President's Day

Commemorating President's Day ... honoring our nation's founding president George Washington, and the leaders that followed, and our current persident, George W. Bush.

"Old Glory" hangs among the flags of the 32 teams of National Football League inside one of the spiral walkways at Aloha Stadium for the 2007 NFL Pro Bowl.

I was trying to catch the sunlight through the flag ... it worked ... sort of.

Giant Fountain?

I shot this fountain at a local high-rise condominium while waiting for a friend to take to dinner. A couple of times before, I looked at the fountain, knowing there was a cool photo I could take of it. I also knew the final image had to be monochrome, but I didn't think it would look good in sepia ... I was wrong.

Another friend who saw this photo, thought the fountain was about 20 feet tall(?). He was surprised to find how tall the fountain really is.

Thanks Cris for the opportunity to take this photo.

Happy Face

The blue and gold stripes make it seem that this jet is smiling for the camera. The long nose of the MD-80, combined with the eyebrow cockpit windows, and the right striping gives the impression of a smiling jet. For those old enough to remember Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), they had a smile painted on to their entire fleet, and was well-known for their "Grinning Birds".

This China Eastern Airlines MD-82 is taking a break at HNL after island hopping across the Pacific from Shanghai, China. It's headed for the Arizona desert, after being retired from the China Eastern fleet.

I got this head-on shot while photographing the rest of this bird for the HNL RareBirds blog.

Scoop Net

Kids spending an afternoon searching for little fishies in Nu‘uanu Stream with their scoop nets.

Moonrise Over Diamond Head

A full moon rises over Diamond Head with coconut trees and canoes in the foreground. Only in Hawai‘i!

It was definitely worth the wait for the moonrise to be directly behind Diamond Head. The best part was the aura the moonlight cast before rising above one of Honolulu's famous landmarks.

Happy Valentine's Day!

To all the special women in my life ... :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bird In Flowers

This Mejiro feeds on the nectar of the lehua flowers. I saw the "white-eyes" while videotaping a wedding at Kawai‘ahao Church, and fortunately had my still camera with me.

Aloha ‘Oe Tiki Barber

New York Giants running back Tiki Barber played in his final NFL game, in Saturday's NFL Pro Bowl. Barber announced earlier this season, his retirement from professional football after a ten-year career, all with the Giants. Barber is seen here resting between offensive series under a Big Fog misting fan late in the fourth quarter.

In the Pro Bowl, Barber scored the first NFC touchdown (and the game's first), on a one-yard plunge. He finished the day with four yards rushing on seven attempts, and one catch for eight yards. Barber also had one pass attempt that was intercepted by Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed, on a halfback option throw intended for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver.

During the two-minute warning of the second half, the NFL showed a highlight reel of Barber on the Aloha Stadium JumboTron. The fans gave Tiki a standing ovation after the video, and he responded with a wave back from the huddle. The game also provided Tiki one last opportunity to play with (instead of against) twin brother Ronde, a cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

AFC Wins 2007 NFL Pro Bowl

San Diego Chargers place kicker Nate Kaeding of the AFC (#10 white jersey) watches the ball split the uprights in the walk-off field goal, while Buffalo Bills punter Brian Moorman (#8) celebrates in yesterday's 2007 NFL Pro Bowl.

In one of the best finishes in Pro Bowl history, the American Football Conference (AFC) all-stars beat the National Football Conference (NFC) all-stars by a field goal, 31 - 28. The winning field goal was made possible by a defensive pass interference penalty on the NFC at the three yard line, when Cincinnati Bengals qurterback Carson Palmer threw an attempt to teammate Chad Johnson. Kaeding hit a 21-yard chip shot with four seconds left before the snap. The crowd were on their feet as Kaeding made his game-winning attempt, and erupted as the kick converted.

The only press photographer to get Kaeding's winning field goal was Dennis Oda of the Honolulu Star*Bulletin.

Pro Bowl Ohana Day 2007

The National Football League holds Ohana Day the day before the Pro Bowl, the NFL All-Star Game. It features performances by team mascots, and all-star NFL cheerleaders [above]; and NFL all-star player warm-ups. Some of the mascots and players signed autographs, and posed for photos with fans. Both the AFC and the NFC teams did their run throughs separately. There were also on-field activities and contests with the fans as well.

The 2007 Pro Bowl was moved to Saturday, thus Ohana Day was on a Friday. The NFL and Aloha Stadium hosted 5th graders from around O‘ahu with their own section and lunch.

Getting shots of the NFL cheerleaders ... What a tough assignment! Somebody's gotta do it. :-)

Gone Fishin'

I was doing a model shoot, and got this photo while we were taking a break. I thought the sunlight sparkling off of the water was a great background to cast the silouhette. Don't know if the guy caught any fish.

