Honolulu POTN Hale

PocketNinja wrote in post #5787870
Thanks for the comments everyone.
Here's two from today.

Beautiful model and shots. Her right arm in the first pic looks a little awkward.

Here's something you don't see too often, Mountain Naupaka. Look at the difference in the leaves. Match the flower with the Ocean Naupaka for the lovers to reunite.

awesome lincoln, never seen the mountain naupaka before.

Hello everyone,

I've been reading this board for some time and making a list of all the places that people have been recommending. I'll be traveling to Maui on July 12th for about 7 days and staying at the Grand Weleia (or something like that) hotel. I was in Maui about 3 years ago for my honeymoon and wanted to "spend time with the new wife" so I didn't bring my gear. This time she's been advised to enjoy the sand as I bring "all my toys" for the ultimate excursion.

So, with that being said..... I am flying packed with my list of locations and this list of gear:

1D Mark III, 16-35 L, 28-300 L I/S 3.5-5.7, 70-200 I/S 2.8 L, Hoya Circular Polarizer, Cokin GND kit (two 2-stop filters so I can stack if needed), Tripod with grip, Tenba bag with Dell XPS (Soon to arrive laptop).

Can anyone recommend anything else I should bring and anything I should try? Other than the obvious, sunrise/sunsets, scenery/lanscapes.... I'm referring to the - "If you ever go to Maui you must......... before you leave" type of thing.

Not sure if or when I'm ever coming back so I really want to get everything I can.

Thanks in advance for any help.....

Mike

mfr301 wrote in post #5793210
Hello everyone,

I've been reading this board for some time and making a list of all the places that people have been recommending. I'll be traveling to Maui on July 12th for about 7 days and staying at the Grand Weleia (or something like that) hotel. I was in Maui about 3 years ago for my honeymoon and wanted to "spend time with the new wife" so I didn't bring my gear. This time she's been advised to enjoy the sand as I bring "all my toys" for the ultimate excursion.

So, with that being said..... I am flying packed with my list of locations and this list of gear:

1D Mark III, 16-35 L, 28-300 L I/S 3.5-5.7, 70-200 I/S 2.8 L, Hoya Circular Polarizer, Cokin GND kit (two 2-stop filters so I can stack if needed), Tripod with grip, Tenba bag with Dell XPS (Soon to arrive laptop).

Can anyone recommend anything else I should bring and anything I should try? Other than the obvious, sunrise/sunsets, scenery/lanscapes.... I'm referring to the - "If you ever go to Maui you must......... before you leave" type of thing.

Not sure if or when I'm ever coming back so I really want to get everything I can.

Thanks in advance for any help.....

Mike

Unfortunately, I can't really recommend anything because I've only been to maui once and that was a long time ago. One shot I really want to get one of these days though is the sunrise from Haleakala (biggest mountain on the island).

Oh and don't forget to come back to this thread and show us what you captured

HDR attempt

mfr301 wrote in post #5793210
Hello everyone,

I've been reading this board for some time and making a list of all the places that people have been recommending. I'll be traveling to Maui on July 12th for about 7 days and staying at the Grand Weleia (or something like that) hotel. I was in Maui about 3 years ago for my honeymoon and wanted to "spend time with the new wife" so I didn't bring my gear. This time she's been advised to enjoy the sand as I bring "all my toys" for the ultimate excursion.

So, with that being said..... I am flying packed with my list of locations and this list of gear:

1D Mark III, 16-35 L, 28-300 L I/S 3.5-5.7, 70-200 I/S 2.8 L, Hoya Circular Polarizer, Cokin GND kit (two 2-stop filters so I can stack if needed), Tripod with grip, Tenba bag with Dell XPS (Soon to arrive laptop).

Can anyone recommend anything else I should bring and anything I should try? Other than the obvious, sunrise/sunsets, scenery/lanscapes.... I'm referring to the - "If you ever go to Maui you must......... before you leave" type of thing.

Not sure if or when I'm ever coming back so I really want to get everything I can.

Thanks in advance for any help.....

