Hanalei Bonfire Buy!
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
Hanalei is a small town on the north shore of the island. It has a 3-mile wide perfect crescent of sandy shoreline with the rainiest
mountains in the world right behind them. While it rains about 100 inches per year in Hanalei, it rains about 600 inches per year
on Mt. Waialeale, about 5 miles behind the peak on the left. Even with all of the rain, days are usually sunny in Hanalei with maybe
1-2 hours of rain mostly at night. The mountains in this image range from 3,000 to 5,000 feet in height. This shot can only be
done with a medium tide and this effect only lasts for a few minutes before another wave moves in. Here, I attempted to show one
of the waterfalls in the reflection. It took about 15 minutes of fiddling around before I finally got it right. All these elements
combine to create a thickness to the atmosphere that makes me feel like I'm right back on the beach every time I view this image.
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
Hanalei is a small town on the north shore of the island. It has a 3-mile wide perfect crescent of sandy shoreline with the rainiest
mountains in the world right behind them. While it rains about 100 inches per year in Hanalei, it rains about 600 inches per year
on Mt. Waialeale, about 5 miles behind the peak on the left. Even with all of the rain, days are usually sunny in Hanalei with maybe
1-2 hours of rain mostly at night. The mountains in this image range from 3,000 to 5,000 feet in height. This shot can only be
done with a medium tide and this effect only lasts for a few minutes before another wave moves in. Here, I attempted to show one
of the waterfalls in the reflection. It took about 15 minutes of fiddling around before I finally got it right. All these elements
combine to create a thickness to the atmosphere that makes me feel like I'm right back on the beach every time I view this image.
| Kauai, from Haena to Kee and the Napali Coast This area receives anywhere between 100-150 inches of rain per year, but it is usually partly cloudy and still has lots of sunshine for landscape photography. The eroded lava cliffs provide stunning vistas and backdrops for memorable images. Even though this area is only about 10 miles long, it would take many years to photograph it all. And even then, every view is different every day. Go here for prints on metal, or canvas (24x36 and smaller) Go here for full-resolution downloads, low-cost photographic prints and framing of all images on this page. |
Light at the End of the Pier Buy!
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
The Hanalei Pier points directly towards the mountains often referred to as "Bali Hai." It refers to a song written by Richard
Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II from the musical South Pacific. This area resembles the island of Tioman, which is the original
Bali Hai.
With the sun rising behind the camera, openings in the clouds allowed the light to filter into the clouds and illuminate the
mountains on the opposite side of Hanalei Bay. Within 10 minutes the rain came in and this low warm light was gone for the day,
replaced later by the bright light of mid-day. I used a long exposure to show the motion in the clouds. Also, the long exposure
time smoothed out the water and simplified the image. That enhanced the effect of light hitting the posts of the pier.
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
The Hanalei Pier points directly towards the mountains often referred to as "Bali Hai." It refers to a song written by Richard
Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II from the musical South Pacific. This area resembles the island of Tioman, which is the original
Bali Hai.
With the sun rising behind the camera, openings in the clouds allowed the light to filter into the clouds and illuminate the
mountains on the opposite side of Hanalei Bay. Within 10 minutes the rain came in and this low warm light was gone for the day,
replaced later by the bright light of mid-day. I used a long exposure to show the motion in the clouds. Also, the long exposure
time smoothed out the water and simplified the image. That enhanced the effect of light hitting the posts of the pier.
Under the Pier, Hanalei Buy!
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
I wanted to create a surreal image that showed the interesting colors and detail under the Hanalei pier. A long exposure softened
the waves which occasionally brushed up against the top part of the concrete in this image. I had to abort my 30 second planned
exposure several times and run away from larger waves, until I had a good long period of smaller waves. I like the symmetry
underneath piers, so I always try to capture it if I can.
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
I wanted to create a surreal image that showed the interesting colors and detail under the Hanalei pier. A long exposure softened
the waves which occasionally brushed up against the top part of the concrete in this image. I had to abort my 30 second planned
exposure several times and run away from larger waves, until I had a good long period of smaller waves. I like the symmetry
underneath piers, so I always try to capture it if I can.
Haena Morning Buy!
Location: Haena Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
Haena Beach is a classic vision of paradise. Over 100 inches of rain fall here annually yet nearly every day is mostly sunny with
just brief rain showers. These are perfect conditions for good light when the sun angle is low. I had to wait for over an hour at
sunrise for clouds to the left of the frame to open up and let the light to hit the mountains and graze across the golden sand and
clear water. Mid-day light would not show as much detail because there would be little shadow to accentuate the texture of the
sand and cliffs.
