Tag: Hawaii

Humpback Whale 3

My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008, #10

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I just got back from a very relaxing family holiday in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We missed all of the bad winter weather in Seattle while working on our sun tans and drinking too many pina coladas. I lost a lot of my motivation to do anything other than sit around in a hammock. My kids are now going to bed at 7 pm and waking up at 4:30 am, since there is a 3 hour time difference between Panama (EST) and Seattle (PST). With all my free time early in the morning, I’ve been thinking about a new blog entry and came across an idea on an acquaintances website for posting my Top 10 Favorite Images of 2008. That sounds like the right amount of effort to ease me back into reality. So, over the course of the next 10 days, I will endeavor to add a new image and story each day for you my visitors.

This image of “Humpback Whales Underwater” was taken in March in Hawai’i. It takes weeks of patience on the water in order to have the opportunity to get this close to a whale, let alone photograph it. I have always said that if I could do only one thing photographically, it would be to follow whales everyday of the year, but it is also the most difficult and expensive thing that I do. This image is of 2 enormous males that were pursuing a female and her calf during what is called a “heat run”. I created it using my Canon 5D digital SLR and 20mm lens in my Ikelite underwater camera housing at f2.8 and 1/200 second. You can enjoy many more spectacular photos of humpback whales in the multiple galleries on my site.

Humpback Whale 2

Alaska Airlines Magazine September 2008

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If you happen to be on an Alaska Airlines flight this month, take a look at the in-flight magazine and the feature on Hawaii. This recent image from an encounter with a humpback whale is featured in the article. This large male came incredibly close to me, with his pectoral fin coming within a foot of my camera moments after this images was taken! Please visit more of my Humpback Whale Photography.

Welcome Pixcetera Visitors!

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My image “Wailau Beach Rainbow” from the north shore of Molokai, HI is featured on the homepage of Pixcetera as part of the 2008 Nature’s Best Ocean Views Competition.

I’d like to say thank you again to everyone who has enjoyed my photography and sent me many complimentary emails and print orders! Unfortunately, a lot of people have commented that they thought this image has been digitally manipulated and is a fake. As a professional photographer, I find it to be a sad state that we are in when people just assume that something so beautiful has to be a fraud. I spend almost 6 months each year traveling the world to capture spectacular images using professional camera equipment. I shot this image with a Pentax medium format camera using professional Fuji slide film, which I still use for all of my landscape images. Most of the time, I come back with at least 1 photo from each trip, but often I come back with nothing at all. This incredible rainbow image was just shear luck on the second day of a week long sea-kayaking trip on Molokai. Fortunately, I was able to set up and compose the image in the pouring rain fast enough that I came home with the shot. As often as I put myself out in nature, I still only witness a rainbow like this on average of every other year. If you would like to learn more about rainbows, please visit atoptics.co.uk/bows. Please feel free to email me if you are interested in ordering one of my fine art prints. Thank you.

Wailau Beach Rainbow

2008 Nature’s Best Ocean Views Photography Awards

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I have 2 images in the summer issue of Nature’s Best as part of their inaugural Ocean Views competition. They are also on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC through December. This image of a spectacular early morning rainbow was taken on a sea kayaking trip on the remote north shore of Molokai and is one of my best selling Hawaii images. Please visit more of my images from Molokai.

Humpback Whale Mother & Calf 10

Humpback Whale Mother & Calf 10

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I’m still editing my images from this winter and thought that this was a pretty unusual image. When I encountered this group of whales, I noticed after a while that the calf was taking a break and was nursing! It was pretty amazing to witness and photograph. Please visit more of my Humpback Whale Photography.

Green Sea Turtle 9

Green Sea Turtle 9

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Back in February, I noticed this little pelagic turtle floating in the deep blue many miles off shore of the Big Island. The seas were calm and there weren’t any bigger critters around, so I decided to jump in and take this little guys picture. It was not very big and had probably not seen land for a long time, so it immediately took an interest in the boat and anyone who jumped in the water. This turtle even climbed on top of my camera housing while I was swimming next to it! All the fun ended when an enormous Galapagos shark that was bigger than myself came rocketing out of the deep to check me out. I did not see it until it was upon me. Fortunately, it just came at me and turned very abruptly at the last second. My boat captain heard me screaming and quickly came over to pick me up. I did not get back in the water that afternoon, but I did the next day and the rest of the trip. Sorry, I did not get any images of the shark! Please visit more of my Sea Turtle Photography.

Oceanic Whitetip Shark 1

Oceanic Whitetip Shark 1

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I have been spending the last few weeks updating and organizing the website. I hope that you like the new layout. I am now starting to get back to editing my recent images from my trip to Hawaii. My friend and well-known underwater photographer Doug Perrine was kind enough to take me out on his boat for a shark encounter. We went out to one of the FAD buoys and waited for a few minutes, and sure enough 2 oceanic whitetip sharks made their appearance! We spent about 2 hours in the water trying to photograph them. It was my first time with oceanics and it was very beautiful. I’ve always heard that they will come right up to you and bump you, which sure enough they did. This was the best shot that I got while the sun was still out. Please visit more of my Shark Photography.

Hawai’i Magazine Cover January 2008

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The new issue of Hawai’i magazine has just hit the newsstand and I have the cover image! I provided them with several images a few months ago. They were so impressed with my work that they decided to use my image “East Pond Lava Vent” on the cover of their February issue which commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the Kilauea eruption that started on Jan 3, 1983. Please visit my Publication Credits page to learn more about my nature photography publishing business or visit my Hawaii Volcanoes National Park page to see more of my Hawaiian images.