Capturing the Moment

  Checking to see if the last time was just a fluke, Heidi and I set out to find the elusive blacktip reef sharks of Maui again. We scoured the same part of the reef where we saw them last time and came up empty. The tide was extremely low and it was late morning so we thought maybe the timing was just off. However we kept at the search and a ways down the reef Heidi called out she caught a glimpse of one. Another showed up just after. Last time we found out that sitting in one spot and waiting for the quick moving sharks to come back is the best way to see them. If you chase after them they will keep away. That theory worked out well today and I had a very close encounter with one of the sharks. Out of the murk I saw it swimming steadily right at me. It turned about 8ft away from me and I snapped this profile shot at the top of the page. It is funny to think that these sharks are hanging out a few hundred meters away from a popular snorkeling spot, yet they are hardly ever seen...

Breaching humpback whale, ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) in front of Ma'alaea Harbor, Maui, HI  Photography can be a job for some and a way to make memories for others. While it is partly both for me the true draw of it is the challenge. Getting the lighting, focus, and other settings right is a challenge that can always be bettered. Going underwater unleashes all new challenges for a photographer with less light and suspended particles to deal with. But a nature photographer takes all of this to the next level of difficulty. When your subject is a scared fish, or stalking lion, or a lightning fast humming bird all of the other challenges of photography have to be mastered before you can really come home with some good pictures. But even with a great mastery of the basics, getting to know the animal you are photographing is essential if you want to be ready to capture that apex moment.  Whales are one of my favorite animals to photograph. They are very difficult to capture si...

Reflection of Twin Falls, Maui Sometimes when you live in a place like Maui finding inspiration for pictures can be quite easy. Twin Falls at dusk, a perfect time to have it all to yourself. I enjoyed playing with long exposures with the fading light. This also happened to be the calmest and lowest water level I have ever seen here which gave the pool a mirror like quality casting not only the reflection of the twin water falls but also giving a transparent quality not often seen here. 

 Starting about a month ago I was asked to lead a photo safari whale watch with Pacific Whale Foundation on Tuesdays out of Ma'alaea Harbor. It has been an incredible opportunity to share my passion of photography with others in one of the most challenging environments for a photographer. Wildlife photography is difficult enough already, but taking pictures of these humpback whales means you have to add in new layers of challenges. The boat is always rocking which means you have a moving platform to shoot from. The whales themselves are unpredictable and hidden from sight for most of the time. Wind can be an issue with visibility and can cause big waves, sudden splashes, and unstable footing. Add to this the usual issues of lighting, fast movements, and big contrasts of light and dark and you have yourself the ultimate wildlife photography challenge. So it is my job to help coach the guest through these challenges. We have had some amazing encounters and have been lucky enoug...

There have been very few times when I have been out in nature where an animal is big enough not to be scared of me and curious enough to stick around to check me out. This time it happened to me with a very rare endemic Hawaiian Monk Seal. Population estimates put the total number of Hawaiian Monk Seals below 2,000 individuals...in the world. However when compared to the other 2 species of known monk seals this paltry number sounds a little more hopeful. There are about 600 Mediterranean Monk Seals and 0 Caribbean Monk Seals. The last sighting of a Caribbean Monk Seal was in 1952 and was officially declared extinct in 2008 after a 5 year exhaustive search came up empty.    Conservation efforts have been put into effect for both of the remaining species of Monk Seals. Out here in Hawaii NOAA heads up the effort with a Monk Seal specialist on each island as well as a network of volunteers. Sharks are the biggest natural predator of these seals although some fishermen target ...