Big Island

  • Reflection of a palm tree in the clear water of Kiholo Bay
    Sep
    2014
    28
    2014 / Sep / 28

    Kiholo Bay Sunrise

    The long trek in the dark was totally worth the soothing morning I had at Kiholo Bay this morning. I finally got myself to get up early enough to do this photo trip. Walking through a Kiave forest in pitch black darkness wasn’t the scariest part of the trip, nor was walking on the dangerous terrain of lava rock. It was the 4 goats I happened upon. I had my head down to watch where I was stepping when I briefly looked up. In the darkness I saw what appeared at first to be people looking down from above me. A second later I realized it was a family of goats, but for that initial second, my heart jumped.
    The sun was beginning to glow over Mauna Kea when I finally found my spot at the end of Kiholo Bay looking back toward Hualalai. It was then I felt a much needed calming quietness come over me. Such a beautiful and amazing place to be.

    © Christopher Johnson

  • Aug
    2014
    11
    2014 / Aug / 11

    Tropical Storm

    The days following hurricane Iselle have made for some beautiful sunsets. Long stretches of low lying clouds with amazing formations that the light paints a surprising random pattern of color across the sky. It was the next night after the hurricane first hit land and quickly turned into a tropical storm that I ventured out to enjoy the sunset. My first thought was to go to Kohanaiki, with the white coral sand against the deep blues and purples would make for a pleasing shot, but the gates were still closed. Instead, a few miles down the road, Wawaloli beach park. There is one spot that is always crowded, but was left empty due to the storm. A small stretch of black sand that leads to another stretch of large rounded boulders. I have been wanting to revisit this spot for some time.

    My shots began on the smooth sand, but I eventually found myself clumsily making my way over the slippery boulders. Careful to setup in a location where I wouldn’t get too drenched by unsuspecting, unpredictable waves, I setup to capture both the water movement and clouds in one frame. This shot I feel I captured to moment. With the slow shutter, the incoming waves smoothed out and caressed the dark boulders in a milky white while the stormy clouds are decorated by the colors of the setting sun.

    © Christopher Johnson

  • Pattern of Koi fish
    Jul
    2014
    04
    2014 / Jul / 04

    Overcrowding!

    Fourth of July Mauna Lani turtle release was CHAOS!

    The image of the Koi fish is a visual to how the turtle release event was. My family and I thought to go to the event and see these amazing Green Sea Turtles being released into the wild. Opening with a couple native Hawaiian dances to the freeing of 4 Honu. What we envisioned was totally different than what we experienced.

    We were a little late to the event due to the amazing amounts of traffic of other people thinking to do the same thing with their families. This was all understandable, but as we walked in to the event we began to see the amount of people. I turned to my wife and indicated that there is no way we would be able to see the event. A large rectangle border was created like a runway from the sandy beach and into the water where hundreds of people crowded against it as if to outline the lines. There must have been a row of seven people in front of us. As I looked around people were climbing the trees and rocks to get better views.

    As the event began to start we could see glimpses of what was happening through the dodging heads of the crowds. I am much to short for this as were a lot of other people around me as they held their cameras over their heads to get a picture. My kids were lucky enough to get up front, however, others weren’t so fortunate. Arguments erupted from people that had staked their claim early in the day when someone put their foot in their territory for a moment as everyone lunged foreword to get a better view. I wanted to leave and so did my family, but the crowding wasn’t over.

    We were told when we were dropped off to catch the shuttles at the hotel drive around. It was there we waited for what seemed like an eternity. Grumpy eager people jostling all around us in what was one of the most un-organized situations I have been in. You would think they, the hotel staff, would have this under control as this wasn’t their first event. Instead everyone made their own line and of course theirs is the line because they found a place up front. And then the shuttle arrived.

    The moment the shuttle had stopped behind a car in traffic there was a mad dash of people rushing it as if there was a celebrity to be interviewed by the media. It took us several attempts at the shuttles before we made it with a sigh of relief. “Never again” we told each other as we left.

  • Sun Light shining throughout the ocean water
    Jun
    2014
    28
    2014 / Jun / 28

    Bending Light

    Photograph of sun rays shining through the murky turbulent ocean water.

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    An underwater photograph shot toward the surface of the water as the sun shines through the ocean water makes for dramatic image. Photographed at Mahaiula beach just north of Kailua Kona, Hawaii.

  • Honu, turtle, making it's way up the beach to rest
    Sep
    2011
    30
    2011 / Sep / 30

    Honu Coming To Rest on Anaehoomalu Beach, Waikoloa

    This was an amazing day for turtle sightings. Upon arrival to the Anaehoomalu Beach, AKA A-Bay, my family and I made our way down the coastline away from the hotels only to discover turtle after turtle after turtle. By the time we made it to a little cove, literally around the corner from the main beach, we had counted 15 turtles.

    The turtle pictured here was number 15. It was making it’s way up the beach to rest as the waves continued to pound all around making it struggle. Eventually it made it and slept pretty hardy 20 feet from where we were.

    To give the waves more character and motion I set my camera to aperture priority, enough to slow the shutter to 1/13th sec. This, with Image Stabilizing turned on kept the turtle in focus while blurring the crashing waves slightly. Then in Photoshop, I converted the image to black and white and overexposed +1 to lighten the darks of the turtle and blow out the highlights of the water just enough to make it less distracting.

    The image was nice in color, however, I was adjusting it to work for the Monochrome contest hosted by Popular Photography. Please vote for my image here – http://www.popphoto.com/photo-contest/septphotochallenge2011/photos/all/200250

    by Christopher Johnson – www.fromhereonin.com

     

  • Feb
    2011
    27
    2011 / Feb / 27

    Akaka Falls

    From the lookout along the Akaka Falls visitors trail. I wanted to capture the surrounding foliage of the foreground with the waterfall in the background in this photograph.