicos Caribbean www.blog.tropicalimaging.com