Mike

Haleakala, Waianapanapa, anything that would be like a beachesque looking place. I would say ditch the 28-300. or leave the other two lenses. Either way you dont need all 3 lenses. personlly i shoot exclusively with the UWA and the tele-zoom.

just my two cents though.

mfr301 wrote in post #5793210
Hello everyone,

I've been reading this board for some time and making a list of all the places that people have been recommending. I'll be traveling to Maui on July 12th for about 7 days and staying at the Grand Weleia (or something like that) hotel. I was in Maui about 3 years ago for my honeymoon and wanted to "spend time with the new wife" so I didn't bring my gear. This time she's been advised to enjoy the sand as I bring "all my toys" for the ultimate excursion.

So, with that being said..... I am flying packed with my list of locations and this list of gear:

1D Mark III, 16-35 L, 28-300 L I/S 3.5-5.7, 70-200 I/S 2.8 L, Hoya Circular Polarizer, Cokin GND kit (two 2-stop filters so I can stack if needed), Tripod with grip, Tenba bag with Dell XPS (Soon to arrive laptop).

Can anyone recommend anything else I should bring and anything I should try? Other than the obvious, sunrise/sunsets, scenery/lanscapes.... I'm referring to the - "If you ever go to Maui you must......... before you leave" type of thing.

Not sure if or when I'm ever coming back so I really want to get everything I can.

Thanks in advance for any help.....

Mike

Welcome, Mike.

I'm like Evolution in that I have been to Maui only twice and the last time was I think in '89. But I had planned to take the SuperFerry over there last year until the whole ferry thing got screwed up and never went and so I researched a little bit last year.

If you're staying at the Grand Wailea then that in itself should be a great place to take pics. Then there's the dormant(?) volcano Haleakala (House of the Rising Sun) that Evolution and Motion mentioned. It's a long, windy drive up the mountain and the popular thing is to go up to see the sunrise which is pretty nice. Besides the sunset the landscape is interesting and there's silversword plants and if I remember correctly there's some nene geese (Hawaii state bird) wandering around up there.

There's also the 'Iao Valley State Park. And the Maui Ocean Center, which I wanted to see. If you're up to it there's also the looooooong drive to Hana if you are interested in that. I don't know if the Seven Sacred Pools is still open, but it's near Hana. I think after the big earthquake in '06 or '07 there was a bridge that was damaged and caused some access issues so I don't really if they're still accessible.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Enjoy your stay and don't forget to post the pics.

ps...this probably goes for all islands, but watch your valuables--definitely don't leave them in the car.

Evolutiondemon wrote in post #5793564
HDR attempt

I don't understand HDR yet, but this picture really caught my eye. I like it. My eyes went right to those bright blue things under the dome.

Chris

It's been years since I took my family for a drive to Hana, you can plan on seeing nature at it's best with water falls, rustic bridges. lotz of photo ops, you can spend a day easy on the Road To Hana. my 2cents

mfr301 wrote in post #5793210
Hello everyone,

I've been reading this board for some time and making a list of all the places that people have been recommending. I'll be traveling to Maui on July 12th for about 7 days and staying at the Grand Weleia (or something like that) hotel. I was in Maui about 3 years ago for my honeymoon and wanted to "spend time with the new wife" so I didn't bring my gear. This time she's been advised to enjoy the sand as I bring "all my toys" for the ultimate excursion.

So, with that being said..... I am flying packed with my list of locations and this list of gear:

1D Mark III, 16-35 L, 28-300 L I/S 3.5-5.7, 70-200 I/S 2.8 L, Hoya Circular Polarizer, Cokin GND kit (two 2-stop filters so I can stack if needed), Tripod with grip, Tenba bag with Dell XPS (Soon to arrive laptop).

Can anyone recommend anything else I should bring and anything I should try? Other than the obvious, sunrise/sunsets, scenery/lanscapes.... I'm referring to the - "If you ever go to Maui you must......... before you leave" type of thing.

Not sure if or when I'm ever coming back so I really want to get everything I can.

Thanks in advance for any help.....

Mike

I use my wide angle lenses 90% of the time and my tele for portrait/candid shots. A very scenic Island that is compacted. The road to Hana has multi-bridges and waterfalls. It's a beautiful drive. I spent many vacations there as my Father-in-law lives in Hana. All those places mentioned earlier will not disappoint you. I'd leave the 28-300 in the hotel or hidden in the car unless you plan to shoot birds. Just before you reach Hana, go to Wai'anapanapa State Park. I took a whole bunch of photos there in my flickr using GNDs. Use a Waianapanapa and Hana search in my photostream to see the area.

