Capturing the Moment

Kilauea Volcano The Kilauea Iki Crater hike   After a long driving day from Kona to the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii the gang slipped into the hot tub at the Kilauea Lodge.We finished the day with a glowing dinner at the Volcano House. A visit from Heidi's parents all the way from Vermont sparked this getaway for Heidi and I to the Big Island. Us four, along with local legend Dave P., Becky, Leslie, and John set out to experience as much of the volcano national park as we could. It even turned out to be a surprise free National Park weekend because of presidents day! Must be a sign of good things to come. Active vent Descent into the crater   The lodge we were staying at was first class all the way, from the hot tub to the private fireplace in each room. A symphony of bird noise erupted each morning out our window as the endemic honeycreepers called in the new day. Streaks of bright red darted from treetop to treetop through the o'hea tree's. Th...

   Helped by the speed of our muscle car rental upgrade we made it up to the summit of Haleakala volcano just in time for the sun rise. We got to the edge of the vast crater in time to enjoy a few minutes of the pre-sunrise twilight. As the first glimmer of sun rose above the clouds one of the park rangers started a Hawaiian chant which has been used to hail the sun for generations at this very sacred place.   It was one of the least windy mornings I've experienced at the summit. This was a pleasant surprise since we were very under dressed, having not brought any warm clothes from Oahu with us.   The sun cast a beautiful red tinge on the volcanic rocks in the crater. It is like no other place in Hawaii. A definite must experience for any adventurous souls making their way out to this beautiful island. Hiking paths crisscross the Manhattan sized crater below, and a few overnight cabins dot the paths as well. We followed our tradition of a nature walk at Hossm...

Soldier fish, unicorn fish, pyramid butterfly fish, and a snapper all together    Maui has wonderful shore diving opportunities but for wide angle photography it's best to find the clearest water, and that is offshore. Luckily we have Molokini Crater, a volcanic vent which shoots up from the submerged slope of Haleakala Volcano from 300ft deep to a height of 162ft above the surface. The beauty of this for underwater photography is the fact that this rocky crater is about four miles offshore set right in the middle of very clear water. Descending into the sun lit blue Yellow margin eel on the hunt  I have kayaked out here before with scuba gear, and I drive out here for work all the time, but there is nothing as great as taking a dive boat on a day off for ease and comfort. I hitched a ride out with my friends on Maui Diamond II on a beautiful sunny day to find some great wide angle photography conditions. Blue fin trevally at the dinner buffet T...