Hawaii pix

[Marko]

Here's some pix from Hawaii. I was lucky enough to go for 2 weeks in May 2010. My generous uncle had a timeshare there for one week. :) and my wife and I splurged a second week. First week was on Oahu in Honolulu which was gorgeous but a bit commercial for my tastes especially in The Waikiki area. (Outside that area - awesome though.) Very expensive. Most expensive real estate in the USA. (For tourists - flight is expensive (from eastern canada anyway), food about +20%, activities are EXTREMELY expensive. High quality hotel rooms are reasonable at around 100/night - try to get that in NYC - lol) Second week was 3 days in Maui and 4 days on the Big Island of Hawaii. Big Island was my fave and Maui my wife's fave. Big island was my fave because the landscape is awesome with lava everywhere and VOG (volcanic emissions) that diffused the light and got you the deepest colour saturation and the most unbelievable varied flowers that you'll see anywhere.

Maui was my wife's fave cuz it's simply frikken gorgeous. The mountains are beautiful and the sky always seems to meet them with gorgeous clouds.

anyway here's 3 shots of a sunrise at Haleakala Maui that I dragged my not happy wife to in the middle of the night for 2.5 hours up a steep dark cliff. lol. Feel free to comment on any aspect.
Sunrise at Haleakala

[Marko]

I call these Boats and Bird-rape With Two Watchmen. Maui HI.

[Michaelaw]

The guy hanging from the mast of that ship is spooky :laughing:

[Iguanasan]

I agree with Michael. The guy hanging from the mast is creepy. The shot, however, is not. Love the big, openness of the shot. Very cool. :cool:

And the "bird rape" is just disturbing :eek: I prefer to think of her having
'fallen and can't get up" and those three birds are rushing to her rescue. :)

[Iguanasan]

The first 3 look like clouds from a plane. Am I not seeing it right? Are they actually waves in the water? I love whatever it is, clouds or water. I find the rocks a bit flat though.

[kat]

I can't get over the faces I see in the rock in the 3rd image first post and the guy hanging on the boat!

I would love to go to Hawaii! Would you recommend things to do and not?

[Marko]

Thanks for the comments!

The first 3 look like clouds from a plane. Am I not seeing it right? Are they actually waves in the water? I love whatever it is, clouds or water. I find the rocks a bit flat though.

Nope these were all taken at sunrise from the top of Haleakala Mountain where we were above the clouds. I too really dug shot 2 because the clouds do indeed look like waves crashing into the mountain. The rocks are indeed a bit flat in these compressed jpegs because not much light reached them - The RAW file has much more beautiful (but subtle shadow detail).


I can't get over the faces I see in the rock in the 3rd image first post and the guy hanging on the boat!

I would love to go to Hawaii! Would you recommend things to do and not?

Yup those faces called to me as well which is why I took the shot. I forgot to put a specific title to that shot, but the moment I took the shot I knew the title was The Witness. A bit corny, I know - but I'm very fond of first impressions and instincts.

In terms of going to Hawaii - If you have 2 weeks...skip Oahu (unless you love exclusive shopping) . Spend 1 week on maui and I week on the Big Island. If you have 3 weeks, also go to Kaui and the smaller islands off Maui. Hawaii is all about water activities and natural splendor imo, if those main activities interest you as they do most people...you'll love it. Hawaii is far though...it is also the most remote place on planet earth. (meaning it is farther from any other land mass than anyplace else).
Hope that helps - Marko

[Marko]

Here's 2 more - Fruit tree (Honolulu) and Leaves in Love (Iao valley, Maui)

[Mad Aussie]

Nominated that 1st shot ... the Haleakala Maui ... beautiful vindication for a big effort.

[Hillbillygirl]

Very nice series Marko, lik'em all. Have to say that #1 is for sure, my fave, though.

[Marko]

thx HB - Here's 3 from the big island. Shot 1 really shows the nutty saturation of colour in the flowers, just wacko cool.
Shot 2 shows the lava that covers a large part of the island -I may need to redo this one..hmm
Shot 3, I just like the subtle water movement on the rocks. say, I feel like a doofus but does anyone know what the black things on the rocks are before i guess wrongly..lol.?

[Marko]

2 Shots - Volcanoes national park - Big Island, HI
Shot 1 - Sunrise near Volcanoes National park
Shot 2 - Steam Vents at VNP

[Iguanasan]

thx HB - Here's 3 from the big island. Shot 1 really shows the nutty saturation of colour in the flowers, just wacko cool.
Shot 2 shows the lava that covers a large part of the island -I may need to redo this one..hmm
Shot 3, I just like the subtle water movement on the rocks. say, I feel like a doofus but does anyone know what the black things on the rocks are before i guess wrongly..lol.?

1) Love the colour.

2) Love the way the flowers poke out of the rock! Cool.

3) I think they are periwinkles but they don't look like the periwinkles I'm used to seeing.

[Marko]

Thanks Iggy!
here's 2 more I'll call them The Elders 1 - Crozier Ferns in VNP and The Elders II

[Bambi]

wow these are great. love the elders! the things on the rock- I'm with Iggy-they look like periwinkles but not like the ones here.

[Mad Aussie]

The steam vents and the ferns remind me of NZ.

[Marko]

Thx for the comments!
Unfortunately I only spent about 3 hours at VNP and was totally rushed...but it's a magic place. I could have EASILY, no BS, spent 1 full week at that park.

It's the difference between a family vacation and a photography vacation...although i always try to sneak photos, this was a family vacation. So the vast majority of shots are just souvenir shots.... hard to complain too much though...the pro side to this, is that you get to EXPERIENCE what you are seeing and what you are doing. For me, when I'm too into the photography part, i miss the aspect of just 'being there'.

[Michaelaw]

Post #12, second image is very cool Marko, love the exposure and mood:highfive:

[JAS_Photo]

I am with Michael here, love the sepia toned steam vents photo. Ironic, I know. The others, especially the first sunrise clouds are beautiful as well. :)