I like the road to Hana trip for lush tropical settings.

For more adventure, you can keep on going past Hana and make the complete circuit back to Kahului. If you haven't, what you'll run into is a change in environment from wet tropical to arid conditions with dry, "volcanic" settings typical of leeward island conditions as opposed to the windward sides of our islands.

You'll be traversing dirt and gravel roads in ranchland settings, driving through scattered herds of cattle, low/mid/high coastline vistas in close solitude with nature, as only the more daring souls will take the somewhat rough road conditions from Hana to Ulupalakua and onward through upcountry Maui or downward through Makena on Maui's dry south side for sea level coastline views.

If you do this, i recommend renting a SUV and don't tell the rental agency about it, as most will restrict you from traveling past Hana via the north shore route through Pa'ia/Ho'okipa.

Pack food and drink for the 10-12 hr. trip, and be prepared to use the roadside bushes for "relief".

I assume you're also going to 'Iao Valley and do the early AM drive to view the sunrise from Hale'akala? And seeing as if you're staying on the west side at Wailea, you'll also be shooting the beautiful sunsets at the nearby nature reserve at La Perouse Bay and do the dusk shoot/walk through Lahaina?

Lots of miles to travel and lots of once-in-a-lifetime photo op's to take in. I like the idea that you'll be there for a whole week, as you'll need at least a couple of days to take photo's at the "must be there" sites.

Enjoy,

wendo.

edit - seeing as if you're willing to lug around a heavy xps dell lappy, i say bring all your gear 'cuz you have a "willing and able" second to help you with the added load. just don't forget that the car theives and looters do live in paradise also.

motion_projekt wrote in post #5785070
go for the f/2.8 IS. I wish i did.

agreed. bite the bullet and go for it. you won't miss the bucks after you spend it, but you will miss the added benefits if you don't. and besides, if you do decide you don't want the 2.8 after getting it, you can sell it used and still buy a new f/4 with the left-over cash.

howz'zat for playing the devil huh?:p

ZENGHOST wrote in post #5787868
Thanks, the cut-outs and masking were two of the things that I was hoping to improve.

I've heard it both ways--get the biggest one you can afford or get a small one because peoples' arms get sore using the large one. I think I'm going to try for the 6x8 or 6x11 and see how that goes.

Thanks for the advice.

I've had the smaller ones also. I prefer the larger sizes as i fall into the category of being "very picky". as such, i am detail-oriented and a pixel peeper by nature. i'm the kind of guy that will torture myself to "get it all correct". the larger size pads allow me to pick at individual pixels alot easier without constantly zooming in and out for proper working perspective.

you're right though; personal choice is critical on pad size. with the thought in mind that going for a pad means you do care alot about having your finished product end up looking completely as envisioned, paying attention to detail is the price to pay and for me that road has led me to a larger pad size.

PocketNinja wrote in post #5787870
Thanks for the comments everyone.
Here's two from today.

pro quality all the way pocket ninja. i hope to shoot modeling as well as you some day.

with the threat of "teaching the teacher" in mind, i can only humbly comment on the first shot. because the model has a broad face and jaw and wide spaced eyes, i would have preferred the face angle you used in the second shot as it hid that broadness very well.

phocalphobe wrote in post #5794393
pro quality all the way pocket ninja. i hope to shoot modeling as well as you some day.

with the threat of "teaching the teacher" in mind, i can only humbly comment on the first shot. because the model has a broad face and jaw and wide spaced eyes, i would have preferred the face angle you used in the second shot as it hid that broadness very well.

haha you're funny. my understanding of lighting is not close to what I'd like it to be. my photos consist of quite intense photoshopping.. although someday I wish to place the lights exactly where it should be, snap a test shot, and the lighting be perfect. tomorrow i have another shoot indoors so I'll be able to use the modeling light unless the alienbee is used as a background. hopefully i'll be able to just look and see how light falls with the umbrellas in different positions. i think the slightly strange look with her head is from being slightly wide with the focal length and the position of the camera but im not too sure. I'll have to look through more photos to find out.
with that said, here's a few more.