A veiled sunrise along Nukoli’i
(please click on the image for a higher resolution version)
The first sunrise of this visit to Kaua’i was spectacular. I watched the clouds retreat towards the horizon under the moonlight before dawn and when the day started to come, they were a heavy veil stretching up from the ocean. A few minutes after sunrise, the sun shone red through a thin spot in the clouds. For the next twenty minutes the sun broke free here and there while the waves kept crashing in and the sky steadily brightened. Nukoli’i Beach is a long stretch of sand along Kaua’i’s eastern shore. At this time of the year, the sun rises directly off the beach. When the clouds cooperate, the mornings can be exceedingly beautiful. This morning was exactly that.
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Aloha from Kaua’i
The kids traveled super well yesterday and before the sun had set on the day, we were in Kaua’i. Starting another photographic journey this morning, we are perched on our deck overlooking the ocean facing east and waiting for the morning to arrive. We made half the adjustment to the time change so Kian and Kezia were up at 5. That helps to make sure I don’t miss the sunrise.
This Hibiscus was the first chance I had to pick up the camera – while Bobbi was getting our keys.
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Hawaiian Landscapes: Kaua’i Sunrises
I was able to enjoy three consecutive sunrises down on the eastern shore of Kaua’i in the last days of our trip in December. I went to a couple of different spots between Kealia and Kapa’a and each offered a different perspective of the coastline. Here are a few of the photographs I liked from these mornings on the water with the rising sun.
A defiant shelf of rock juts out into the surf while the sun drives through a set of breaking clouds. Before dawn, these clouds were knitted together and lashed the coast south of Kealia with a heavy rain. I was happy they had the good graces to separate and catch the early morning light.
A break between waves allow the water resting in these small tidal pools to reflect the color in the sky along the shore just north of Kapa’a.
Spray from the waves hitting the rocks was a challenge and demanded frequent spot cleanings. In this image above, I found the water spots on my lens were diffracting the sunlight in the middle of the image which added to the motion in the water and drew my eye up to the sun. I liked these rocks grouped just off shore and enjoyed trying to show the movement of the waves and sunlight in that time just after sunrise there.
The color lasts for only a couple of minutes this close to the equator as the sun seems to jump into the sky very quickly. This large cloud bank was in good position to catch the pink light as the sun pulled clear of a distant storm on the edge of the horizon.
The sun halo I could create here stole the show from the foreground rocks so I centered on it and eliminated any strong elements that would distract from this interesting optical illusion.
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Hawaiian Nightscapes: Crescent moon over Hanalei
On two separate evenings, I photographed the sunset from a viewpoint overlooking Hanalei Bay. It is the wet, stormy season on Kaua’i’s north coast which was still warm and pretty sunny. It does help to create amazing clouds and when the sun was long gone I was still shooting the clouds, the moon and the afterglow. The picture below was from a few minutes earlier when the glow up the coast was at its strongest point.
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Hawaiian Seascape: Soft water and black rock
This time of year the northern coast of Kaua’i receives the heavy swells that hit the shoreline unchecked from the open water of the Pacific. I was waiting for the sun to rise and the low light of dawn allowed me to use a shutter speed of four seconds. This long exposure blurred the rows of spiky waves softening them into a supporting role, allowing this dramatic chunk of rock standing apart from the shore to be the dominant subject in the image.
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Hawaiian Landscapes: Sunset in Koke’e State Park
We went up highway 550 in the southern part of Kauai which takes you from the ocean’s edge up to and along the Waimea Canyon. It is a beautiful drive with great views of canyon and over the Pacific Ocean. The drive up rewarded us with two different rainbows over the canyon which we could stop and photograph both times. We went up in the afternoon so that we would be in nice, warm evening light by the time we were at the top of the canyon. That worked out really well and Bobbi and I both took some lovely images on the way up. After weathering a heavy rainstorm while we were looking over the Kalalau Valley we headed back down and as the clouds cleared we found the sun was falling fast and we stopped at a bend in the road in the Koke’e State Park.
The sunlight on the clouds started out these incredible yellows and golds. Within a couple of minutes, oranges and then purples entered the scene. It was beautiful light and the silhouettes of the trees against these colors were really interesting. It turned out to be an unusual and wonderful place to watch a Hawaiian sunset.
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Hawaiian Landscapes: Limahuli Stream
I have been to the island of Kaua’i a couple of times before and each time I have enjoyed exploring the north shore particularly along the Na Pali coast. If you drive up to Ke’e Beach and the trailhead for the Kalalau Trail, right near the end of the road you will cross over the Limahuli Stream.
On my last trip on one trip I passed the creek and I was captivated by the scene and wished we had time to stop. Unfortunately, at that moment, we could not stop and I have honestly had many dreams about this location and photographing here over the past three years since that trip. On this last visit, we made time to stop and I really enjoyed having a little time in this beautiful place. Here are a few images from Limahuli.
