A Hawaiian vacation isn’t just about sunbathing and relaxing at the spa. It’s an adventure to live with all your heart. Here are five off-the-beaten-path things to do in Hawaii.
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hawaii photography
In December 2019, Kihei Community Center was the host of the annual “Nā Kūpuna Dinner” held by the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association. The event is dedicated to the senior citizens of our community and is a way of thanking them for a life of hard work. We were there too, to honor them and create beautiful memories.
Charity Walk is an event that takes place every year in May. It’s a statewide event that occurs on Hawai`i Island, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu and aims to help the local charities. Charity Walk is the perfect occasion to get to know the community and enroll for some charity work.
We at Pacific Dream Photography were blown away by this well planned proposal on the Island of Kauai. What began as a simple girls day out photo session ended as the sweetest surprise proposal. When Lindsey booked a girls photo session at the Grand Hyatt Kauai with Pacific Dream Photography, she had no idea what surprises were in store. Little did she know, her soon to be husband reached out to us in advance with his sneaky proposal plan.
After a laugher filled girls beach photo session, we took Lindsey and her friends to the Mahalapu Heritage Trail. Jeremy anxiously awaited his bride to be, as he stood in a secret disguise. When Lindsey least expected it, we gave Jeremy the signal to surprise her. Finally Lindsey laid eyes on Jeremy, she couldn’t grasp that he was here in Hawaii. Not only did he fly all the way here to surprise her, he was down on one knee and popping the question. Of course Lindsey said yes! It was a truly magical moment.
When Lindsey looked up, the soon to be married couple’s family appeared as well to celebrate the engagement. It seemed as if the surprises never ended! Jeremy pointed out everyone who had been a part of his secret master proposal plan. They shared many laughs, happy tears, and excitement. We could feel the love and joy between everyone.
To commemorate the day, Jeremy brought along some fun props for the now, engagement session. Their enthusiasm and fun lightheartedness mirrored each other and highlighted exactly why they were simply meant to be. It’s such an privilege for us to document these special moments when two lives change forever.
What better way to capture an engagement photography session, than overlooking the Hawaiian sunset? Lucky for this couple, they get to cherish the memories forever with gorgeous photos on one of Hawaii's most beautiful landscapes.
After the surprise proposal, we headed down to Shipwrecks Beach for even more candid photography. The couple ended their photo shoot with a jump in the foaming Hawaiian waves, as they shared a true love’s kiss.
If a standard proposal just won’t do for your sweat heart, contact us at Pacific Dream Photography. We will help you come up with something amazing and capture your dream proposal. We can help you come up with a plan to sweep your partner off of their feet.
Written by Julia P. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Grand Hyatt Kauai)
You can almost see it, the pristine beach, the warm sand between your toes, and the sunny blue skies as you hold your lover’s hand among the shoreline. Just the name Hawaii sounds romantic. For many, Hawaii is a dream destination and if you are lucky enough to pay Hawaii a visit, you are in for a real treat.
We recently had the pleasure of photographing Daniel and Courtney at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. If you want to see Hawaii on a grand scale, stay at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. Nothing can top this place for a romantic getaway. The tropical grounds smell of sweet scented plumeria and you can’t forget the stunning ocean views.
This very much in love couple opted for a sunset session to celebrate their seven-year anniversary. There is no doubt that Hawaii is for lovers. We have the joy of capturing lovers every day and we couldn’t be happier.
Whether you are celebrating your anniversary, honeymoon, or a romantic getaway for two, you won’t go wrong booking a session with Pacific Dream Photography. Between all the romantic places and fun activities, remember to leave some time to capture these breathtaking moments. Tell us your story and together we will create something beautiful. Don’t be afraid to show us your genuine, quirky, fun love that you share together. This will allow our team to capture the story behind your true love.
As you can see, Daniel and Courtney’s love radiates through the camera lens. After seven years of marriage, this young couple is still as giddy as when they met. What better way to spend sunset than strolling along Shipwrecks Beach, while capturing the moment?
Daniel and Courtney spent their days on Kauai exploring countless waterfalls, Waimea Canyon, and enjoying the natural paradise. Not to mention the scenic drives and glorious beaches. No wonder why Kauai screams romantic getaway! To end the night, the happy couple shared an intimate candlelight dinner at Tide Pools restaurant. What an amazing night in tropical paradise.
From everyone at Pacific Dream Photography, Happy Anniversary! Daniel and Courtney, thank you for celebrating with us.
Written by Julia P. (Pacific Dream Photography at The Grand Hyatt Kauai)
The Big Island of Hawaii holds a variety of incredibly beautiful locations for that perfect day. From a vintage country theme in the lush mountains, to a romantic white sandy beach escape, there are so many fabulous options to choose from when booking your venue for your special ceremony.
Hannah and Owen decided to have their intimate wedding on a beachfront property in Puako located on the Kona Kohala Coast. With their immediate family by their sides, the two were married on a breezy Hawaiian afternoon. As Hawaii Wedding Photographers, we were lucky enough to be asked to join the happy couple to capture their memorable day.
When we arrived at the home on the day of the wedding, Hannah greeted us at the front door with her infectious smile beaming through the glass door. The house was breathtaking as we followed her on a short tour through the back to overlook the beach where the ceremony would be held. Hannah was calm, collected, and glowing, knowing that she’d be marrying her dream man within a few short hours.
A short and sweet ceremony and an illustrious Hawaiian sunset photo shoot later, the party made their way to the Fairmont Orchid for their private reception dinner to follow. Complete with a traditional family game, messy cutting of the cake, and an evening of dancing, it truly was an affair to remember.
