Hawaii

  • Keahole Point sunset on the edge of a shoreline blow hole
    Jan
    2015
    05
    2015 / Jan / 05

    In And Out

    Dark clouds began to build from the massive storm about to hit the Hawaiian Islands. On shore winds made this location extremely challenging to shoot. With each wave crash, sea spray would speckle the filter causing another cleaning. I wasn’t anticipating the wind otherwise I would have brought some sort of shield. Instead I used my shirt, slipping it over the camera while cleaning the filter carefully keeping still on the slippery rock face as giant waves raged toward me. Must have been a sight to watch… somewhat embarrassing.
    I shot several images of the wave action, but this one I feel captures the violence and movement of the ocean during the storm.

    © Christopher Johnson

  • 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.

    Buy a Print

    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.

  • A waterfall along the road to Hana in Maui
    Feb
    2014
    24
    2014 / Feb / 24

    Tranquility

    Waken Falls Waterfall along the road to Hana.

    On a recent trip to Maui, we set out for Hana on a nice day trip. I really didn’t know what to expect since I had never been there, and I was pleasantly surprised. Every turn there was such amazing beauty. From the inland gulches to the wide open vistas, I was in awe.

    Just as we were driving over one of the many one lane bridges I noticed a brilliant waterfall tucked around the bend of a hillside. I had to photograph this waterfall. We had to park about 300 yards up the road and hike back down to the bridge and then scale a very slippery hillside under the bridge in order to get to the falls. Because of the recent rainfall everything was wet and had a nice sheen of moss covering. It took everything to not slip down the hillside. The risk was definitely it once we came around and faced the three waterfalls. Simply breathtaking.

    I shot the front of the falls first, but found that I really wasn’t capturing the location very well. I just loved how the moss and ferns were canvasing the rock face. The only way to capture that was along the side of the falls. Here in this shot I feel as if I’ve got the personality of the scene. The ferns and vines along the rocks with a backdrop of the falls in the background as they run into the dark green water.

    © Christopher Johnson

  • Looking back toward Hualalai mountain across Kiholo Bay. This turquoise water is where the turtles like to play.
    Dec
    2011
    02
    2011 / Dec / 02

    Kiholo Bay

    This was a long-awaited trip I have been wanting to take to Kiholo Bay. The beautiful finger of turquoise water can be seen from HWY 19 and was so inviting. What’s down there? Well this last weekend was my chance to look.

    The access road has been blocked to visitors, so we had to park alongside the road and make the long trek down. To me that is not such a bad thing. For one, it keeps the crowds down. Two, I heard this area had become a tent city for the Micronesians, who were abusing the natural wonders leaving trash everywhere and sudsing up the queens bath. Not a nice thing to see for tourists and locals who want to enjoy the treasures of the islands. Nevertheless, clean up has begun. We began out trip down a cool path through the Kiawe trees and lava rock, deviated through some private property down by the shoreline, and b-lined it straight to the base of the fish pond. As soon as I dropped off my things at a sandy spot on the south edge of the pond I left to explore.

    The other name for this pond is Turtle Bay, and I soon realized why. Some turtles gracefully swam and fed while others sun bathed, speckling the peninsula with their salty white shells. I navigated around every finger of the old Mauna Loa lava flow, which nearly took out all of this fish pond, excited to see the large grouping of fish along the edge of the water and the random turtle sighting. I made it to the far end of the pond and paused to take this picture looking back toward the mountains. What a cool magical place.

    I look forward to returning.

    by Christopher Johnson – www.fromhereonin.com

     

  • Mar
    2011
    13
    2011 / Mar / 13

    Afternoon After the Tsunami

    At the end of the day we decided to take a walk down Ali’i Drive to see the damage from the tsunami.

    A lot of the stores on the lower level near the sea wall had flooding, but despite the damage some businesses were still open for business. The most surprising damage was to the sea wall and walk path which was completely ripped apart in some spots.

    I couldn’t get good shots because of low light and I didn’t have my tripod with me. I did, however, perch my camera on some walls to help steady the shots.

  • Mar
    2011
    11
    2011 / Mar / 11

    Hawaii Tsunami March 10, 2011

    I was completely apprehensive the entire night of the tsunami warning. My family and I live just off Ali’i dr, which may have been the worst damage of the Hawaiian islands, and were advised to evacuate to higher ground. However, despite the warnings, we decided to stay home. Our home is pretty high up and knew we would be safe from the size waves predicted to hit the islands.

    Every hour the sirens went off waking me from my already stirring sleep. 3:00 am came and went without any notice of a wave.

    In the morning I decided to walk Ali’i dr to see if the rumors of damage were true. At first, nothing seemed to be any different. I was turned around before the Huggo’s restaurant by a police officer. I then headed back toward Honl’s beach and notice a crowd of people wandering around the hotel and condo units on the ocean side. It was then I realized that this tsunami was more than I first thought.

    Large boulders had been hoisted on to the tailored lawn, lower condo units had been destroyed, and even one house on the far end of Honl’s was completely moved off its foundation.

    While speaking with a gentleman riding his bike I learned of a lot more destruction toward Keauhoe, including a house that was completely destroyed.

    If a six to eight foot wave did this much damage… I could only imagine what a twenty foot wave would do.

    My heart goes out to all those effected by this natural disaster.

     

  • 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.

  • Feb
    2011
    27
    2011 / Feb / 27

    String of Clouds

  • Feb
    2011
    25
    2011 / Feb / 25

    Romance

    After the stormy weather passed, we were graced with this beautiful sunset.