Sacred Shores: A Photographer's Love Letter to Hawaii

Imagine air you can almost taste, and a warm, balmy atmosphere that invigorates your pores and expands your lungs in a way that makes you feel as if you've never breathed before. From the start, you know that something about this place is different. There's an undercurrent of history and culture, but something deeper lingers as well. It's subtle, constantly reminding you that you're not just in a new place: you're standing on ancient grounds in the middle of an equally-ancient frontier.

Kehena Black Sand Beach - Big Island of Hawaii f/5.0 80mm 1/100 sec ISO 100

If you've ever visited the Hawaiian Islands, you will forever dream of returning. There's something about lava rocks, white or black sand, and tropical trails that only Hawaii can offer. The natives are welcoming, and to them, everyone is family. The word "stress" is simply not in their dictionary.

Wailua Falls on the Road to Hana - Maui, HI f/6.3 68mm 1/1100 sec ISO 100

The road to Hana is famous for its hairpin turns and single lane bridges through incredibly lush rainforests. The traffic may be slow, but the view is stunning and the experience is unforgettable.

A solitary moment in paradise under Wailua Falls. f/6.0 24mm 1/45 sec ISO 200

I think this brave sojourner found it worth the trek. If only we could freeze moments like this in time (oh wait, it's called photography!)

The Big Island of Hawaii

The Big Island is a first choice when it comes to native Hawaiians, black sand and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Big shoutout to Kahuna Steve who took time to show us around the islands on more than one occasion, including Mahaloween!

A simple gateway to island serenity sending you true aloha, "A hui hou" ..."Until we meet again"

The beauty and the perplexity is in the marriage of sea and land. The islands have been hand-in-hand with the surrounding ocean from time immemorial, as have its people. Everything is different here. Sensation, sight, sound. It is something for the heart to fall back into and experience, not a thing to be processed by the mind. You feel like a pebble being tossed by the waves on a wonderful new adventure, lovingly held and caught between two vast worlds that have somehow invited you in. You can't help but give yourself up to whatever awaits you in this new place. Like the pebble, you willingly abandon yourself to the ride.