Caribbean Click 2 Cruise

The Eco-Challenge, Survivor, and The Apprentice Connection

• Hanging out with Kevin and Rob was an absolute highlight. Kevin, in particular, was an incredible storyteller with a jaw-dropping professional history: he had served as a lead still photographer for Mark Burnett's original Eco-Challenge television series—the grueling, multi-day adventure race that acted as the production, operational, and structural proving ground for what would become Survivor!
• Camera Gear Survival & Horror Stories: The logistical and physical horror stories Kevin shared of trying to shoot in those non-stop expedition conditions were mind-blowing. In the early days of digital photography, the gear was massive, heavy, and extremely sensitive. Trying to keep complex electronic bodies, delicate lens elements, and exposed digital sensors dry and functional while wading chest-deep through muddy swamps, descending tropical waterfalls, scaling sandstone cliffs, or getting battered by white-water rapids was a masterclass in extreme resilience. They had to invent custom waterproof housings, wrap gear in heavy-duty dry-bag arrays, and perform emergency surgical field-repairs just to keep the camera operating. It made standard commercial photography look like a walk in the park!
• Because of his close relationship with Burnett, Kevin was also deeply embedded in the production of The Apprentice (which had debuted to massive ratings just a year prior in 2004). He regaled us on board with fascinating, behind-the-scenes stories about shooting the series, the cast, and the high-stakes production environment of early reality TV.
• Having photojournalists of that caliber on board turned the ship into an active, high-level creative sandbox.

Key Memories & Port Excursions

• Day-0-Getting-There (Fort Lauderdale):
  • The night before boarding, I stayed at the wonderful Ask Me Inn in Fort Lauderdale, which I found through Orbitz. The hotel was completely booked up, but the owner generously upgraded me to the Penthouse apartment at the standard daily rate!
  • I chose the spot because it was a short walk to Beach Place, where I spent the evening enjoying the local restaurants and clubs.
• Day-1-Bon-Voyage:
  • Boarding the grand Queen Mary 2! Our departure party and orientation kicks off the cruise. I spent most of the day walking around the massive vessel getting oriented, completely in awe of the ship's scale.
• Day-2-At-Sea:
  • Classroom Days. The Blue Pixel crew set up a comprehensive training schedule, blending classroom instruction with walking workshops around the ship to practice capturing light and composition.
• Day-3-St-Thomas:
  • Having visited St. Thomas quite a few times on previous cruises, I decided to do something I never in my life imagined myself saying: I stayed on board the QM2 to get some work done in peace!
• Day-4-St-Martin:
  • Because Neil Bauman belonged to an association of tour operators, he secured a "free" full-day tour of St. Martin for our entire group. We spent a wonderful day taking pictures at a butterfly farm and a local beach.
• Day-5-St-Kitts:
  • I had never been to St. Kitts before. I found it beautifully under-touristed and pristine. Neil and I grabbed a cab for a self-directed tour of the island, which yielded some gorgeous landscapes.
• Day-6 & Day-7 At Sea:
  • More classroom lectures, software workflow deep-dives with Rob Galbraith, and working on personal projects.
• Movies:
  • I put my Canon S70 to the test, using its movie-mode capability to capture short digital video clips with sound alongside my high-res still photos.