Stories from Hawai`i: Part 1
I was showing my Hawai`i Best Of photos to my boss and we were talking about the story that goes along with each photo. So I decided to go ahead an put the story with the photo, as well as include some context photos that didn't make the best-of cut. I'll try and do at least one a day.
The photo above is taken on the south shore of Kauai at Port Allen Airport. We were there to take a powered hang glider flight. Think of a hang glider, but instead of a sling that only one person can fit in there is a frame that holds two seats and an engine with a prop. It's sounds sketchier than it is.
Anyway, after filling out forms that said no matter how we died it wasn't Birds in Paradise's fault and nobody could sue them over our death, wrongful or not, Kat got into the flight suit and prepared for take off. It's very simple, there are two seats in the rig. The passenger takes the back seat and the pilot takes the front seat. That's it. Until you get off the ground of course.
Kat's ride was going to be about an hour. We both forgot our books to read while we waited for the other, so all I had to occupy my time was my camera. The airport itself was not much of an airport. It was more of an airfield, with only a runway and a few makeshift buildings for the helicopters to land next to. I started to wander around looking for shots. I took a number of shots back into the mountains which turned out horrible. The clouds were coming in but it was also sunny in patches which wreaked havoc with my poor Canon S110.
Right past the airfield is a nice little beach. On my walk down there I took the artsy fence shot above. I really wanted to contrast the deep red soil against the sky. It was pretty early in the morning so the sky at the horizon was still a pale blue and not the dark blue I wished it had been. I framed the fence in to try and give some perspective and depth to the shot. It's not perfect by any means, but I thought it was a good shot.
I was about halfway down the road to the beach when I noticed the rain clouds were coming in very fast. I headed back to the BiP HQ, which was just a tarp over a frame and a couple of plastic chairs. Right as I got back a short downpour hit. It's Hawai`i, you just have to expect this with the weather there.
Kat came back not too long after that and I hopped in for my hour long flight. It was full of amazing views. Luckily there was a wing mounted camera. Unluckily for us now, I haven't gotten the film developed yet. I'm sure some of those shots will make it into the Best Of section.