Location: Haena Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
Haena Beach is a classic vision of paradise. Over 100 inches of rain fall here annually yet nearly every day is mostly sunny with
just brief rain showers. These are perfect conditions for good light when the sun angle is low. I had to wait for over an hour at
sunrise for clouds to the left of the frame to open up and let the light to hit the mountains and graze across the golden sand and
clear water. Mid-day light would not show as much detail because there would be little shadow to accentuate the texture of the
sand and cliffs.
Hanalei Mist Buy!
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
The mist and cloud set the mood on this memorable morning. Clear skies would have been nice to walk under, but the mood
would have been gone and the light would have been harsh. Hanalei Bay is a 3-mile long perfect crescent of sand surrounded by
the world’s rainiest mountains. Over 500 inches of rain drench nearby Mt. Waialeale every year and about 100 inches fall on this
beach. Despite all that rain, days are mostly clear so it still took me several return trips to this beach in order to be here at the
right time. Up to seven waterfalls are often seen in the mountains after a good rain shower. The atmosphere created some nice
warm filtered light, which turned the sand into gold for a few seconds in between waves.
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
The mist and cloud set the mood on this memorable morning. Clear skies would have been nice to walk under, but the mood
would have been gone and the light would have been harsh. Hanalei Bay is a 3-mile long perfect crescent of sand surrounded by
the world’s rainiest mountains. Over 500 inches of rain drench nearby Mt. Waialeale every year and about 100 inches fall on this
beach. Despite all that rain, days are mostly clear so it still took me several return trips to this beach in order to be here at the
right time. Up to seven waterfalls are often seen in the mountains after a good rain shower. The atmosphere created some nice
warm filtered light, which turned the sand into gold for a few seconds in between waves.
Ke'e Flow Buy!
Location: Ke'e Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
Kee Beach, on Kauai's North shore is a popular place to watch the sunset. But the people stay high up on the beach, allowing a
good open view with no people in the image. This was a very enjoyable sunset to witness. Other than waiting for good light to
come through the clouds and for just the right little wave to come through the offshore reef, this was an easy image to make.
Well, people kept walking down the beach just as I was about to shoot...the nerve of them!
Location: Ke'e Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
Kee Beach, on Kauai's North shore is a popular place to watch the sunset. But the people stay high up on the beach, allowing a
good open view with no people in the image. This was a very enjoyable sunset to witness. Other than waiting for good light to
come through the clouds and for just the right little wave to come through the offshore reef, this was an easy image to make.
Well, people kept walking down the beach just as I was about to shoot...the nerve of them!
Ke'e Reef Buy!
Location: Ke'e Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
This beach is as far as you can go before beginning the hike to the Kalalau Valley in the distance. This shows the very last light
before it faded to darkness. A long exposure allowed the sand and reef features to stand out from the moving water. For the
viewer, this creates the feeling of standing right on this spot for the incredible sunset. There were several photographers with
expensive cameras and tripods standing right next to me who insisted that there was no decent shot to be had on this evening.
They looked incredulous as I stood there for the 90 second exposure, but they looked surprised when I showed them this picture
on the back of my view screen! This goes to show that you should never give up until all the light is gone for the day.
Location: Ke'e Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
This beach is as far as you can go before beginning the hike to the Kalalau Valley in the distance. This shows the very last light
before it faded to darkness. A long exposure allowed the sand and reef features to stand out from the moving water. For the
viewer, this creates the feeling of standing right on this spot for the incredible sunset. There were several photographers with
expensive cameras and tripods standing right next to me who insisted that there was no decent shot to be had on this evening.
They looked incredulous as I stood there for the 90 second exposure, but they looked surprised when I showed them this picture
on the back of my view screen! This goes to show that you should never give up until all the light is gone for the day.
Queen's Bath Flow Buy!
Location: Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
This naturally formed pool was scooped out of the lava by large and relentless surf. There is no coral reef offshore, so large waves
from the North Pacific pound this area in the winter. On calm days at low tide, this pool is a great place to swim, but with high
surf it is a great place to avoid, as it gets so violent that you can't even tell that there is a pool here at all! To make this
photograph, I waited for the first rays of light to hit the distant mountains before taking this shot just after a wave had mixed up
the water.
Location: Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
This naturally formed pool was scooped out of the lava by large and relentless surf. There is no coral reef offshore, so large waves
from the North Pacific pound this area in the winter. On calm days at low tide, this pool is a great place to swim, but with high
surf it is a great place to avoid, as it gets so violent that you can't even tell that there is a pool here at all! To make this
photograph, I waited for the first rays of light to hit the distant mountains before taking this shot just after a wave had mixed up
the water.
Water Buy!
