Need Kauai Help

[3Honu]

I am going to Kauai in May of 2009 for a week. My wife has said I can leave her and the kids for one day to take pictures. All by myself!:D So I have been thinking of what I want to do. I was thinking of star trail shots at Ke'e beach. I was thinking I would like to take pictures of an abandoned sugar mill. There are so many different places to go.

So, I am asking for input and help. If you can get me into that sugar mill or you have a better idea please let me know. This will be my 3rd trip to the island.

[SeattleSpeedster]

so the waimea canyon is off the list? or the kalalau trail? what lenses are you taking?

[3Honu]

so the waimea canyon is off the list? or the kalalau trail? what lenses are you taking?

I can do those but they can be fickle with weather I have seen......and....I didn't think to mention them :oops:

My primary lens is my 24-105L F4 IS. I am hoping to have an L telephoto by then. I also have a Sigma 10-20 and a nifty fifty

[Just Be]

We went in July.

I brought two bodies. One with a 10-22 and the other with my 24-105L. The only time I used the WA was at Waimea Canyon and various shots here and there. The 24-105L did most of the work quite well.

You'll find that picking a day to go shoot everything you want on the island will be difficult.

It's big and you'll spend a fair amount of time driving from place to place.

The weather for us was hit and miss. The days when I had the most time to shoot, it rained or was very cloudy. The weather changes alot there. If it is bad at one end of the island drive to the other end.

Waimea Weather phone number is 808-245-6001
Have this number on your cell phone and call often while you are there. I found it very accurate.

I honestly gave up on the serious shoot I was hoping for, and just had fun on my vacation and enjoyed my stay with family. I got quite a few decent shots, but I needed days by myself to get all the shots I wanted and that wasn't possible.

So I say just have your camera with you wherever you go (not kayaking of course) and you should get lucky and get some great shots. Just don't get bummed out because of the weather conditions that cause you to get less than stellar shots, and let it spoil your family vacation.

Have fun.

Waimea is a must. Go as early in the morning as you can. It clouds up by noon or earlier some days.

[SeattleSpeedster]

yeah same here for us back in December....we would head out each day and flip a coin north or south. And the weather could be pretty much anything. Thats december for you though.

I brought every thing I owned, but my shots were about 80% 17-40 with a polarizer on.

I would make a list of what you want to take shots of. Use Google image or here to see what people have shot already.

My shots are here if you care to look - http://www.vispoint.com/album/Kauai%20and%20Oahu/index.html

we had really bad weather in December but had a rental car and photos were a priority so each day we figured out where to go.

[3Honu]

There is a sugar factory on the east side of the 52 or 53 that I would like to get a lot clsoer to. As I said before this is my third trip to kauai and I have done all the sight seeing stuff and won't be doing that. Most of the time I will be on Poipu beach. But I thought for my one day I would do just a photo trip.

Just Be - Thank you for the phone number. I will definitely use that.

I might check into a good hike. I seem to recall a strenuous hike or two down to the Napali coast. I was also thinking of doing long exposures at the tunnel of trees on the 52.

[deletedpenguin]

When I was in Kaua'i this past August, I brought all of my lenses I have listed below:

10-20 was used probably 90% of the time. I used the 24-70 for portraits etc, and pulled out the telephoto only when we were on the Big Island at the Volcano.

You can see my photos on the Flickr account.

Bring what you want, it's all relative. Bring what you will though, because you won't know what you want to use until YOU actually get there. Have fun. I'll be heading back to Kaua'i next September.

This time, I'll be there to get married.

[Shaggy]

ha, I will be there in May also, I think with the 10-22 and 70-200 I should be covered!

[jrader]

My input on this one: bring wide angle definitely, a 100mm zoom at least, polarizers for both, ND (2 and 3 stop) for the wide angle, and most importantly, GNDs (2 and 3 stop soft and hard).

I keep my 17-40 and the polarizer on it almost all the time, and when appropriate, I use the GNDs. I assure you, you will want a decent zoom though. There are places that you will see from a long way off that you can only get to by hard hiking or spending lots of money.

