Hawaii

 Where do you start with pictures from nearly 2 weeks in Hawaii?  Or, with over 800 pictures, more specifically, where do you end?

The first pic is of THE BEACH in LOST.  We didn't find it until the sun was setting.  There were two pro photographers there, shooting wedding pictures.  We (well, mostly me) scurried around the pros to grab some pictures of this scene we had seen so many times during the LOST series.

But, Hawaii isn't simply the tropical scenes we all think of when we imagine being there.  Thanks to the volcano, there are 11 of the 13 microclimates all on the Big Island itself.  There is the rainforest, alongside the scrub brush, the lava beds...cactus down the street from coconut palms. It was a fascinating place - absolutely fascinating.

to put this scene in perspective.....IT WAS AS HOT AS THE DICKENS!!!

More later......

Practice What I Preach

We are preparing to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Hawaii.  We are sooooo excited, I've already started packing!!  

After years of practice, I've become  pretty good at setting my camera on a tripod, using the self-timer, and dashing around to pose w/ Tim and the kids before the shutter fires. But sometimes, it's simply wonderful to have someone else behind the camera.

Case in point, Jessica from 503Photography, did a mini photo shoot with us 2 years ago.  I could have never captured the same look and feel like she did.

I often suggest hiring a professional photographer to folks - even when there isn't a significant life event, like a wedding.  So to practice what I preach, I've made arrangements with a wonderful photographer in Hawaii to photograph us celebrating 25 years together.

Her name is Natalie Norton - I love her photographic style and her approach to post-processing. Those of you who know me know I have some rather strong opinions about this topic - ok, I can just hear you saying, "....really?  Beth has a strong opinion....??" lol.  Anyway, I'm here to tell you that planning for the shoot with Natalie has added to the fun and excitement of our trip. 

Yes, I'll be posting pictures... Aloha!