I am traveling to Maui in June and hope to do some landscape photography while there. Do you have any suggestions regarding specific "must shoot" locations? Any assistance is appreciated. Also, tips on cleaning equipment daily to avoid damage due to humidity, salt, etc?
Thanks- Jon
I've done a fair amount of shooting in Hawai'i, on 'O'ahu, Lana'i, and Moloka'i, but I haven't spent time on Mau'i. My wife grew up outside Honolulu, so I try to get there every year or two lately.
Humidity is quite reasonable due to the trade winds.
In general, I don't see maintenance requirements on the islands as terribly different from any other outdoor environment. If you're actually photographing at the beach or near sea spray, that's the time to use a protective filter.
Depending on where you are and the weather, winds can be very high. I found that my ultralight Gowland 8x10" turned into a box kite quite easily, so lately I've been bringing my Tech V 4x5", and that's been much more manageable, much though I'd rather be shooting 8x10".
Haleakala Crater is like a moonscap. The weather changes all the time. The beach at night is great. Go with open eyes, and you won't want for subject matter. Have a great time.
See pages on Maui and Haleakala in Pictures of Hawaii.
Haven't been there in ages, but it's my favorite place on the planet. Definitely do Haleakala, early morning and evening. It would be hard to drive just about anywhere and not find interesting subjects. Many of the types of landscapes I wanted to shoot required extreme wide angle lenses. At the time I ws shooting 35mm, so it wasn't a problem, but I don't have the $$ to expand my 4x5 outfit to the point where I would have been as happy. Don't underestimate physical condition, as many of the really nice areas will require some hiking over steep terrain.
The road to Hana (narrow & a curve every 1/4 mile) has several areas with nice overlooks & opportunities.
Iao State Park just outside Lahaina. "Lush" isn't even the word for the place, but be prepared for sudden and sustained rain.
Color or black and white? Iao valley is beautiful in black and white. Haleakala is all about the color. Amazing place to be at for sunset. Take a jacket, it gets cold, too cold for me to do it in the morning for the sunrise. If you do it, take a hot drink in a thermus, chocolate seems like a good choice. Another place that is an absolute must is Hana. The beauty of it just doesn't fit in your mind. Explore Hana! I can not emphasise this enough. Sleep over there if you can. Visit Waianapanapa. There is a black sand beach with the bluest ocean you'll ever see. In hana there is a secret trail to a red sand beach, sometimes somewhat crowded with some hippies in the nude. Again the blueness of the water is not something easy to understand. Seven miles after Hana (I think these seven miles are the most beautiful of the whole trip there) you will find the Oheo gulch which is part of the Haleakala National Park. There are some impressive lava pools called the "Seven Sacred Pools". Swim in there, it's refreshing! If you take the trail up the stream (I think it is a fairly easy two mile trail) you will find more and more pools, a very mature bamboo forest, and a nice waterfall at the end. Lahaina can be of value since it is a historic town and the sun sets over there right on the ocean. I hope that helps!
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