For my money, I would spend the whole day in Koke'e State Park. In fact, I could suggest a great hike to go on, but I need to know how serious you are about hiking (b/c it's a bit strenuous). The views are incredible though! You have all of Waimea Canyon at your disposal, the Na Pali coast lookouts are at the end of the road, you can do the Alaka'i swamp trail (which now has a boardwalk so no more mud), and there are lots of spine trails all through the park. Then you can finish it off with sunset at Polihale Beach overlooking Ni'ihau.

Best of luck. There's tons to do on the island whether you want a nice relaxing day, or if you really want to take it in.

John

[mikegli]

Check out Polihale beach if you get a chance. Its on the west side of the island, and it is a huuuuge beach. Pretty quiet, not much going on, but for some reason, I really enjoyed the opportunity to shoot there.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2436510519_fa49fc0a0c.jpg

[londonblue007]

I recommend Secret Beach on the north side, its a bit of a hike, but an awesome quiet place when you get there. Also, if you are in PoiPu, head over to Shipwreck Beach, hike up the cliff on the left and then hike along the golf course cliff trail. It'll take you all the way to a really nice big secluded beach.

If you can rent a 4x4, the drive out to blue hole and jurassic park gate is awesome. If you get a regular rental car, the drive out there will void any insurance and all that if you get stuck:D

All of my Kauai pics are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonblue007/sets/72157603391084076/

[3Honu]

I have my lenses set. I am more looking for places to go the average tourist woudn't think of. Thank you all very much for your suggestions and please keep them coming.

[Naturephotoz]

1) Koloa sugar mill - abandoned and a great mill to take photos in and around.
2) The Waimea river mouth can make for interesting photos. The dark sand beach and the white wash from the incoming water can add interest to photographs. Take a wide angle with a CP and get as low to the water/beach as possible. (watch the bottom of your car on the way to the beach. It is easily navigable with a small car but there are some large rocks sticking out of the sand that you have to make your way around.)
3) shipwreck beach sunrise - water gets trapped in the smooth rocks and makes for nice reflective pools of the sunrise.
4) The cave near ke'e beach
5) Kauai lighthouse
6) Hanalei taro fields
7) Napali coast of course from the first or second overlook early in the morning.
8) Glass beach - industrial/trash glass that has been washed and made smooth by the ocean and ended up on this beach.

Oh yeah, if you don't already have it buy the "Kauai Revealed" book it is an absolute must have for off the beaten/tourist track areas to visit and turn by turn directions how to get there. :cool:

Jason

[3Honu]

1) Koloa sugar mill - abandoned and a great mill to take photos in and around. Is it open to the public or do I have to hop fences?
2) The Waimea river mouth can make for interesting photos. The dark sand beach and the white wash from the incoming water can add interest to photographs. Take a wide angle with a CP and get as low to the water/beach as possible. (watch the bottom of your car on the way to the beach. It is easily navigable with a small car but there are some large rocks sticking out of the sand that you have to make your way around.)
3) shipwreck beach sunrise - water gets trapped in the smooth rocks and makes for nice reflective pools of the sunrise.
4) The cave near ke'e beach. I am familiar with the beach. It is one of my favorites. I am not familiar with this cave though. I will have to check it out.
5) Kauai lighthouse
6) Hanalei taro fields
7) Napali coast of course from the first or second overlook early in the morning. I had not thought of going there that early in the morning.
8) Glass beach - industrial/trash glass that has been washed and made smooth by the ocean and ended up on this beach.

Oh yeah, if you don't already have it buy the "Kauai Revealed" book it is an absolute must have for off the beaten/tourist track areas to visit and turn by turn directions how to get there. :cool: I have this book and have used it for my other trips there. It is a very good book.

Jason


Thank you Jason.

[3Honu]

I had a great trip. I didn't go to the usual places. (http://ocpickle.smugmug.com/gallery/8258638_vjdLs#539795411_tX8dS)

http://ocpickle.smugmug.com/photos/539839627_QVXeb-L.jpg

http://ocpickle.smugmug.com/photos/539842514_zSzDz-L.jpg

http://ocpickle.smugmug.com/photos/539817994_vAm5s-L.jpg


Thank you all for your suggestions.

[SeattleSpeedster]

nice to see something different...good work

[3Honu]

nice to see something different...good work


Thanks :)