Orbs

Some of the water droplets look like they are complete glass spheres resting the surface of the leaves.

Candle & Bouquet

A lit votive candle and a red rose bridal bouqet rest on the head table at Kirk & Merilyn's wedding reception.

Gulfstream G550 - Part 1

Hmm ... got an extra $50 million laying around? And tired of those long TSA lines at the airport? Here's a solution ... a Gulfstream G550 private jet. It has room enough for you and 12 of your closest people to fly anywhere within 5,000 miles. Once you experience this, you'll never want to fly commercial again. Well, maybe first class would come a distant second. I'll post a photo of the interior later on.

I had the opportunity to check out this G550, when it stopped off at HNL on its way to Singapore for an airshow. Made friends with one of the marketing guys from Gulfstream, and invited me to tour the jet. It was one of the quickest decions I ever had to make. :-)

Big Palm Leaf

When I saw this big palm leaf, I knew that the photo had to end up as a black and white photo. I shot this palm leaf at Foster Botanical Gardens, on an afternoon shooting photos with Kekiinani (see link on the right). She came up with some great shots as well.

A Day At The Races

The Hawai‘i Radio Control Car League holds RC car races in the parking lot of Honolulu Communtiy College's Aviation Trade School. It was a good way to shoot with high shutter speeds. These cars have been clocked over 50 mph on a long straight-away!

Final Approach For Runway 26L

I got these four airliners making their landing approach for HNL's "Reef Runway" 26L last night, in a five minute exposure from Kaka'ako Waterfront Park. Due to the chilly northwesterly winds, the air traffic was re-routed to the reverse pattern (east to west), in which all flights make their final approach abeam Waikiki, and the southern O‘ahu coastline. A couple of guys were night fishing as seen by one of their fishing rods in the right edge of the frame.

Queen Emma Lilies

These Queen Emma Lilies are in full bloom. I found this hedge on the campus of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. The flowers were named after one of the Na Ali‘i of Hawai‘i. Queen Emma was the wife of King Kamehameha IV, and the foundress of the Queen's Medical Center.

Winglet At Dusk

The left Blended Winglet of an Aloha Airlines 737-76N(W), N740AL "Kamohoali‘i" (c/n 28640), as the sun sets behind us while we are 33,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean, headed to the John Wayne Airport (SNA - Orange County, CA).

Can you believe today is already February 1st!?! Wow!!! January went by wa-a-ay too fast!

Bracelets

My friend Traci makes these cool wire & bead bracelets, and each one is an original design. I saw her making these bracelets one afternoon, and thought they would make great gifts. I picked up these two from Traci, to give to my daughters for Valentine's Day last year. I wanted to try my hand at small product photography, before giving my girls their gifts.

Traci, this one's for you!

Afternoon In The Park

A couple spends a romantic moment in a park on a Sunday afternoon. I saw this unsuspecting couple having their picnic, while getting shots of plants and a waterfall.

Thought the monochrome sepia effect would add a nice touch.

Answered Prayer

The Lord definitely answers prayers! Our Hope968 worship service was scheduled for a "Sunny Service" at Magic Island yesterday. The weather forecast for Sunday called for rain and Kona Winds. Several members of a mini-church lifted the service up in prayer for clear weather on Sunday. The Lord came through and blessed us, providing clear skies for most of the day. The cloud band seen in the photo kept moving east. The next set of clouds did not roll in until late in the afternoon. Thanks & praise to the Lord God!

Never Thirst

In John 4:14, Jesus Christ said, "but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Mahalo to Joel and Colin for helping me out with this shot. It is a concept shot for Hope968 I shot in 2004.

Coconut On A Fencepost

Why?

Why not!

I'm still not sure what prompted me to pose this shot. Temporary insanity? I just thought it would be something humorous.

Sparkler Boy

This lad lights another sparkler at the Hilton Lagoon before the Fourth of July fireworks show.

100% Hawaiian Cotton

I saw this cotton tree, the other day, while walking with a friend in Manoa. I asked her if that looked like cotton. Judging by the one's on the ground we figured it must be. I had to go back yesterday to get shots of this tree.

The Hawaiian variety is called Ma‘o, and has the same yellow flower I saw on this tree, but too high up to get a decent shot.

What amused me was that the first thing I thought about was the southern US, and the pictures in our American history books. I was always under the impression that cotton was a hedge.

Donna, this one's for you!

Baby Pine

I guess you could this a sapling? Whatever the name, this little pine tree is about two feet off the ground. Can you imagine in a decade how tall this tree could be?

Blast From The Past?

