Kahala Island

This is a man-made island off of the beach fronting the Kahala Hotel & Resort, that people can swim to.

Game One

Today is the first game for the University of Hawai‘i Warriors football team. This year, they are opening the season on the road against the fifth-ranked University of Florida Gators in Gainsville, FL.

Can the Warriors play David to the Goliath Gators? I'm hoping and praying so, despite the Warriors are 35-point underdogs.

The photo above was taken during warm-ups of last season's opener. This season's home opener is next Saturday.

Update 19:00 ... The Warriors got chomped 56-10 by the Gators.

Welcome!

An American Airlines Boeing 757 prepares to touchdown on HNL's "Reef Runway" during Kona Wind conditions. Diamond Head can be seen in the background. During these conditions which do not happen too often, arriving flights also pass in front of Waikiki, and downtown Honolulu, as it makes its final approach.

Trees

The trees in Lili‘uokalani gardens shot with a #5 soft filter.

Sun & Clouds

The late afternoon sun amongst thick clouds at Kaka‘ako Park.

Voggy Drive 2

Another perspective of the vog ... I took this while driving home from work one day during the vog attacks a few months ago. It's quite a sight to see the Honolulu skies greyed out by all that vog. I thought it was worse than a level three smog alert in Los Angeles, and thought if this was similar to the smog in Beijing which some athletes had complained about.

Paddleboarder

Stand-up paddleboarding is one of the latest and hottest water sports in Hawai‘i. Basically, it's a long surfboard with a canoe paddle. This paddleboarder is seen at Ala Moana Beach paddling the length of the bay. Advanced paddleboarders can surf with their paddles.

Talented Siblings

Anette and PJ are a couple of blessed and talented kids I've known for the past few years through Hope968. Their amazing voices have graced our church, community theatre, high school sporting activities, and seen above, singing the Star-Spangled Banner and Hawai‘i Pono‘i before the 2008 Hula Bowl.

Niniku

Niniku is the Japanese word for garlic. Today's photo is a small bunch of garlic flowers I came across in a public garden. Interesting that these cute flowers come from garlic.

Spinner Trio

One of my favorite shots I took during Wyland's painting of Aloha Airlines' N748AL, "Koholālele". We were over 25 feet above ground on a motorized scaffold as Wyland added details to the trio of Spinner Dolphins on the right side of the nose. The dolphins at the nose are symbolic of how a school of dolphins would swim lead in front of a ship.

It's been almost five months since Aloha Airlines shutdown, and it was a sad sight to see the Aloha terminal at HNL, empty. I was there to photograph parts of the airport for a magazine article due in a couple of months, and the Makai Pier resembled a ghost town. All the Aloha decorations and artwork were still up, almost like a memorial to the airline and its employees.

Concrete Jungle

Here's one of the views from Monday's post ... Waikiki and Leahi (Diamond Head) from the top of the Hawa‘iki Tower. In the lower left corner is the Ala Moana Shopping Center.

It was also 49 years ago today that Hawai‘i became the 50th State. My how times have changed ...

Fan Spray

One of the water fountains at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center.

Stay Safe & Stay Strong Colin!

Our friend and brother-in-Christ, Colin, is being deployed to Kuwait, as he is part of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a Hawai‘i Army National Guard unit. They will be away for about a year. Colin serves as one of the Hope968 children's church leaders.

In today's photo, Matthew and Malia pile on Uncle Colin at a recent Hope968 Sunny Service at Magic Island.

We pray that the LORD will keep Colin, and his unit safe during their deployment.

Thank you guys for serving our country!

Long Way Down

A view of the Hawa‘iki Tower swimming pool and recreation deck from its roof. The view from 40+ floors up was quite breath-taking. We had a 360° view from the to of the building.

We were up there to set up a camera for the Memorial Day Lantern Floating ceremony. The camera was actually placed on the grey section in the lower right corner of the photo, on a sub-roof to provide a high, wide shot of the lanterns being released from the shore of Ala Moana Beach at dusk.

Glistening Orchids

A bunch of orchids that bloomed late last year.

Logojet

This was the first design that Air China brought out to promote their sponsorship of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Huanhuan

Huanhuan (fire, representing the Olympic flame) soars to slam dunk a basketball.

This is also the blog's 600th post!

Jingjing

Jingjing (panda) puts up its dukes with a pair of boxing gloves and helmet.

Nini

Nini is the golden-winged swallow playing badminton.

Yingying

Yingying (Tibetan Antelope) plays ping pong (table tennis), which happens to be a national sport in China.

Beibei

One of the Fuwa, Beibei (fish & water), swimming ... By the way American swimmer Michael Phelps is on his way to winning more Olympic swimming gold medals than any other, by winning the men's 400m Individual Medley

Five Friendlies

This month's theme week is the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games ... well, more along the lines of one of its official sponsors, Air China, which is the official airline, and the Fuwa adorned on this aircraft. I was able to get individual shots of these charcters performing the Olympic sports depicted on this plane, and they will appear throughout the week.

This is the left side shot of Friday's photo. It's also getting ready to leave HNL on its way to China.

Press Corps

US Presidential candidate Barack Obama (D) is chartering a North American Airlines 757-28A, N755NA (c/n 30043), and the jet has been painted in special colors for his campaign. Senator Obama (D-IL) was born in Honolulu, and graduated from Punahou School, and is here with his family to vacation, visit with family living here, and appear at a political fundraiser. They arrived yesterday, and will spend a week in the islands.

In today's photo, the press corps traveling with the Obamas' exit the specially-painted 757 through the rear exit door. The flight was scheduled to land around noon, but was delayed for over two hours. I wanted to get a photo of the plane, and thought it had already arrived. I found a vantage point where local TV camera crew were waiting, and was allowed to take photos of the arrival alongside them. I'm thankful that the airport security staff allowed to get a photo op of the 757 as it taxied to its parking spot. I did not really care if I got a shot of Obama, I just wanted the plane, and I got it. The press corps exited the aircraft first, and in fact the Obamas' had yet to exit the aircraft when I left, which was about 20 minutes after the plane parked.

Beijing Olympics

Today is the openning ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. In honor of that ... here's my contribution ... Air China is one the Games' sponsors, and had several of their aircraft painted with the Beijing 2008 artwork. This one, B-5176, features Fuwa - The Five Friendlies, mascots of the Beijing Games.

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games website has a complete list of all of the mascots (Fuwa - The Five Friendlies) artwork like those on B-5176.

Today's photo is also a hint to what this month's theme will be ...

Camera Eye

Football season at Aloha Stadium is around the corner!

Today's photo is of the business end of the studio lens.

Baby Wave

A little wave laps upon the shore at dusk, with a slow shutter to get the streaks.

Last Rays

The last rays of sunlight behind the downtown skyline.

Star Jasmine

A few star jasmine flowers from a hedge at Central Union Church. These flowers are quite common in Hawai‘i, especially in people's yards.

Boat In Bay

This boat sits in the middle of a calm Kane‘ohe Bay, off of the He‘eia Kea Boat Harbor.

Kat's Orchids

Orchids from Kat's front porch ...

Sunset Departure

It's August 1st! Time sure flies! :-D

Today's photo is of a United Airlines Boeing 777 departing for the west coast with a sunset behind it.