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
When I saw this scene, I was struck by how I could see the entire water cycle happening right before my eyes. The water was
evaporating, lifting into the clouds, raining back to earth, flowing down the seven waterfalls, and draining into this taro field. There
was no wind. Hundreds of small fish were swimming around, making the reflections soft while the leaves were stationary for the
entire two seconds of the exposure. So they were perfectly sharp.
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
When I saw this scene, I was struck by how I could see the entire water cycle happening right before my eyes. The water was
evaporating, lifting into the clouds, raining back to earth, flowing down the seven waterfalls, and draining into this taro field. There
was no wind. Hundreds of small fish were swimming around, making the reflections soft while the leaves were stationary for the
entire two seconds of the exposure. So they were perfectly sharp.
Hanalei Light Buy!
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
The Hanalei Pier is a great place to fish early in the morning, but I found nobody here for a few minutes just after sunrise. Within
minutes, the fishermen appeared. I liked the light on the mountains in the background, which only occurs like this near the winter
solstice. I waited for that log to wash ashore and add a little extra interest up front. Then I included a bit of the dry sand in the
bottom of the frame to contrast with the wetter sand where the wave just washed ashore. I also made sure that the lens was
high enough to see a glimpse of the waves above the top of the pier on the right side. Sometimes you have to think like a painter
to improve the image.
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
The Hanalei Pier is a great place to fish early in the morning, but I found nobody here for a few minutes just after sunrise. Within
minutes, the fishermen appeared. I liked the light on the mountains in the background, which only occurs like this near the winter
solstice. I waited for that log to wash ashore and add a little extra interest up front. Then I included a bit of the dry sand in the
bottom of the frame to contrast with the wetter sand where the wave just washed ashore. I also made sure that the lens was
high enough to see a glimpse of the waves above the top of the pier on the right side. Sometimes you have to think like a painter
to improve the image.
Haena Surf Buy!
Location: Haena Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
In the winter, large waves break in portions of Haena Beach that are not protected by the coral reef. This one is over 10 feet tall
from its base. They can get even larger during winter storms. After every shot, I had to run, as I planted the tripod right in the
path of the waves to get the best shot. These waves looked best just before the break, as the light penetrated through them.
The sand glistened and moved for just a second before drying up, so timing was important.
Location: Haena Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
In the winter, large waves break in portions of Haena Beach that are not protected by the coral reef. This one is over 10 feet tall
from its base. They can get even larger during winter storms. After every shot, I had to run, as I planted the tripod right in the
path of the waves to get the best shot. These waves looked best just before the break, as the light penetrated through them.
The sand glistened and moved for just a second before drying up, so timing was important.
Haena Sands Buy!
Location: Haena Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
Originally, I came to this beach on the north shore of Kauai to make some images of the large waves there. While I was
concentrating on the motion of the water, I noticed how the sand turned reflective for just a few seconds between waves. So I
moved in closer to get a better view of the sand with the fast moving waves and well-lit sky in the background. I had to choose
smaller well-formed waves, as the larger ones obscured the trees in the background. It took several attempts to capture a wave
breaking while the sand was reflective and full of detail. Usually the sand dried up before the next wave hit, but my patience paid
off.
Location: Haena Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
Originally, I came to this beach on the north shore of Kauai to make some images of the large waves there. While I was
concentrating on the motion of the water, I noticed how the sand turned reflective for just a few seconds between waves. So I
moved in closer to get a better view of the sand with the fast moving waves and well-lit sky in the background. I had to choose
smaller well-formed waves, as the larger ones obscured the trees in the background. It took several attempts to capture a wave
breaking while the sand was reflective and full of detail. Usually the sand dried up before the next wave hit, but my patience paid
off.
Taro Skies Buy!
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
This taro field near Hanalei is planted and then flooded with water until the tubers are ready for harvest. I waited for a week for
these conditions to appear. A big rain created 7 waterfalls (5 seen here and all seven in the image 'Water'), which only last a few
hours. All I had to do here was wait for the breeze to calm down for 6 seconds and for the moon to pop out from behind the
clouds. I needed F22 despite the long resulting exposure time because I wanted the leaves to be close in front and for them to be
in sharp focus.
Location: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Story:
This taro field near Hanalei is planted and then flooded with water until the tubers are ready for harvest. I waited for a week for
these conditions to appear. A big rain created 7 waterfalls (5 seen here and all seven in the image 'Water'), which only last a few
hours. All I had to do here was wait for the breeze to calm down for 6 seconds and for the moon to pop out from behind the
clouds. I needed F22 despite the long resulting exposure time because I wanted the leaves to be close in front and for them to be
in sharp focus.
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