Tag: #maui

Waterfall Wednesday

This waterfall from the Hawaiian Island of Maui is getting me excited about my trip to Iceland, which is just around the corner — next Wednesday. Waterfalls are plentiful in a volcanic landscape, so I expect Iceland to bear lots of resemblance to Maui, except colder.

I’m ready for rain, waterfalls everywhere, a black sand beach and a few extras like puffins, the midnight sun and some glaciers. I’m packing lots of lenses and guide books and layered hiking clothes, and I am hoping for lots of good photography to share with you.

#waterfall, #waterfallwednesday, #maui, #iceland, #tropical, #hot, #volcanic
The Travel Channel declared today Waterfall Wednesday, so I’m happy to share a waterfall I shot in Maui along the road to Hana in September 2016.

Nature Photography Calendar

As 2016 rumbles to a close, I’m preparing for a busy 2017. I expect 2017 to be a year of practice, focus and growth.  I  look forward to a July expedition to Iceland to explore and photograph the marvelous scenery there.

But we would not wish to say good-bye to the sights and memories of 2016 without a chance to reflect on them. A September trip to Hawaii and Maui provided most of my year’s photography opportunities. I’ve assembled some of the best images of 2016 in a Nature Calendar, and I am making it available to you. Measuring 14″ wide by 22″ long, it is printed on premium card stock.

#calendar, #naturephotography, #landscape, #birds, #flowers
Memorable landscape photography from Hawaii in Cathy Kelly’s 2017 Calendar can brighten your home or office, available for $26 plus shipping.

Order online here.
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Alau Island, Maui

Alau Island off the coast of Maui reminds me of the small rocky islands in the Great Barrier Reef. As creatures of the 21st century, we can’t help but rejoice to find a piece of land undeveloped and basking in its natural glory. How many places on the planet can we find like this?

#maui, #hawaii, #sunset, #lava, #ocean, #waterscape, #nature, #landscape, #pinkclouds, #alau
Alau Island off the coast of Maui at sunset, as seen with a long exposure.

Just before sunset, Alau Island was shrouded with a pastel pink and blue blanket of color. I set my Nikon D800 for a long exposure to smooth the waves, the bright surf reflected some of the pink tones as well. It was not long before this scene slipped into darkness, and the full moon rose to give the scene a completely different feeling. See Alau Island with a darkening sky and full moon rising in this earlier blog post.

Tropical Memories

It’s snowing and blowing outside in Pittsburgh, today, but I am focused on memories of the tropics. This is the highest waterfall and pool of the Seven Sacred Pools in Haleakala National Park in Maui. I could not see over the vegetation myself from the hiking path, but I set the camera and raised it over my head, mounted on its tripod to capture this view.

#waterfall, #maui, #hawaii, #tropical, #tropics, #landscape, #nature, #nikon, #reallyrightstuff
The lush vegetation of the tropics frames the waterfall on Maui on a lovely late afternoon in Haleakala National Park.

Seven Sacred Pools

At the far end of Maui’s Road to Hana, a series of waterfalls splash into terraces on a path to the Pacific. It wasn’t easy to get there through record rainfall, floods and numerous mudslides onto the road. But you can see the Sun God smiled on us late that afternoon, and the scene was brilliant, even though it was backlit. My Singh Ray graduated ND filter enhanced the final image.

#sevensacredpools, #haleakala, #nationalparks, #backlit,#singhray, #NDfilter, #lava, #travel, #nature
Seven Sacred Pools is a striking destination at the far end of Maui’s Road to Hana.

We have arrived at the lowest point of the Haleakala National Park, after watching the sunrise at the 10,00 foot summit a few days earlier. (See my Blessed Sunrise post.)

Scenes that echo

As a landscape photographer, I am drawn to waterscapes everywhere I travel — from New Zealand to Hawaii and many other scenic locations. I find myself watching the surf, the rocks, the sunsets, the weather and the natural vegetation around the world.

When I encountered this scene in Maui recently, I was intrigued by the island — the way the surf had eroded it, the way the surf continued to interact with it and the vegetation that grew on it.

#lava, #island, #maui, #waterscape, #tropical, #erosion
This lava island on Maui hosts tropical vegetation, and it is constantly licked and pounded by the relentless Pacific surf.

The lava island in Maui reminded me strongly of a rocky island that caught my eye in New Zealand in 2014. The NZ island was also constantly buffeted by the surf within a bay, and supported an interesting crop of vegetation. The two islands actually look quite different, but my fascination with them made a strong echo in my mind.

#island, #newzealand, #rocks, #vegetation, #abeltasman, #waterscape, #nature, #landscape
This island in Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand also caught my eye. I was attracted to the vegetation it hosted as well as its rocky foundation and “roots” underwater.

Two Suns in Maui

As the fiery orange sun was moments away from dipping into the Pacific, just below the distant rain clouds, sunbeams also appeared high in the sky.  It almost seemed as if the afternoon sun was peaking through that opening in the clouds! Sure enough, blue sky, golden light and a brightening of the ocean’s surface right below created a unique illusion.

#maui, #sunset, #sky, #beready, #sun, #clouds, #lava
Rain clouds parted just before sunset to let the evening sun reach the viewer from two directions. High in the sky, there appears an illusion of a second sun.

Slow motion surf

There is something soothing about watching water break on the rocks.  Watching the smooth and repetitive motion is mesmerizing like watching fire burning logs in a fireplace. While a fire is hot and orange, and the surf is cool and blue — both natural scenes promote relaxation. I wonder why that is.

#surf, #lava, #maui, #hawaii, #soothing, #nikon
Waves wash over shoreline lava on Maui beach, captured by 200mm lens at 1/3 second, processed entirely in Lightroom.

Blessed Sunrise

Every sunrise is a blessing, but when you rise at 3 am and press onward to the rim of a high-altitude volcano, and you are not socked in by clouds, that’s a special blessing. Surely, we were grateful that the skies were clear on this chilly morning in Maui last month.

#sunrise, #sunstar, #maui, #haleakala, #clouds
Sunrise from rim of Haleakala on Maui.

The sun peaked over the distant clouds and began to illuminate the desolate landscape in the crater. Capturing the moment with a small aperture (f/22) on a fine lens (Nikon 14-24), I was able to bring home an image of a sunstar.

Rain isn’t all bad

While we tend to complain about rain often, rain isn’t all bad. Remind yourself that rain feeds and sustains all our plant life, and through the food chain, all of us. If you need a graphic reminder that rain is a gift, just gaze upon a rainbow. Water and light are both powerful life-giving forces of Nature. When they collaborate to form a rainbow, it’s magical and evanescent.

#rainbow, #maui, #hawaii, #rain, #showers, #ocean, #waves, #landscape, #nature
Rainbows appear as often as rain showers in the Hawaiian islands. Here is an early morning brilliant example from Maui, September 2016.

The waves crashing on the lava rocks in the foreground make a dramatic foreground. Maui is well worth a visit, any time of year. Be prepared for both showers and rainbows.

Please visit my website to see more landscape images and to purchase prints.