Is it 1973? Or are you having a 70s flashback? Well, the photo may look it, but this photo was from Aloha Airlines' 60th Birthday function held this past July at Honolulu International Airport. Flight Attendants Jodi (left) and Chrissy (right) pose atop the right wing of N823AL, a.k.a the "Funbird". Jodi is modeling a 1969-era uniform, and Chrissy models a 1973-era uniform. I thought with a little Photoshop magic, I could make this look like an old photo.

Unfortunately, the un-Photoshopped version of this shot did not make the pages of "Airways" magazine's November 2006 issue, which featured other shots I had submitted of past and present flight attendants modeling uniforms from Aloha's past to the present day.

Thanks to the folks at Aloha Airlines for allowing me to attend their birthday celebration.

The Power Of Unity

Nothing is stronger than a husband and wife going in the same direction, with the same vision.

This photo was taken during Kirk & Merilyn's wedding ceremony in August, while they were taking Communion.

Kahala Dawn

Dawn breaks behind Wai‘alae Iki Ridge on an early June morning of Marcus & Brenda's wedding rehearsal. Their ceremony began at 5:30am the next day. It was the 1st time I have shot, much less been to a sunrise wedding. Everything went well, the Lord blessed Marcus & Brenda with perfect weather on their wedding day. As the ceremony wrapped up, the sun made its presence, rising behind the ridgeline.

Tiny Reflections

The beads of water on these leaves reflect the trees way above them. I like the way matte-coated leaves allow water to bead up when it rains.

Strike A Pose

Sashaying down the runway, this beautiful Korean model wears one of André Kim's haute coture designs for 2006 for the 2006 SBS Open fashion show. André Kim is one of South Korea's well-known fashion designers. The SBS Open is an annual LPGA tournament, held at the Turtle Bay Resort, that is sponsored by one of South Korea's largest TV networks. The fashion show featured LPGA golfers Christina Kim, Paula Creamer (2005 LPGA Rookie of the Year), Natalie Gulbis, and Shi-Hyun Ahn in the finale, wearing dresses inspired by "Romantic"-era paintings.

I was on the camera crew of the video portion of the fashion show, and I took this shot during rehearsals after our camera blocking was done. This was one of the more conservative haute coture designs, there were also some golfwear designs he did, and were modeled. I couldn't get the songs "Vogue" and "Supermodel" out of my head during the duration of the shoot.

One More Year!

University of Hawai‘i Warriors quarterback Colt Brennan will play his senior season for the Warriors, and forego the 2007 National Football League entry draft.

This photo was taken during Colt's guest speaking appearance at a Hope968 worship service, this past November.

We're glad he's staying for one more season! What records will Colt set or break?

Kaho‘olawe

A view of the island of Kaho‘olawe from 13,000 feet. This island had been used by the military as a target platform, but has been returned to the State of Hawai‘i. It is undergoing a clean-up process of unexploded ordinance and hazardous materials.

This photo was taken during the go! media preview flight (YV1200) this past June, on Bombardier CRJ200ER, N693BR. All four islands of Mau‘i County are visible in this shot. The island of Lana‘i is in the upper left, the island in the upper center is Moloka‘i, and the island of Mau‘i on the upper right of Kaho‘olawe.

Blackout Candles

What do you do with no electricity during an island-wide blackout and have only two candles? Photograph them! These candles and glass holders were table favors from Nate & Megumi's wedding. I thought the glass looked cool, and didn't think I'd have to use the candles. I was wrong. I took this photo during the post-earthquake power outage on October 15, 2006.

Team Aina Wins 61st Hula Bowl

Team Aina pulled off some fourth quarter heroics to win the 61st Hula Bowl. In their defeat over Team Kai, 18 - 10, Aina scored 15 unanswered points in the last couple minutes of the game. A few players from the BCS National Champions University of Florida Gators made the trip to play on Aina.

Team Aina, seen here in their green jerseys, huddle during their pre-game warm-ups.

Tribute To Warrior Seniors

Here's a tribute to the University of Hawai‘i Warrior football team seniors. Seven Warrior seniors made the 2007 Cornerstone Bancard Hula Bowl roster, and will be playing in today's game for Team Kai. Mahalo for a season well-played, guys! We will miss you! Much success on your future endevours!

Mahalo to Senior Defensive Lineman Lawrence Wilson (#99) for allowing me to use his helmet for this shot before the Warriors 42 - 35 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers.

Naked As A RareBird?

What do you say to a naked airliner? Your guess is as good as mine. This unpainted Boeing 737-700 is actually destined for the Royal Australian Air Force as an early warning aircraft. It's headed there for some test flights, then will return to the Boeing plant outside Seattle for final installation of the military gear, and getting painted.

Aircraft enthusiasts consider this jet "green" for the protective coating over the aluminum skin, or naked for not being painted.