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Hawaiian Wildlife: Kilauea’s Sula Sula Birds
The Sula sula is commonly known as the Red-footed Booby. This bird is the smallest in the Sula family with a wingspan of up to one metre and a body length about 2/3’s of that. They are seabirds who are acrobatic fliers and are relatively common across the tropics. They spend most of their time at sea but breed and raise their chicks in large colonies. One of the great nesting sites for this close relative of the Gannet family is at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai’s northeastern shore. During my stay on Kauai I made time to get out to the viewing platform beside the colony three times and enjoyed each visit enormously.
The nests are built in trees clinging to a steep cliff side which makes up one side of a ravine that drops into the ocean and is battered by waves through most of the winter. The cluster of birds in the image above show the lowest part of the colony, closest to the water. Across from this cliff is the Kilauea Lighthouse which faces the colony from the far side of the ravine and makes a great subject on its own in addition to playing a supporting role in the rainbow bird image below.
The warm, morning light illuminating the rainbow also shared its magical touch with this image of one of the birds where it was perched above the waves facing the nests.
At times, courtship involving skirmishes, flybys and the exchanges of sticks (presumably symbolic of the nest) took place on branches less than 25 metres away. It was interesting to watch this behaviour and the landings that could easily be thought to be out of control.
And moments of quiet between or despite the action. Those were some of the photographs I enjoyed making the most.
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Hawaiian Wildlife: Monk Seal
The Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is one of two mammals native to the islands. They are endangered and seeing them sunning on a beach or resting along a flat stretch of rocky shoreline, is special. Around Kaua’i, there are an estimated 35 resident seals with some nomadic visitors from smaller islets further northwest along the Hawaiian chain (the animal’s total population is estimated to be around 1100). The Hawaiians call the seals ʻIlio-holo-i-ka-uaua which means “dog that runs in rough water”. Ke’e Beach is a frequent destination for a lone seal to visit and I just missed seeing a seal there on three separate visits. While photographing Red-footed boobies courting at the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on the island’s northeast tip, I noticed a dark shape sliding across the rocks far below the viewing point on was photographing from.
It took a minute for me to put on as much lens as I had brought with me, a 300mm and a 1.4 extender for a total telephoto reach of 420mm, which turned the spot into a recognizable seal. I would have liked more reach but the airlines don’t make travelling with large lenses an easy proposition. Nevertheless I could watch the seal well through the lens and the upside was certainly that no one was disturbing the animal from that distance.
I wasn’t expecting to see a seal after my near misses so it was a treat to see one near the end of my trip.
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Hawaiian Wildlife: A Sanderling Shorebird
While walking along a few different beaches during our time in Kaua’i I met up with Sanderling shorebirds. Their white plumage provides a significant contrast to the sand and rocky shorelines they frequent. I learned their name in Hawaiian is huna kai which means sea foam. The manner in which they run back and forth with the foamy edge of the waves rolling up on land makes the name seem appropriate.
This bird was on the eastern edge of Ke’e Beach feeding in the small tidal pools dotting a flat mound of rock on the beach. I photographed for a few minutes while it danced around the water and picked at the unseen creatures in the pools.
When it seemed to become more curious in me and less interested in the rising water. The foam caught the feet a couple of times so I decided it was time to go. Here is one of the last where the bird flew up from the water racing over to an open spot to fish again.
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Happy New Year’s and Hawaiian Landscapes
We’re on the cusp of 2012 here in Alberta. The family is streaming in and all of the snacks and beverages are ready for the party. I hope you are having (or already had) a great time bringing in the new year. For many, my family included, I’m sure next year will be even more hectic. I will take this moment to hope for you that you are able to enjoy more than a few moments of calm and silence throughout the year, amid the craziness. All the best to you and yours – Happy New Year!
These images are from Ke’e Beach on the north coast of Kauai in Hawaii. The ocean was unleashing heavy waves on the coast as the high tide was on its march. With the sun just set and daylight leaving the scene quickly, I was able to use a long exposure. This allowed the crashing waves to be softened into a haze and created a peaceful, calm scene. A nice contrast to the usual excitement that accompanies the evening of December 31st. The image above is facing towards the sun the afterglow coloring the scene. The image below is facing west where the sunlight was still hitting the clouds with pink light as it pushed through the atmosphere.
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Hawaiian Landscapes: Na Pali Sunset
Ke’e Beach is the northern most point accessible by road on Kauai’s coastline. We were there to photograph the sunset on our last night on the island (for this trip). The sun dipped into the water just off of the silhouetted cliffs of the Na Pali coast and was truly magical. I have many images to look through, but this one jumped out at me after a quick review. I was trying to capture the collisions when a large wave would hit off of the cliff face and while returning towards the water would then hit the next incoming wave. The energy was incredible and this wave is higher than sixty feet in the air given that the lowest cliff ledge in the picture was at least five feet above the water. I’m looking forward to reliving this great trip when I am reviewing all of the images back home. For now, this one is a nice finish for my posts from the Garden Island.
