After asking on Twitter and Facebook, there appears to be enough interest in organizing a small 2+ hour workshop sometime around Pubcon Hawaii.

Initially, my idea was to sit down in an informal setting and share the various photography tips and techniques that I have learned over the many years photographing Hawaii. That’s still the goal, but I suspect the format will be very “unconference” like with everyone sharing their tips, and perhaps a photowalk to end it.

While I work on the date, time, and location, please leave a comment below if you are interested. I will update this post soon.

Aloha!

PS. This event is not endorsed or connected in anyway with Pubcon. The goal is to provide the workshop for free.

I’ve been back from the Maui Photo Festival just a few days now, but I’m already very much looking forward to next year.

The caliber of speakers/instructors was incredibly high and I give them tremendous credit for helping me take my photography skills to the next level. In fact, I was so energized by the conference I decided that, upon my return, I would make a commitment to set up a gallery to sell some of my Hawaii photography and art. That decision was cemented when I was honored to win the prestigious “Best Hula” prize for this shot:

Sunset Hula

I hope someone captured the look of shock on my face when they announced my name. There were hundreds of talented photographers at the event, and to win the category that so epitomizes Hawaii was such an honor. I guess all those years of taking photos for the award-winning Go Visit Hawaii travel guide benefited me tremendously. That, and I finally got to meet one of my mentors Peter Liu at the festival.

So, stay tuned. The site is undergoing a major transformation as I upload my best art and build in the ability for you to purchase anything that takes your fancy.

Mahalo!

PS. Mahalo to Terrie Eliker for organizing the festival and inviting me out!

The Maui Photo Festival & Workshops is about to kick off its third year and I am (finally) getting to go. Previous years just didn’t work with my schedule, but this year worked out brilliantly!

I take my job as official photographer and videographer for Go Visit Hawaii seriously–I have to, Sheila has a list a mile long of people wanting to take my place! Even though I’ve taken literally thousands of photos in Hawaii (sample), I still consider myself an amateur and I’m looking forward to learning from some of the best in the business!

Here’s a sample of the workshops I’m salivating over…

• The Art of the Landscape – landscape photography is one of my favorites!
• Lighting Essentials and Visual Perception – I am crap when it comes to lighting portrait subjects. Unless it’s natural light, I am lost. Hoping to pick up some tips for strobes/flash photography.
• Mastering the Art of Food Photography – Sheila will not let us eat a single bite of dinner, until we get some food “porn” shots. Great food photo tips are always welcomed!
• Hula on the Beach – I have a couple of great hula shots, but this is gonna be awesome!
• Considering Your Options With HDR – HDR is probably one of my strengths, but I still sometimes end up with halos etc. Hoping for some fine tuning tips here.

That’s just a sampling of the workshops on my agenda. Of course, I’m looking forward to meeting a whole bunch of photogs that are equally passionate about Hawaii photography…oh, and the pupus, love me some pupus!

There’s still time to register, so see you there!

A couple of months ago, I decided to grab a $150 round trip ticket for October’s Photo Plus Expo in New York. The exhibit hall pass was free, so with cab fare, it was less than $250 for a day focused purely on photography.

What bliss!

I had a great time walking around the exhibit hall. Not only did I get to see the latest camera gear, but Nikon, Canon, Sony and others provided free seminars throughout the day. Without doubt, the Sony booth had the best speakers.

I watched 3 speakers at the Sony booth, but Matthew Jordan Smith’s inside look at how he shoots portraits was incredible. Not only was he very forthcoming with the details, but the apparent simplicity of his photography really inspired me to start building a simple studio so I can practice my portrait photography.

I have a few photos that I took while walking the exhibit hall. One that I’m excited about was taken at the Westcott (lighting) booth. Not only were they teaching you the basics of studio lighting, but they had a female model “on display” that anyone could take photographs of–how cool!