Kauai in March
Jan 13, 2018 13:05:23 #
I echo the Napali hike, Waimea Canyon and other comments, but there is also a beautiful old German Lutheran church with nice angles for captures.
Jan 13, 2018 14:04:51 #
iosa,
If you are using film and will be near the coastline, there is considerable actinic light. Many objects will take on an exaggerated blue tinge, due to the blue light of the beautiful sky and the blue light reflected off of the beautiful water. At Kilauea lighthouse which has previously been mentioned, the green grass becomes blue. To correct for this, through experimentation I have found that a KR 4.5 correction is the one I liked the best, keeping the green grass/weeds green and the rest of the colors accurate. For Waimea Canyon I found I needed less correction, KR 3.0. On helicopter rides I encourage you to use a fast shutter speed due to the vibration of the motor above you, and due to the winds you may experience, with or without doors. Also, poking your lens out of the protected sphere of the body by even just a little exposes your lens to winds at the speed of your copter. It is like putting your hand out the car window and playing with your hand in the air as the car travels down a highway.
I also found using a polarizing filter on Velvia 50 slowed down the shutter too much to be used. Seats are assigned by the weight of its riders, so let's hope you get an outside seat and not the one in the middle between the pilot and the right front passenger.
I will never forget my 1st helicopter flight in Kauai in 2002. I had my trusty Canon-F-1 which I bought in 1972 and low and behold, on the same ride there was a gentleman from New York with the identical camera! The Napoli coast is simply breathtaking.
There is a bird sanctuary at the Kilauea lighthouse. If you have a National Parks Pass, it will get you in for free. Since you will be there in March, you may get to see some gigantic ocean swells on the north side of the island. These crash into the cliffs and water may splash up 70 or more feet into the air. Truly outstanding! These are visible from the lighthouse grounds on the distant portion of the promontory.
My wife loves to scuba dive. In April of 2015 she heard whale calls for the first time. We saw many whales on a whale-tour that month. Thus, in March, you are still likely to experience some whale activity, breaching and diving etc.
Thank you for bringing up the subject, thus allowing me to reminisce on such beautiful experiences. I hope I did not bore you.
BTW my KR numbers refer to Heliopan filter nomenclature. If you are using a digital camera, perhaps none of this filter information is needed. But due to sea spray from the crashing waves (which you may run into depending on your proximity to the water) a UV or clear glass filter may be useful.
Arca
If you are using film and will be near the coastline, there is considerable actinic light. Many objects will take on an exaggerated blue tinge, due to the blue light of the beautiful sky and the blue light reflected off of the beautiful water. At Kilauea lighthouse which has previously been mentioned, the green grass becomes blue. To correct for this, through experimentation I have found that a KR 4.5 correction is the one I liked the best, keeping the green grass/weeds green and the rest of the colors accurate. For Waimea Canyon I found I needed less correction, KR 3.0. On helicopter rides I encourage you to use a fast shutter speed due to the vibration of the motor above you, and due to the winds you may experience, with or without doors. Also, poking your lens out of the protected sphere of the body by even just a little exposes your lens to winds at the speed of your copter. It is like putting your hand out the car window and playing with your hand in the air as the car travels down a highway.
I also found using a polarizing filter on Velvia 50 slowed down the shutter too much to be used. Seats are assigned by the weight of its riders, so let's hope you get an outside seat and not the one in the middle between the pilot and the right front passenger.
I will never forget my 1st helicopter flight in Kauai in 2002. I had my trusty Canon-F-1 which I bought in 1972 and low and behold, on the same ride there was a gentleman from New York with the identical camera! The Napoli coast is simply breathtaking.
There is a bird sanctuary at the Kilauea lighthouse. If you have a National Parks Pass, it will get you in for free. Since you will be there in March, you may get to see some gigantic ocean swells on the north side of the island. These crash into the cliffs and water may splash up 70 or more feet into the air. Truly outstanding! These are visible from the lighthouse grounds on the distant portion of the promontory.
My wife loves to scuba dive. In April of 2015 she heard whale calls for the first time. We saw many whales on a whale-tour that month. Thus, in March, you are still likely to experience some whale activity, breaching and diving etc.
Thank you for bringing up the subject, thus allowing me to reminisce on such beautiful experiences. I hope I did not bore you.
BTW my KR numbers refer to Heliopan filter nomenclature. If you are using a digital camera, perhaps none of this filter information is needed. But due to sea spray from the crashing waves (which you may run into depending on your proximity to the water) a UV or clear glass filter may be useful.
Arca
Jan 13, 2018 14:38:50 #
iosa wrote:
I'll be in Kauai in early-mid march. What can I expect to find available for photography there? Plants? Animals? Landscapes? Astronomy?
What kind of lenses should I pack?
Thanks in advance!
What kind of lenses should I pack?
Thanks in advance!
...i forgot to mention lenses.
