Category Archives: Hawaii

Beautiful Photography of Hawaii

Big Island Tea Leaves

Posted on May 28th, 2018 by

If you know anything about my wife, you know she has a deep passion for tea. I don’t know exactly how it started or the explicit stages of its evolution (though I have witnessed a LOT of stages), but I know when I travel anywhere known for tea…I am going to have a special order placed often with precise details as to which places to visit and exactly which blend to purchase. I once walked 5 miles (probably more since I was lost) in Koyto, Japan trying to find the Ippodo shop to pickup a special Matcha. Needless to say, when we went to the Big Island of Hawaii in February of this year, we HAD to visit some of the tea plantations. I will say, in all my travels, Big Island Tea has some of the most beautiful (and extremely tasty) tea I have seen.

Happy Memorial Day!

Big Island Tea Leaves
Big Island Tea Leaves

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/4.5
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 16 February, 2018
  • Focal length: 25mm
  • ISO: 800
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s
  • Title: Big Island Tea Leaves

A Calm Kilauea

Posted on May 14th, 2018 by

If you have been watching the news, you have probably heard of the havoc Pele is making on the Big Island of Hawaii.  There is of course nothing we can all do but sit back and watch her awesome power consume.  Pamela and I were just on the Big Island back in April and I took this photo from my iPhone.  This is shot from the Jagger Museum at Volcanoes National Park.  The park is current closed to visitors while the change of eruption is so high.  Our heart goes out to all the folks we met, those we did not and all of our friends on the Island!  Stay safe!

A Calm Kilauea
A Calm Kilauea

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/1.8
  • Camera: iPhone 7
  • Taken: 18 February, 2018
  • Focal length: 3.99mm
  • ISO: 20
  • Shutter speed: 1/2800s
  • Title: A Calm Kilauea

Instagram Favorites Early 2018

Posted on March 12th, 2018 by

Instagram Favorites

Happy Birthday to ME! It’s also time for an Instagram Favorites post. Since I have not been traveling as much, these posts are fewer and further between, but I just got back from The Big Island of Hawaii, so if you missed them, enjoy!

Hiking to a Goal

Posted on March 5th, 2018 by

Having just left Hawaii I can’t help but think about it constantly. It was warm and full of adventure and time with my favorite person in the world…what’s not to love! This last trip was my 9th to the Hawaiian Islands, and my next will mark a very momentous occasion. When you enter Hawaii, the State of Hawaii ask you to fill out a declaration form on the plane. On the back is an optional demographic survey and they ask how many times you have been to Hawaii. I know this is coming and I always have to count my trips there. This next time (though I will still count one last time) should be the point I hit 10 or more and no longer have to prepare! That is probably a silly goal, but the one I will share today…I just might have others.

Hiking to a Goal
Hiking to a Goal

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 31 August, 2014
  • Focal length: 23mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
  • Title: Hiking to a Goal

The Pain of Love

Posted on February 26th, 2018 by

I have seen the Lehua all over Hawaii. It is often a pretty common site, but up until a recent trip to the Big Island I did not know the Legend of Ohia and Lehua and how they were forever joined on the islands.

The Pain of Love
The Pain of Love

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 25 May, 2015
  • Focal length: 35mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s
  • Title: The Pain of Love

Lonely Tree Near is Death

Posted on February 19th, 2018 by

I have visited this location many times. Every time I go, I visit this tree on my hike. I have always loved this spot…it’s one of my favorite places in the world. That has to do more with how it makes me feel than anything. It’s part of my ritual, I get up early and drive down a “road” no car should ever go down. I laugh and curse the whole way. I sit alone on a small beach. I hike.

Hawaii and the ocean make me contemplate the cycle of life; of impermanence. You can hardly help but notice, the whole place is a giant battle. Birth, life and death.

Here you have the sea, peaceful.
One day comes fire and pain and birth.
Slowly the sea calms the fire, but it has torn a hole in her.
She patiently spends eons breaking back down the scar the fire left.
Eventually, the sea will win, but few will remember.

I haven’t been back recently and I fear my tree is now gone. Everything returns to the sea.

Lonely Tree Near is Death
Lonely Tree Near is Death

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 26 May, 2015
  • Focal length: 35mm
  • ISO: 250
  • Shutter speed: 1/1250s
  • Title: Lonely Tree Near is Death

Lighthouse in Oahu

Posted on January 15th, 2018 by

Hiking

This is one of my favorite (very public) hiking places on Oahu. There is a very basic paved up hill path that will really get just about anyone’s heart pumping, including the massive footballer I saw one time doing lunges while hiking up hill! There are also some “not so basic” and somewhat more dangerous, but less populated areas that can be fun if you do your research ahead of time, know the dangers and respect the awesome kill you in a second power of nature. This is one of my favorite spots to just sit and take in the view of the lighthouse.

Lighthouse in Oahu
Lighthouse in Oahu

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/4
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 19 January, 2014
  • Focal length: 35mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/640s
  • Title: Lighthouse in Oahu

Instagram Favorites October – December 2016

Posted on December 26th, 2016 by

Limited Travel

Instagram Favorites

Happy Christmas (more exactly Happy Boxing Day!).

I haven’t been as many places this year as usual. This “lighter” travel schedule will very likely continue into 2017. It seems the airlines and hotel chains aren’t quite as excited as before to have me. Regardless I think posting semi-regularly some of my favorite Instagram posts is fun so here we go!

Hawaii November 2016

NYC December 2016

Windy Lanikai Mountain in Black and White

Posted on December 19th, 2016 by

Death on a Mountain Revisited

There are times, when I post process my images, that I have a terrible time deciding what the image wants to convey. I feel very strongly about this notion actually, every image has a story, and my responsibility is to find that story help the image to communicate this in the best possible way. Perhaps this duality might in part be reflected in my sister’s experience nearly taking a tumble down the side of a cliff. Last week’s image is my feeling of the scene, but this more expressionistic view is perhaps how I interpret my sister might feel about the same place. Which is your favorite?

Windy Lanikai Mountain in Black and White
Windy Lanikai Mountain in Black and White

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 13 November, 2016
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
  • Title: WIndy Lanikai Mountain in Black and White

Windy Lanikai Mountain

Posted on December 12th, 2016 by

Death on a Mountain

Lanikai is one of my favorite places in the world, so when I took my sister to Oahu, Hawaii we, of COURSE, had to hike Lanikai Mountain! She actually did great despite a bit to huffing and puffing up the side of the “hill” but it was somewhere around this scene on the decent that I nearly lost her down the side of the mountain! Never fear, despite an ankle injury, she is otherwise fine but it goes to show in spite of any relative ease hiking always needs to be taken seriously! Next week, a different interpretation of this same image…since I liked it so much I figured I would translate it two different ways!

Windy Lanikai Mountain
Windy Lanikai Mountain

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 13 November, 2016
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
  • Title: WIndy Lanikai Mountain