Brothers

There's just something about brothers-- a kind of camaraderie, an understanding that isn't possible with anyone else.  They have their similarities, and certainly their differences... but it doesn't really matter--They're brothers.  

Fire

We went to the beach to learn about off camera flash~ Our teacher asked Moa to be our model~ This is truly Hawaiian.

Hilton Waikaloa

We all packed in two big vans and headed out 30 miles north to the ritzy Hilton Waikaloa~We entered a world void of lava rock and brimming with manicured lawns, artificial waterfalls and fancy stores.  The afternoon was spent roaming the large grounds of the hotel~ riding trams and boats to view the property, poking heads in Asian pagodas, and enjoying the dolphin show.  It was definitely an beautiful place to take pictures!

Rainbow Tree

I love this green, purple and pink tree!  Click on the image to see it closer!

Crazy Waterfall Day

A handful of my classmates and I hiked the ominous Waipio Valley (non) trail to reach this massive waterfall... We started by walking down a 25% grade mountain slope, then forged our way through rainforest plants and very slippery rocks for 3 hours following a river (and not always the hard-to-follow trail).  We held our camera gear over our heads multiple times as we waded through chest-deep waters (to find the trail on the other side), got lost scrambling up and down another mountain side...  And finally.... We made it~  And this awesome sight was our reward!

On the way back it started raining and the darkness was impending... I prayed that we'd make it through the deep forests and river wading before dark!  Through some crazy mishaps, including someone being submerged in murky water with their valuable possessions mostly unharmed, we made it back to civilization and up the 25% grade mountain-side to our inviting rental car.  We were so happy to be warm and alive... and to have seen and captured the beauty of the waterfall...

Taste of the Island

Our class went on a 2 day "Around the Big Island" trip~ Here is a small taste of what we saw~ I took 1,000 photos.... so a lot to go through!

Friends