It’s a funny thing having an image in one’s mind and then trying to go after it. As time has progressed I find my ideas are more and more subject to the ephemerality of nature (yes that’s a word…or should be). This particular afternoon the conditions were aligning to go after one of these such ideas; heavy ehu kai (sea spray) hugging the cliffs of the Na Pali at sunset. With the surf pounding the north shore of great than 30′ I knew the possibility was there. All I needed was a clear (enough) sky to the west and light winds to allow the spray to build. Getting to the trail I had a bit of extra pep in my step and managed to make the first .5mi in about 10 minutes. From there I was greeted with a welcome sight. I had shot from 2 locations in the area before and knew approximately where I should be but allowed some time to scout just in case.
As the sun got lower the clouds out on the horizon helped play with the light as it popped through. This dappling of light along the cliffs was nothing short of magical and a great preamble to the light show that would happen just shortly after this. But that’s an image that will have to wait until another day 🙂
Aloha!
aF
Tag: kauai
Protraction
It had been years…many, since I had last taken a camera to shoot the Waimea Pier. The chance came up after a camping trip to Polihale on the west side of Kauai. On the way back home it was late enough in the day that we decided to stop by and catch a sunset at the pier. Having a few ideas already in my mind I set to work experimenting with different compositions. Running from standing on the pier to underneath it, trying to work as quickly as possible with the dwindling light. Comical I’m sure to watch. My goal for this session were long exposures so each time I set a shot and clicked I was waiting anywhere from 30-60s. Doesnt make for quick work.
As the sun was dropping I managed to get off this exposure under the pier and was quite happy with the dance of light around the pillars and base. The funny thing is that even making sure my horizon was level, the pier is not straight! Looks like someone needed a protractor when building this one 😉
Enjoy!
aF
Tears Of Joy
“Tears of Joy”
It’s hard to describe the circumstances around getting this photo. The gist is running an errand last minute which was on a correction mission and driving through one of the craziest storms ever. Then, headed around traffic (because of construction) saw the mountains as the storm broke and was able to quickly get to a friends place with an epic view.
Needless to say this is a lot of water coming down Wai’ale’ale (and Kawakini-left falls). The mist is forming in a small valley that a small (usually) river rolls through. The massive water flow helped create its own clouds that would drift up.
Now, for those photogs out there. I learned another HUGE lesson today…again. I had changed my camera to shoot sRAW for the time-lapse and forgot to change it back in the excitement of this photo. ALWAYS check your settings. Alas the maximum print size for this image will be highly truncated. Lesson learned!
Sound The Horns
Spouting Horn is always a fun place to shoot…and a bit tricky. Getting down to the rocks requires a bit of sneaking and a lot of precautions. Ending up as a statistic is never on my agenda. Working around the ocean for so long I always take my time to make sure I’m safe where I want to be and have a way out if need be.
This shot in general has been on the to do list for a while. And knowing myself I’m going to keep trying it. As usual the elements need to align to get the perfect conditions and they were pretty close (at least to what I have in my mind) this night 🙂 But then again…isn’ the fun in trying?
Enjoy!
aF
Wai’oli By Moonlight
The Wai’oli Hui`ia Church is iconic on Kaua’i. Standing by itself toward the end of Hanalei on the road it’s one of those places that just begs to be photographed. And it gets its fair share. One can usually see people pulled over snapping photos throughout the day. On this particular Friday night in February 2010 I had spent sunset out at Ke’e Beach (see: Sun’s Retreat) catching a very tranquil end of day. Clear, calm. Perfect winter day. On the way back the itch got a hold of me and I pulled over myself to see what I could do in the full moonlight.
One of the difficulties of photographing the church is getting a proper angle on it. Because of various obstacles this becomes challenging. Plus now it was night and had to balance all the light sources being throw at me. Recalling correctly I spent the better part of an hour trying all different options. On this particular capture I very well might have been standing on the roof of my car across the street. In the end the mix of moonlight, Church light, star light and street light all combined to make a perfect little scene in Hanalei that night!
