January 20, 2010
Revisiting Hawaii
Yesterday I had busy day driving around Lexington, running errands, and hanging out with friends. All that was well and good, but it left me with no images for today’s post. I got up this morning, planning on trekking outdoors for a photo shoot, only to be greeted by a cold rain. Feeling uninspired by anything around my immediate confines, I opted to revisit the nearly 2,000 images I took on my two week family vacation to Hawaii.
It has been four months since we hopped on the plane that flew us across the Pacific Ocean. Things have settled since the first few weeks after returning to the mainland. My relationship with my parents is slowly and steadily rebuilding itself, and I’m slowly and steadily heading in a positive direction.
Today’s post is a combination of reflection, retrospection, and a rainy day.
In this image, I really enjoy the stark contrast of Leanna’s pink shirt against the earth tones of the background. As well as the juxtapostion of something foreign inserted into the natural landscape.
These two images are from the same sunset. One just as the sun starts it’s descent, and the other right as the sun breaks the horizon. It’s amazing how drastically the quality and color of natural light can change within minutes.
The variation in climate across the small island of Kauai is astounding. In a single hike you can walk through arid canyons, across temperate flat lands, and into lush forests. Not to mention the gorgeous sandy beaches and magnificent coastal cliffs.
I am really proud of these two images, because they deviate from my normal subject matter, and they are still successful. Perhaps it was because in both instances the children were too distracted to notice the guy with the hulking camera. In the first image the three kids in the sand are about fifteen feet from a beached monk seal, and in the second, the three kids are chasing baby chickens; a favorite past time for local youngsters.
I love this image of Leanna. The harsh lighting, deep shadows, and excellent bokeh help pull it together. One of my favorites from the trip.
Stay dry.
Ryan
The last photo elongates Leanna’s neck and outlines her jawline really clearly. It’s kind of funny that I can see you in her glasses though. I don’t know if this was posed, but I’ve done enough figure drawing to really appreciate this shot. Also, having an extremely beautiful wife helps.
I also like the arid interior shot of Kauai. There’s enough sky in the shot to lend a sense of huge amounts of space while limiting the focus to the ridge line ahead of you. Also, the green of the lower left half balances well with the sky and dry-browns of the upper right.