Upon seeing their photos, Hannah wrote us this. “Yes, we are the people in the video and pictures, and our story is near and dear to our hearts, but the way you captured our big day was absolutely astounding!”
From all of us at Pacific Dream Photography and Coral Weddings, Congratulations, Lieutenant and Mrs. Keller!
- Written by Samantha (Pacific Dream Photography at the Fairmont Orchid)
These tips are by no means official rules, but are intended to be guidelines or a “general rule of thumb” that photographers use and clients should be aware of. Not all of them will fit everyone’s style and some may or may not be used depending on the type of photo shoot you are focusing on.
1. Do not shoot people straight on from the front. Sometimes hips or shoulders can be the widest areas of our bodies and shooting dead on will only accentuate these parts. If you angle your body, by turning it slightly to the side at a ¾ angle, it will be much more flattering.
2. Shooting from below is a “no-no”. Shooting from below shows off the things we generally do not like: nostrils, chins, hips, etc. Instead when you are shot from above (or eye level), all those unflattering angles appear slimmer, smaller. Who can complain about that?!
3. Speaking of noses and nostrils, No “nose-up”. I am sure you do not need pictures where you can see up your nostrils, so it’s helpful and much more flattering to tilt your head down slightly and not up. This small movement can make a huge difference in your images.
4. “If it bends, bend it”. Standing stiff and straight will only show that you are uncomfortable and not relaxed. If you bend your arms and shift your weight to the back so your front knee is slightly bent, or tilt your head into your partner the photos will look more natural. If you feel uncomfortable, your photos will show this.
5. Do not always stare deeply into the camera. Look past the camera or down over your shoulder to provide a different emotion and variety to your images.
6. Do something with your hands. Leaving your arms pressed against your sides is just not pretty. (This is not the case for everyone.) This can be avoided by slightly bending them at the elbow and puling them away from your body: putting them on your hips, holding an object, or placing them in front or back pockets.
7. Too much smiling may mean your face will get stiff. If you feel this happening take a deep breath and breathe out through your mouth. Still feeling stiff? Do the “pufferfish”, where you blow up their cheeks and then let it all out. This helps your face to relax and your pictures will look more natural.
8. Be open, try new things. Most likely your photographer will try to get a lot of fun, candid shots, but will also help pose you in ways that may be new and different to you. Relax and go with it!
Enjoy your session and ultimately have fun!!
-written by Alyssa (Pacific Dream Photography at the St. Regis Princeville)
Have you ever wondered just what it takes to get a “good” sunset picture? Cameras have become so readily available to us now with the digital age and camera phones, which seem to take decent pictures, but there’s much more to it than just pushing a button, right? Well, of course there is!
Photography is a wonderful art form, but it can be complicated. One of the most important components of photography is exposure. This is the balance between shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. Although, most cameras these days have an “auto mode”, this simple setting does not capture the best image.
When it comes to exposure, there is no right or wrong. Photography is art and every artist has a different vision. Most of us are not attempting to communicate deep or even simple messages with our images, we are purely trying to capture the moment. In this case, there is a trick!
Unlike film, digital photography is limited and can only capture so many levels of light in a single click. The trick, especially when photographing a sunset experience session, is to avoid over exposing an image and losing detail in the sky. If you are composing a sunset with a foreground, typically the foreground is much darker, which confuse a camera’s exposure meter. The camera might try to balance the exposure, preserving detail in the dark foreground, while losing detail in the sky.
The trick is to underexpose the picture slightly, exposing for the bright sky. This will let the foreground go dark. It is much easier to recover detail in the shadow portion of a digital image when editing than it is to recover the highlights and brighter areas. Lost detail in the highlights are nearly unrecoverable.
One recommendation would be to set the +/- (exposure compensation) to -1/3 so the camera will automatically underexpose. This technique is actually called “push processing” and will make your pictures have more vibrant and saturated colors, with greater contrast.
A rule of thumb to keep in mind: underexpose slightly to preserve highlights and edit to bring back shadow detail. Happy shooting!
-written by Michael (Pacific Dream Photography at Grand Hyatt, Kauai)
What would you do if you received your much anticipated wedding photos, while on your honeymoon at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, only to find that they are a complete disaster?! Well, Brian and Morgan immediately sought out Pacific Dream Photography to “re-create” their mainland wedding images. We jumped at the opportunity to capture beautiful moments of the newlyweds on Kauai.
Morgan, the “bride”, made an appointment to get her hair and makeup done at the Anara Spa and found a perfect beach appropriate white dress. Their photographer Elena, who happens to be our primary wedding photographer here on Kauai, met the couple for their sunset experience photo session and could instantly feel their excitement! With the beautiful grounds of the Grand Hyatt and Shipwrecks Beach as backdrops, and the natural chemistry the couple shared in front of the camera, we knew they would not be disappointed.
The viewing came the following afternoon and from the first glance, the honeymooners were ecstatic! Every photography session that we have the privilege of shooting here in Kauai is special, but being able to give this couple the wedding pictures of their dreams was really amazing. Congratulations again Brian and Morgan! Thank you for allowing Pacific Dream to “re-create” your wedding day. It was truly an honor!
If you ever find yourself in a similar position as Brian and Morgan, where you just need a “re-do”, we would love to be the solution. Or if you need an excuse to get dressed up and have your picture taken in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, we would love to be a part of your vacation or special event!
-written by Alyssa (Pacific Dream Photography at Grand Hyatt, Kauai)