Overlooked Photos of 2020 #8: The Tourists

Photo taken in Akaka Falls State Park, Hawaii — March 1, 2020

The famous waterfall never stood a chance.

Despite a gentle, misty rain, the tourists descended in hordes, intent on capturing that one special photo of Akaka Falls — the one different than the million photos other tourists had taken of the waterfall. To a returning visitor the falls looked exactly the same as they had years ago — 442 feet tall, plunging over a mossy cliff straight into a gorge filled with greenery. Though admittedly (to borrow a phrase) you never really see the same waterfall twice.

* Why I didn’t post it: The first shot in this post is a much more typical vacation shot than my usual wanna-be fine art shots (OK, no need to be mean…), but I like the story it tells about the tourist experience — it’s less about the waterfall and more about the reactions of those seeing it. The second photo interests me more…the violence of the plummeting water slamming into the pool below. Which do you prefer?

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.

Overlooked Photos of 2020 #7: Sublime Sunrise

Photo taken in Keaau, Hawaii — March 1, 2020

Whoever coined the phrase “when it rains it pours” must have had the Hilo side of the Big Island of Hawaii in mind.

Our second accommodation on the island was a house on the Hilo side near the small community of Keaau, right on the ocean. Which sounds nice, idyllic, even romantic…until you try it. The open ocean pounded relentlessly into hollows eroded in the lava below the house, booming loudly and shaking the whole building like a significant earthquake every few minutes. The humidity was off the charts — everything in the house, from clothing to furniture to bed sheets felt constantly damp and towels failed to dry despite hanging for hours. And the rain? It fell endlessly in sheets, ropes, torrents…choose your favourite, soggy descriptor.

On the bright side, when it wasn’t raining there were beautiful sunrises. This photo was taken just as the sun was rising and painting the clouds (which would soon open over us) with gentle pinks and oranges. Taking the photo I forgot for a few minutes the pounding waves, sticky humidity and near-constant rain…until I sat on a deck chair and was instantly soaked.

* Why I didn’t post it: I’ve always preferred sunrises to sunsets; others don’t seem to share that sentiment. Instagram bears that out: the #sunrisephotography hashtag has a mere 1.1 million posts while the #sunsetphotography hashtag boasts 6.9 million posts. What do these sunset people know that I don’t? How about you: do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? If you’ve waded this far into this post please let me know in the comments!

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.

Overlooked Photos of 2020 #6: Wayne’s Sunset

Photo taken in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — February 27, 2020

One day, scientists say, the sun will expand to several times its current size and boil all of the earth’s oceans.

Watching the sunset in Kona you could be forgiven for thinking that day may have come. Arcing toward the horizon, the sun seemed to swell and soften as its light intensified and the clouds above caught fire. The only way we could tell the sun hadn’t become a red giant was that the water in the pool wasn’t boiling…though the water in the hot tub felt suspiciously warm.

Drinking in this marvel of nature, Wayne stood at the edge of the pool deck, camera balanced on the fence rail waiting for the precise moment the golden colours of sunset would peak. Perhaps if he were lucky, he’d capture the elusive green flash.

* Why I didn’t post it: That’s a head scratcher. Maybe I thought people were burned out on sunset shots? Maybe they still are. Are they?

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.