Jim Wulpi  

Magic Beach Motel by Jim Wulpi

May 2022 - Magic Beach Motel

About the Image(s)

This image is of an iconic Art Deco style motel in the Vilano Beach area of St Augustine FL.

Last year, I had heard that this motel was going to be torn down and replaced with a 200 room high rise hotel, but recently found out that the building has been spared the wrecking ball because it now has a new status of being on the Ntl. Register of Historic Buildings.

The neon signage used to have a progression of off-and-on lights that had the rabbits appearing to be “jumping” out of the Magic hat, but it’s now stationary.

It’s a fun place to photograph at night.

I played around with a variation of wide angle lenses and my standard “go-to” 24-105, but found that even my wide angle shots were best when cropped down to a more reasonable viewing angle. This, however, is a wide angle version. It is a 3 image HDR

Metadata: 1/6 sec, f14, ISO 1600 Sigma 14-24 f2.8 DG HSM (ART 018) at 14mm.



I Hope you like it

4 comments posted

Martin Newland   Martin Newland
I love the gaudiness of this image.
I like the leading lines of the building on the left and the concrete kerbing on the right as they guide the eye to the porte cochère and the neon lights above it.
It would be my bad luck to have a room fronting onto these bright lights with the jumping rabbits flashing all night through the window.
This is a great and very expressive image, Jim.
Well done.   Posted: 05/02/2022 20:14:00
Shirley Pohlman   Shirley Pohlman
This image looks more like Las Vegas. Good to know that it is now considered historic, as I guess most of St.Augustine is. I think it would be cool to see those rabbits jumping out of the hat, but it might have been too distracting for historical. I believe you captured the fun well with wide angle view you chose and driveway leading to the entrance. The reds against your dark blue sky are beautiful. My eyes do want to see the top of the left palm tree, but you may have lost some of that when straightening.   Posted: 05/03/2022 13:52:59
Piers Blackett   Piers Blackett
Nice night image. Interesting how 14mm gives an inclusive effect by curving the palm tree on the left. The striking red and blue gives seem to add drama somehow.   Posted: 05/05/2022 12:14:26
Karen Botvin   Karen Botvin
Jim, this is a great shot and you captured it very well. Just to be clear, though, to others who've not been to St Augustine, this motel is down along a pier across the water from the "historic" part of St Augustine.   Posted: 05/24/2022 14:32:14

 

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