Of course Hawai’i has many amazing photo spots! And the sights along Highway 250 in the northwest tip of the Big Island make it a worthwhile drive. Having an automobile is pretty much mandatory. The road out of Hawi is a steady climb up the west side of Kohala (the oldest of the five volcanos that make up the island of Hawai’i). The initial areas on either side of the road are a mixture of farmland and woods. The featured…

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Dotted with resorts and small towns the Kohala Coast has everything for the vacationer and the photographer. The ocean is the centerpiece and picking an early morning time for your photography pays off as the low angle of the rising sun lights up the curl of the waves crashing onto the coast (as seen in the featured image). Long lenses and teleconverters get you right into the surf and a tripod with a gimbal head gives you ease of motion…

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Ka Lae is Hawaii’s most southern tip. It’s comprised of a long expanse of rocky cliffs that run deep into the ocean. The waters are so deep that many choose to jump from the cliffs into the ocean below. This spot is beautiful to photograph year-round as Hawaii’s weather is pretty consistent regardless of season. Come for the golden hour for spectacular colors or even mid day, to watch the brave jump into the ocean below. Long exposure shots are…

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The volcano was in a “glowing” phase, enough to illuminate the steam clouds rising from the crater. It was a lucky guess to get up early and have a clear morning to get this shot, and to have part of the Milky Way.

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Hanakapiai beach is located on the north shore of Kauai at the two-mile point on the Kalalau Trail. The hike to Hanakapiai beach from Kee Beach is the easiest stretch of the 11 mile Kalalau trail and is the portion most often explored by tourists. The hike runs along the famous Na Pali Coast and offers breathtaking scenery along the way. The beach itself is on the other side of a small river. The only crossing is over a few…

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The Pali lookout is a historically significant place on the island of Oahu. This is the place that the Battle of Nuʻuanu was fought bringing Oahu under the reign of King Kamehameha I. Be prepared for strong winds as the trade winds are funneled through this natural funnel. Hold onto your hat.

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You can get reasonable views from the trailhead, but as long as you are moderately fit, and don’t mind get your shoes or boots muddy, take the trail down the valley and rocky beach. Just don’t forget that you will have to hike back up again.

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