Alien Landscapes, Domestic Shores | Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

I’ve spent a lot of time on the Big Island over the years that I’ve lived in Hawaii - My initial move to Hawaii almost 15 years ago was to the big island for a few months prior to starting school on Oahu. Seems like a different lifetime it was so long ago, but my memories of that time are filled with a care free attitude, sunrise surf missions into waipio valley and fiery sunsets with cold beers along the kohala coast.

That being said, the big island is indeed very big. The topography of the island created by multiple volcanoes split the island - which results in vastly different landscapes and climates on each side of the big island. A while back I was lucky enough to spend some time on a side of the island I am very unfamiliar with — the southeast corner, where Volcanoes National Park is located.

There is, or was, of course a lot of information circulating with regards to the safety of that area of the island. Kilauea Volcano erupted dramatically on May 3, 2018 spewing lava into residential subdivisions in the Puna district of the Big Island. This prompted mandatory evacuations of the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions. For those whose homes and belongings were directly in the path of the lave flow - everything was lost. Definitely a time of immense sadness for a lot of people.

Since the proverbial dust of that eruption event has (somewhat) settled, volcanoes National Park has reopened to the public and the surrounding areas are getting back to business as usual. I was lucky enough to be invited to take some photos of a rental property located in the town of Volcano - no more than 5 minutes from the National Park Entrance.

Understated, simple and cozy best describe this awesome little loft setup. A cozy fire, open floor plan and lofted sleeping area lend perfectly to the adventures that await outside the rental doors. Awesome little place and I really enjoyed the opportunity to shoot such a unique residential setup.

Of course, between the photos, I felt drawn - if not obligated - to do some adventuring in the National Park - and no hawaii trip is complete without some time in the ocean. A nice day hike to some backcountry craters in the National Park and a quick trip down to South Point for some sunset jumps rounded out this mellow little trip.

I’ll be back soon Volcano - one of the most underrated and (thankfully) uncrowded areas of the Big Island.

http://www.lumierevisualshawaii.com/

Family Photography | The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Ka'anapali, Maui

Shooting on the outer islands always gives me a renewed sense of purpose as a photographer. No matter what my subject matter is, I really enjoy the different backgrounds and lighting conditions I'm dealing with. Although relatively subtle, the different islands present unique hues and lighting throughout the day. It's these small differences and subtleties that really get me excited to shoot on Maui and the Big Island.

This particular shoot was with a young family of four visiting from California. It was definitely early in the morning, right around sunrise -- which made for these very soft and pastel-like hues over the water. The kids were great sports throughout the early shoot and we wrapped up with a handful of shots of just Mom and Dad. Awesome start to my day, can't wait for my next family shoot!

http://www.lumierevisualshawaii.com/

Hike Snaps

Hiking is one of those activities that has faded in and out of my life since I was a little boy. I can distinctly remember being very young (no more than 5 yrs. old) and looking forward to running through the woods at the South Mountain Reservation (Millburn, NJ in case you're wondering) with my sisters when we went on family walks. Those experiences were probably the peak of my excitement in life when it came to hiking -- until somewhat recently.

For me, the motivation to get outside and explore is borne of a hunger for stunning and otherwise unavailable visuals. Whatever peoples motivations are -- I applaud them. From a photographers' perspective -- it's always worth it. Below is a very small selection of the visual payoffs I've experienced in the last year.

http://www.lumierevisualshawaii.com/