Hawai’i

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Waikiki from Diamond Head. My first intentional attempt at creating a panorama picture. This was a sequence of four shots, stitched together in Lightroom. When I got to the top of Diamond Head and starting shooting, I just couldn’t capture the majesty of the view. What I love about this shot is that this so portrays the island geology. From the aquamarine ocean, to the beaches and upwards to the rift valleys which lead to cloud capped mountains – trapping moisture from the wet side of the island and making for sunny skies on the dry side.

The perfect place to live, if you can afford it! Ideal temperatures, sun, sand, mountain adventures coupled with an American but non-American culture and attitude (hard to describe – Aloha and Mahalo). If it wasn’t so darn far – I would go back every year.

Waikiki, and Honolulu is the biggest city in all of Hawai’i and it certainly has that urban vibe. Waikiki is the tourist center drawing visitors from around the globe. White sand beaches, calm warm water, a gentle surf and spectacular sunsets make Waikiki a great visit for a couple of days.

  • Sand to Summit
  • Another Mai Tai Please
  • Beware
  • Good Night
  • Hanauama Bay
  • Hanauama Bay Pano
The panorama from Diamond Head, and then a view of Diamond Head from down on the beach. Clear, calm waters are evident in this shot of the lighthouse, from the Diamond Head peak. Sunset from our hotel room in Waikiki and finally two shots from a popular snorkeling destination. Another extinct volcano, this time open to the ocean and populated with scores of reefs.

The Big Island – Hawai’i

Mauna Kea in all of its glory

The Big Island – which is bigger than all the other islands combined – is a marked contrast to the touristy hustle and bustle of Oahu. Yes, there are the luxury hotels on the dry west coast, but the rural flavor of the island gave us a different perspective. While Oahu’s population is in the millions, Hawai’i counts its population as a few hundred thousand people. Bonus; It is the only island with active volcanoes – in fact when we were visiting Kilauea was, let’s say, going through some changes.

  • Mauna Kea from the valley
  • Lava meet Ocean
  • Waiting for Tomorrow
  • Maui In View
  • Kohala Framed
  • A Volcanic Sunset
  • Paradise Lost
There are five volcanoes on Hawai’i, this is Mauna Kea the largest and home to a number of observatories on the top. From our hotel, perched atop old lava fields, we watched as Manta Rays would feed in the illuminated waters. The beach chairs all lined up to watch the sunset and then a view of Maui through the trees and across the ocean waters. Kohala, one of the five volcanoes is framed by this old driftwood on the beach. A beautiful sunset marking the end of another day. Finally Waipio valley formed as Mauna Kea erodes along river streams into the ocean.

Lapakahi Village

On the west coast of the Big Island, as Kohala volcano slowly sleeps into the ocean, lies a now abandoned Hawaiian village, Lapakahi. Home to about 100 residents at it’s maximum, Lapakahi was still occupied as late as the mid 20th century. For us it was a time machine into early Hawaiian life. The air was bone dry, hot and windy which together made the colors of the rocks, trees and ocean, indescribable.

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