(I brought 2 bodies and all my zooms....just couldnt leave home without 'em)
1) 150-600mm for surfers, seals and the odd bird
2) 24-70 - most landscapes
3) 16-35 only used it a couple times. Distortion at wide open is tricky and makes it difficult for landscape corrections in pp...could leave this one home if necessary. On the APS-C body it was awesome and my wife had it on the 70D during the open door heli at 35 (equiv 50mm )
4) 50mm 1.4 for nightime low light shots. Could have left this home.
5) 70-200 - used it on the open door heli. (No lens hood)
In the end, the 150-600 saw lots of surfer action and the 24-70 and 70-200 did the rest.
Jan 13, 2018 14:57:59 #
BrentHarder wrote:
I want to follow in your footsteps. All those places look awesome. Nice photos! Thanks for sharing.
Brent, if you go, you especially will want to find those honey-holes the locals were using in Oahu along the east cost....Not the smooth curls of Huntington Beach... The surf was outrageously unpredictable as the trade winds were constantly shifting and the boogie boarders on the shore breaks were more spectacular than the surfers for the danger element!! I could have stood there for hours but my wife made me move on...
Jan 13, 2018 15:15:01 #
Jan 13, 2018 15:32:53 #
Ed Walker
Loc: Eclectic, Alabama U.S.A.
I recommend that you spend enough money to take me with you. We were there a couple of years ago. It is beautiful with more photography opportunities than you will be able to take advantage of.
Jan 13, 2018 15:34:34 #
I would agree with all that has been said before with a few additions. Kauai is The Garden Island, so has a lot of lush greenery and flowers. If you like close ups of flowers, bring your favorite lenses for that. It rains more and has more cloudy days than the other islands, so be prepared for that, especially in March. The helicopter ride is also highly recommended. I used a video camera for that and still find it exciting to watch. Kauai is less built up, congested, and touristy than Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island, so lots of countryside to explore. One caveat, which is not such a big deal in Kauai as on the more tourist filled island, but your rental car is not a secure place to leave expensive camera equipment. The local thieves can be in and out of your car in 1/32 seconds.
Jan 13, 2018 18:50:06 #
My wife and I did a quick auto tour of the island several years ago while on a cruise. Waimea Canyon, to me, is a must see as well as the lighthouse. As others have already told you, there is so much to photograph you will not be lacking for subjects. If you are lacking, there are always the chickens! 
Jan 13, 2018 19:22:43 #
alx
Loc: NJ
Just have to ask... Does anyone else here have fond memories of the old Coco Palms resort?
Jan 13, 2018 20:57:52 #
Robert Bailey
Loc: Canada
You can expect a lot of rain!
My wife and I went camping there for 3 weeks a few years ago.
It rained almost every day- but we learned that if you drive for 30 minutes
you'll probably be out of the rain.
We also discovered there are feral chickens (and roosters) everywhere.
They are the result of a hurricane a number of years ago that allowed many chickens
to escape.
My wife and I went camping there for 3 weeks a few years ago.
It rained almost every day- but we learned that if you drive for 30 minutes
you'll probably be out of the rain.
We also discovered there are feral chickens (and roosters) everywhere.
They are the result of a hurricane a number of years ago that allowed many chickens
to escape.
Jan 14, 2018 00:01:17 #
alx wrote:
Since you asked, yes I do. The wife and I stayed there in August, 1967 for a couple nights. That is where Elvis filmed part of the movie "Blue Hawaii". Here are a few pictures of the resort. These were scanned from slides.Just have to ask... Does anyone else here have fond memories of the old Coco Palms resort?
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They did this running ritual on a nightly basis
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The bathroom in our room. It was hi-tech at the time. Not so much now.
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This was our room.
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Jan 14, 2018 00:12:58 #
The Fern Grotto was interesting and fun. If it is still there that is.
Jan 14, 2018 00:22:30 #
Took a photo tour in March of 2016 half day it was great also got some beautiful shots while on the sunset cruise on the Napoli coast as far as lens I took a 24-70 and a 70-200 covered everything I needed Relax and enjoy it is a great place to unwind Mahalo
Jan 14, 2018 00:28:23 #
Went to Kauai in March 2016 took a photo tour it was amazing also took a catamaran on the Napali coast sunset fantastic shots took my 24-70 and 70-200 covered everything Relax Enjoy and Mahalo
Jan 14, 2018 00:29:02 #
alx
Loc: NJ
EdJ0307 wrote:
Since you asked, yes I do. The wife and I stayed there in August, 1967 for a couple nights. That is where Elvis filmed part of the movie "Blue Hawaii". Here are a few pictures of the resort. These were scanned from slides.
Stayed there in one of the bungalows for a week the year before Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai in 1992 and devastated the hotel and so much of the island. So many of the places I had known from visits since 1980 were wiped out and I lost touch with many friends.
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