This shot probably belongs on my other blog HNL RareBirds.

Friday Night Lights

Yeah ... I know it's the title of a movie & TV series ... but some schools have great turn outs for their games at Aloha Stadium.

Football season is winding down as the NFL continues through its playoff run. High school football ended in early December with the King Kekaulike Na Ali‘i blowing past the Kaua‘i Red Raiders 33 - 20 for the Division II title. In the Division I finals, the Kahuku Red Raiders took the state championship, barely beating the Saint Louis Crusaders 7 - 6. The University of Hawai‘i Warriors capped off an exciting and record-breaking season with a 41 - 24 victory over the Arizona State University Sun Devils in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl on Christmas Eve.

In today's photo, taken from the press box, it's the pre-game warm-ups before the state Division I semi-finals between the Wai‘anae Seariders (white jerseys, left) and the Saint Louis School Crusaders (navy jerseys, right). Saint Louis won the game 10 - 7.

Sunflower Butterfly

Ever get those "still-small-voice" moments? This is one of those times. Yesterday, I went back to the downtown community garden hoping to find a new shot. As I was about to leave, I saw this butterfly pollenating this sunflower. I could not go without getting a few shots. I had to time the shot to get it with its wings open ... a test of patience and a fast shutter.

Funny thing ... I did not notice this sunflower on Sunday. This was definitely one of those God moments! He gets all the credit and glory for this shot! :-)

Dash8 Moonset

In this 30-second exposure, an Island Air Dash8-100 takes off from Runway 8L as the moonsets behind downtown, and the Wai‘anae Mountain Range at 5:30am, last February.

A view of HNL was a major selling point for me when I got my condo ten years ago. However, that view has come to an end. Capitol Place, a new high rise on the corner of Beretania and Queen Emma Streets has blocked my view. Oh well ... that's life.

Mizuna

In keeping with the New Year's theme, I saw this mizuna plant (Japanese mustard greens) in a downtown community garden plot, and was captivated by the shape of the leaves, and each one different from the other.

Mizuna is a vital ingredient in ozoni, the New Year's mochi soup for good luck.

Reika, this one's for you!

Moloka‘i and Lana‘i

The islands of Moloka‘i (bottom) and Lana‘i (top), as seen from 13,000 feet. This was photo taken during Island Air's media flight this past March. The flight previewed its new Bombardier Dash8-Q400 airliner (N539DS). We are making our way back to HNL after a low pass over the Kahului Airport's (OGG) Runway 2.

Six Pack

All six buds of my orchid plant have bloomed! Orchid number 6 opened up yesterday morning. :-)

I wanted to keep the shot simple, and thought the black duve would provide a good amount of contrast. The original plan was to upload a color shot, but had a brainstorm to shift to black & white. It's the first (and certainly not the last) monochrome shot to be posted. What could be simpler? :-D

Water Colour

The Board of Water Supply's fountain on Beretania Street got lit up by coloured LEDs placed under water for the Christmas season. In this shot, I mangaged to catch all of the LEDs lit at one time.

Girl Watching Sunset

Shiho watches the sun set from Kaka‘ako Waterfront Park, in this photo I took of her and this sunset 2 years ago this week.

Media Circus ... Part Deux

Here we are, waiting to do an interview with some celebrity couple from Japan at Honolulu International Airport's Foreign Arrivals. Who they were? I have no idea. At least, we are lined up in an orderly fashion. This is an annual event is normally covered by 4 major TV networks, and several press photographers from Japan. During the NewYear's season, we wait to catch interviews with Japanese celebrities.

The reporters are off-screen to the right. What's not seen as well, are Japanese people (mostly tourists & students we called "groupies") hanging out at HNL, waiting to catch a glimpse or photo of any celebrity we that we get shots of.

Mahalo Johnny, for taking our group photo with my L3!

New Year's Rainbow

The clouds and light rain rolled in during the late afternoon on New Year's Day casting a rainbow somewhere over Kaimuki.

Here's one shot where I'm glad I had one of my cameras with me to capture a moment like this. I saw the palm tree frame the rainbow, and could not resist spending a few minutes to get shots of it, before going out to dinner. About five minutes after I took this shot, the shower band arrived, and I made it to my car in time.

Remember This?

Everyone who has gone to elementary school here in Hawai‘i has had to make "plumeria" leis cut out from colored construction paper, drinking straws, and string for Lei Day (May 1st), or any other special occasion.

Can you imagine the size of the sheets of construction paper to make these flowers? :-D

It's 2007!?!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! May your 2007 be full of blessings.

It seems like we just ushered in 2006!?! My, how time flies by!

Photo taken during the Aloha Tower New Year's fireworks show.