I lived on the Island of Lana'i for 25 years. The beautiful people and places, of this island, will always have a special place in my heart. This drone aerial image was one of my very first attempts at creating a multiple image stitch with the drone flying out over the ocean. This was in the early days of very limited battery life and flight time and it was unnerving to say the least. Shots, like this one, have become very special for me. It shows a very unique perspective of a place, in a moment of time, that can never be duplicated again. The clouds over the island, on this day, were amazing! This shot encompasses Hulopo'e Bay, Shark's Bay, Puu Pehe (Sweetheart Rock) and Manele Bay on the South Coast of the island. This was before the major renovation took place at the Manele Bay Resort in 2015... there have been many changes since then... This print is available, in a special panoramic size, of 12" x 24"... on either a stretched canvas or a glossy print on metal... both shipped ready to hang.
While living on the Island of Lana'i for 25 years... I photographed Puupehe (often referred to as "Sweetheart Rock" dozens of times. This aerial drone perspective is one of my favorite shots of this beautiful sea stack. Legend has it that a beautiful Hawaiian woman, named Puupehe, is buried on top of this unique stand of lava rock. In my view, this is one of the most beautiful places in Hawaii... and on this day, the lighting and clouds were near perfect.
This was one of my early tries at aerial drone photography. I packed my gear up on an off road motorcycle and headed for the old village site of Keomoku on the Island of Lana'i. This unique drone perspective shows the remote isolation of this restored church building at this former Hawaiian village site. Remnants of a coconut tree grove still survive in an area now dominated by kiawe trees. Back in the 1890's, there was a try at a sugar plantation in this area... but the attempt, eventually, failed. There is no electricity and no running water here. A rugged dirt road is the only way of reaching this place by land. I explored this area, many times, over the years... but this shot remains one of my favorites
