Pono Lopez

Ma`ili, HI has some of the most beautiful sunsets in Hawai`i. It's about a half hour to forty five minutes from Honolulu and is located on the west side of the island. This beach in Ma`ili in particular can make a great backdrop for romantic moments. So it was the perfect place for me to take my wife for golden hour after picking up some shave ice from a local general store. With just a little bit of waiting, I got to see the sun lightly touch the palm trees and the sand ushering in the evening to come. It was beautiful!

When you get a chance to forest bathe in Waimea Valley, you'll be able to see some of the most Monsterra you can ever come across. The texture and design of these plants make for stunningly beautiful backdrops and give you just a small sense of wonder as you're walking through.

a tall building with lots of black circles on it

On the westside of O’ahu are stunningly beautiful beaches that you can watch the sunset from. During the winter the winds are so strong and tide so heavy that it’s easy to catch both the sunset and the crashing waves. These two powerful elements make for some awesome scenes. The waves thundered so hard that I actually got a little scared for getting so close. But the rocks just in front of me guarded against the chaos just feet away. I was grateful to be able to catch these without getting beat down by it’s force. Amazing!!!

I had nothing else to do with my time but to shoot the stars. Up in Angeles Crest, there is a camp called Cedar Falls. I went up there to speak for a few worships and thought to bring my camera since there may be a chance I could get some decent shots of the stars. Sure enough, the milky way hung out right above me. I stood with my tripod in the middle of the road, breathing in the crisp air and staring up at the stars. It was just me and them and no one else.

I thought we weren’t gonna make it. But when we got here, the colors pulled through!