For the past month we’ve had light trades and hot days. Today it was just hot. Today the trades died and for awhile this morning it went Kona. That meant the clouds you see are moving left to right angled towards me. The normal trade wind flow would angle them away from me. The trades will be coming back next week. For this weekend it’s fans and air conditioners. Enjoy the last weekend of summer!
This isn’t a complaint about construction. In this case it refers to what happens when trades are light and the land in central Oahu heats up during the day. Clouds build up and heavy downpours can occur. Hang gliders and paragilders avoid these conditions. Updrafts under these clouds can ruin their day.
A continuous source of discussion is to ask do you shoot RAW or JPG. Either is a valid option. One can be a better choice in a given situation than the other. Here’s a situation for which I’m glad I shot RAW. This is a panorama I created from a series of photos I took five years ago. At the time I wasn’t thinking of making a panorama. DUH! The cloud formation attracted my attention. In addition the water was calm and reflective. Fortunately, I had my 17-35mm lens on and had worked the scene for several images at the widest angle. By doing so, I inadvertently provided myself with enough images for a panorama five years later. (Which is a good tip to keep in mind in the future!) In addition, I shot in RAW, so I could manipulate the images without worrying about loss of image quality. Remember, RAW contains all the original data recorded by the sensor while JPG throws out data at the time of creation because it compresses the data. What you see here is a high quality JPG image from the Photoshop file created by blending the original RAW shots together to make the panorama. Would this image be perceptively worse if the original images had been JPG’s? Viewing on a computer monitor perhaps not. However, if you wanted to print (Yes, he did use the P word) this and put it on a wall, the higher the quality the better the color gamut and the larger a print you can make.
The Island of Oahu has many great hiking trails. In my neighborhood there are four (five if you include the walk out to Makapuu Lighthouse). The hike to the top of Koko Crater provides a 360 degree view of East Honolulu and across the Kaiwi Channel to Molokai and Maui. Many people reach the summit walking up the tracks of the incline railway. The railway was built in WW II to move soldiers manning the observation/radar site. It’s a steep hike in parts plus there are sections of the railway elevated above the ground and you must step carefully from railway tie to tie. I got this shot when I carried my Maxxum 7D up to the top a few years ago. On the left is the main area of Hawaii Kai with Kuapa Pond next to Maunalua Bay. From this height you can see up the coast to Diamond Head and some of the of the buildings in Waikiki
You wouldn’t know from looking at this photo, but the morning was chilly in Hawaii Nei. Low 60’s BRRRRRRR!
Just like on the Mainland, October is a transition month in the Islands. Unlike the Mainland we don’t have foliage changing colors. Instead, we have a period of muggy weather because the trades go away. Usually the result of a storm to the north of the Islands that will eventually reach the Pacific Northwest. Which means the North Shore is the place to be if you’re a good surfer.
I do mean good. North Shore surf is not for the beginner.
This how it looks out my back door when it’s dead calm.
This evening was a Sunset Photo Op. I got some nice ones from the Koko Head promontory near my neighborhood.
However a photographer should keep their head on a swivel. You never know what might be going on behind you.
Pa’i ki’i Imagery
Pa'i ki'i Imagery 