The Garden

Just got back from spending 2 weeks in Hawaii. Specifically the island of Kauai, known as the 'Garden Isle’ with a small population of 67,091. While I was out shooting, i found myself attracted to the cars, trucks and vans of the people that live on the island. Obviously, surfing is huge in Kauai and surfers need trucks, vans that they can drive up onto the beach with their boards. A lot of trucks are old and beat up but they are beautiful, often modified to suit the rough roads and beaches of the island. To me, these vehicles represent a different set of priorities and values. something I find extremely refreshing.

Another aspect I was drawn to is the lush tropical colour and quality of light on the island. There’s often a mist coming off the ocean which creates a soft and hazy feel, it’s just beautiful. The graphic plant shots were shot in the gorgeous garden of the house we were staying at.

One of my goals on this trip was a bit of a digital detox, so I shot film and it was a wonderful experience. Working without a light meter was a lot of fun. It makes you really tune into what the light is doing in your shot and how you want it to be exposed. I simply followed the F16 and Sunny rule. I’d highly recommend this for anyone looking to get back to pure and simple photography. There’s also something really nice about not being able to see the photo immediately after clicking the shutter. I love the sense of anticipation & mystery when waiting to see the processed film.

Here are my favourite shots from the trip. If you want to see more I’ll be posting all of the shots to my Tumblr page in the coming week.

Kekaha Beach.  Olympus OM-1 50mm.  Kodak Portra 400 — Kekaha Beach. Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400

Princeville.  Olympus OM-1 50mm.  Kodak Portra 400 — Princeville. Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400

Hanalei.  Contax T3   35mm Kodak Portra 400 — Hanalei. Contax T3 35mm Kodak Portra 400

Lumahai Beach.   Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400 — Lumahai Beach. Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400

Abandoned resort contsruction site - Princeville.  Contax T3 35mm. Kodak Portra 400 — Abandoned resort contsruction site - Princeville. Contax T3 35mm. Kodak Portra 400

Off Highway 56, North Shore.  Contax T3 35mm.  Kodak Portra 400. — Off Highway 56, North Shore. Contax T3 35mm. Kodak Portra 400.

Polihale State Park.  Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400 — Polihale State Park. Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400

Waimea Canyon.  Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400 — Waimea Canyon. Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400

Anini Beach.  Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400 — Anini Beach. Olympus OM-1 50mm. Kodak Portra 400

The Colour of Shadow

At the beginning of last year I set out to create a book of my personal landscape work. I’ve been working on this body of work for the past 12 years. I’ve always wanted to do a book, so I felt it was time to put something together. When i’m not shooting in the studio - my passion is to travel and shoot landscapes. From the beginning of my photography career I’ve always shot landscapes as part of my personal work. It’s actually been an integral part of the development of my commercial work.

Last year I got back to wandering with my camera - shooting nothing in particular, just always bringing the camera with me and capturing whatever catches my eye. Often it was light casting a certain tone, transforming a setting or scene i’ve passed many times before. Other times it’s just a feeling or sensation that’s hard to express.