ALOHA STATE OF MIND
Those who have been around me long enough know about my obsession with Hawaii. Since early 2008, not a single day goes by that I don't think about it. My first time there was my senior class trip in high school on the island of Oahu, then again in December 2014. I returned from my third trip there just a couple of weeks ago. It was my third time to the island of Oahu, but my first to a different island, Kauai. Kauai was almost indescribable. The best I can say is that it's just raw, natural beauty. Hawaii has a way of putting a spell over its visitors and inhabitants. I like to call it the "Aloha State of Mind". You are surrounded by the beauty of God's Creation in a real life, heaven on Earth location. It truly is paradise.
Per usual, I brought my camera everywhere I went. It didn't take long before I grew frustrated shooting there. Not because the shots weren't good, but because no picture can perfectly show off Hawaii. I always aim to shoot with the intention of making myself or the eventual viewer feel like they are in that moment that the picture was taken. By the end of my trip, I had over 6,000 shots to sort through. Again, I grew frustrated during the editing process because no matter what you do to a picture, nothing replaces the actual feeling and memories of being there yourself.
Below is a gallery of images I have narrowed down from those 6,000 photos. I'm sure plenty more will come out over time, but for now these are both my personal favorites and in my opinion, the best I have to show off the best that Hawaii, in Oahu and Kauai have to offer - raw, natural beauty.
HAWAIIAN ICE
My favorite shot from Hawaii. I've really been trying and experimenting with getting in the water and doing wave photography and this is by far, what I feel like is my best shot yet.
Places seen in photos
Blow Hole - Oahu
Lanikai Beach - Oahu
Banzai Pipeline - Oahu
Poipu Beach - Kauai
Spouting Horn - Kauai
Waimea Canyon - Kauai
Na Pali Coast - Kauai
Kalalau Trail - Kauai
Hanakapiai Falls - Kauai
Tunnels Beach - Kauai
Hanalei Bay - Kauai
Polihale Beach - Kauai
Mahaulepu Coast - Kauai
Special thanks to Jack Harter Helicopter Tours and Blue Ocean Adventure Tours for their excellent service and enabling visitors like myself to see these places from a different perspective - in both air and sea.