Enjoy!
aF
The Space Between
“The Space Between” (unreleased)
Twilight turns to darkness at the end of the road. The Na Pali Coast reflects in to a still Ke’e Beach lagoon as the stars and Milky Way make their presence known. Magical.
aF
Mystical Waipo’o
“Mystical Waipo’o” (unreleased)
Coming back down from Koke’e I always look across canyon to see what Waipo’o is doing. Being that it was a misty, rainy day I saw the clouds lifting around the falls and immediately pulled over and ran back up the road. Was able to catch this moment of light and color. Waimea Canyon is always incredible
Thanks!
aF
It’s Evolution Baby!
Ok…couldnt resist taking that Pearl Jam line. But it’s appropriate. 🙂 Wanted to make a quick blog post and share a little before and after, only separated by about 6 years. So as we learn as artists (read: humans) our tastes evolve, our skills evolve, even computers evolve. I know when I first really started shooting seriously that one of my main problems was that I couldnt get the photograph to look how I wanted/experienced. Fast forward 6 years and a lot has changed. The last time I touched this photo was probably about that long ago. Lightroom, which I predominately use, has updated drastically as well as my techniques. That being said here is an image I took in Nov 2008 at sunrise along the east side of Kaua’i. There’s actually some I still like in the old edit but the new image, albeit edited fairly quickly, has a more refined feeling to it (at least I believe). Both are true to the scene however give a different feel to the sunrise.
Much thanks and hope you enjoyed this jog down memory lane 😛
aF
“A New Day” (unreleased….and probably will be forever)
Queens Bath at Sunset
“Bathed In Light” (unreleased)
I find it funny for as many times as I’ve been there and photos I’ve taken around it….I have very few of Queens Bath itself. One of my favorite locations on Kaua’i it can be tremendously beautiful, or extremely dangerous (think 30′ waves). On this particular afternoon I was out on a private workshop and were exploring the coast. As we worked our way down and finally got to the Bath itself we noticed that the waves were just big enough to occasionally refill a pool of water up hill, which would then filter down in to the bath. With the sky to the west clear I had the feeling that the light would be perfect to possibly illuminate the pulsing water. The next key factor was, of course, a wave filling the pool above when the sun was in the right position. For anyone that has been around the ocean, shooting or not, it does not always cooperate. As the sun got lower the client and I were doing our voodoo dance for that one wave….then…”look out!”. The biggest wave of the day came through (not dangerously…just shocking), which caused us to pick up our tripods but woah there was a lot of water! Quickly reset the tripod and started firing off exposures. The light lasted about 5 minutes. We assessed our other photographic possibilities then the victory hike back up to the parking lot. Just another afternoon chasing light (and waves)!
Come join Kory Lidstrom and me in March for a 6 Day Workshop on Kaua’i! More info here!
Much thanks!
aF
A Tale Of Two Falls
“A Tale Of Two Falls” (unreleased)
Another fun title…and project. This one meandering through my mind for years. Unsure of what to expect or what would be possible just knowing there was a chance of something…
Getting a chance to head down to the falls a couple of months prior I was stymied by too much water coming over the falls…rendering the scene, wet. This particular day the timing was correct. A bit drier over the previous week and the two streams were about as calm as they get. Approaching the falls itself is a fun endevour. Down a cliff over some rocks/roots/branches, etc and then of course making the way behind the falls. For those that have been near a waterfall before of any significant size know about the wind that they create on their own from the force of the falling water. This one is no different which of course makes shooting behind the falls even more challenging. Then throw in the dramatic differences in light, and well, there ya have it. Given that I’m usually end up shooting the most difficult thing possible…I combined those factors with a panorama. The dance around the camera, light, and spray I’m sure was entertaining to watch. And the hope was that I would get something with little to no water spots to work with. Luckily I was right 🙂
Much thanks!
aF
