Kona Stories

Arrived in the quaint, seaside town of Kailua-Kona late sunday afternoon and headed straight to the waterfront drag in search of photo-ops. 

Checked into our lodgings for the next few days, only to find that miscommunications between mainland corporate offices and local property management meant that two of three scheduled resorts were as yet unfinished. As the multi-day assignment also called for a day of shooting iconic Big Island scenery, we quickly regrouped and spent Day 1 driving around under thick skies laden with volcanic smog emissions in search of sun & scenics. Though the skies were uncooperative for the most part, the effort was not entirely in vain and yielded a handful of good imagery.

Kailua-Kona Waterfront

Our arrival coincided with the arrival of a late season south swell producing waves all up & down the south-west coast. Body surfers, body boarders, surfers & SUP enthusiasts were out en-masse taking full advantage of the sizable surf.

Drop-in @ Magic Sands Beach

After our stop to shoot surf at Magic Sands, we headed further south towards towards to coffee growing district of South Kona & Capt. Cook. The smell of fresh roasting beans filled the air as the volcanic fog thickened the further south we traveled. Stopping for a quick lunch in Capt. Cook, we decided to head towards what appeared to be distant blue skies in the upcountry regions of North Kohala & Waimea. Ascending the mountains, the air grew cooler, the skies clearer and the views spectacular as we made our way roughly two hours northward, all the way to the small community of Hawi. Stopping here for caffeine replenishment, it was back on the road along the Kohala Coastline thru Kawaihai, Hapuna, past the mega-resort destinations of Waikaloa & Hualalai, stopping occasionally to make photos at scenic vantage points.

The Road to Hawi

St. Peters By The Sea

Finally making our way back to the Kailua-Kona District just in time for sunset, it was back down to La'aloa Beach to capture images I wanted to make during my last trip here but was thwarted by rain... the ruins of Haukalua Heiau and ceremonial platform, an 800 year old temple, originally  situated nearby but demolished & rebuilt at it's present site to make way for a parking lot. This time, luck was with us... conditions were excellent for photography!

The following day was spent completing the architectural & interior portions of our asssignment, repacking the gear for travel and then speeding back to the airport to catch an early evening flight back home.

Ceremonial Platform @ Haukalua Heiau

Sunday, we are off again, this time to the island of Oahu to shoot a newly renovated property in Waikiki.