Hawaii help

[harper]

hi guys

ive booked my holiday to hawaii in november and i was wondering if any of you have been there before and if you could share some photos. not really sure at where to start when im over there but i am hoping to get allot of photography in whilst spending my 11 days there. we have already organised to got to honolulu and maui. not sure if we will have enough time to venture to the other island but we will see what happens when we get there.

and also about transporting my camera gear. i will be taking my 60D with the 17-55mm lens and tripod. not sure if i will take my 100-400mm lens just yet. with this gear will i have any problems taking it as carry on luggage?

hope yous can help

[mongo]

Only been to O’ahu for about a week. Great place – lots to do and see. Have not been to Maui.

Only used an 11-18mm wide zoom on a cropped body. There were times Mongo wishes he had just a little more focal length (say, a small 105 f2.5 in my back pocket) but certainly not something as much as a 100-400mm. Your current wide zoom seems ideal.

Mongo only takes his camera gear as carry on luggage. Despite all the craziness re travel security in the US, happy to say there were no problems doing this. The tripod should be preferably very collapsible and not too big or heavy. This will very very likely have to travel in with the luggage so it will be at a bit of risk of theft or injury. In fact, if you decide to only take the wide zoom, you should think twice about the need to take your tripod at all. There is generally plenty of light – even for the night life

sorry, but too many photos to resize to be able to share.

You will not like US customs and security - not what we are used to dealing with

enjoy your trip

[tcdev]

I was in Hawaii last year and can highly recommend the Big Island. Of course a lot depends on what you like doing and what you want to see & photograph. The Big Island has the Volcano National Park and Mauna Kea with its astronomy facilities even in the visitor centre which is readily accessible via car. There's also the black sand beach which is striking, and often frequented by large sea turtles which you can approach quite closely. There's a nice botanical gardens right on the water's edge. Kona is a nice little resort town with pretty scenery and great snorkelling if you want to spend a few days relaxing away from the hustle of Honolulu which, IMHO, is vastly overrated. We didn't like Hilo on the big island either.

Since Honolulu is the entry/exit point anyway, I'd suggest you take one afternoon to walk up to Diamond Head, for the historical perspective on the head itself, and the views from the top. Pearl Harbour is also well worth the visit; one tip, get there early in the morning and grab tickets for the tours (out to Arizona for example) or you'll end up with a 4-hour wait and run out of things to do in the mean-time. I've heard the top-end of the island is very different to Honolulu, but still quite commercialised. Of course in Honolulu you have to check out Waikiki Beach.

I had my 18-200mm with me; great versatility but was shooting mainly at the short end to get the scenery in. Not much in the way of wildlife so the 200mm was largely unused.

My wife has plenty of photos on her Facebook page from that trip. I'll see if I can talk her into making the link public...

[harper]

thanks guys.

im pretty set on taking the tripod to get some long exposures shots in of some of the waterfalls and beaches. think i will be leaving to 100-400mm at home that to your recommendations.

and i have already booked the pearl harbour tour but i will have to check if that includes the arizona.

i have also booked a rent a car for our time in maui so hopefully this means i can get a lot of photography in (if the girlfriend lets me that is)

are there any oter tours you could recommend?

[CarlR]

I've been lucky to visit Hawaii on three occasions over the last couple of years, spending time in Honululu, on Maui and the Big Island.

Definitely hire a car. Jeep Wranglers are ubiquitous. I've found that arranging it in advance provides the best deal. There are a few websites that offer discounted car hire in Maui that are worth checking out.

I didn't do any of the tours, although there is a dazzling array of choice.

Like Mongo, I used shorter focal lengths, favouring my 35mm f1.8 (on a cropped body) and a 17-55m zoom. The CPL was used a fair bit. I took everything as carry on. The tripod was only used once. Depending on what you take, make sure you pack a couple of adaptors as charging laptops, batteries, phones etc makes for interesting times.

[Wayne]

I have been many many times over the years and I would agree with Tcdev on the Big Island stuff, and Oahu. For the Big Island you can hire a kayak and explore Captain Cook monument, where he died and also some of the sea caves. I will add for Oahu, the Diamond Head trail in November will be likely a very hot place to be if it is sunny. Get there early, you can park at the bottom of the walk, but be prepared for a long walk on what is sometimes steep and uneven ground, and includes some of the steepest staircases I have seen, and a dark tunnel.

Also look at Moana falls, a walking trail not far from Honolulu, again you can park at the start, and it takes you along a dirt (careful if it has rained as it often does) track with rainforest, tall trees and leading to a waterfall that you will virtually be standing under at the end.

On the North Shore of Oahu, you can find Turtle Bay resort where you can swim at their beach, and a short walk along the coastline you will find the site of the WWII ground to air radar that should have been the alarm bell for the subsequent Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour, read the plaque on the rock(can't miss it) and you will be amazed at the story, and just how unlucky the yanks were that fateful morning. Also Banzai pipeline and huge surf, there is usually an international surf comp in November so search for that if of interest.

Hanauma Bay a 15 min drive from Honolulu (good to visit on the way to North Shore) is the snorkelling spot to see, take a disposable underwater camera and enjoy the abundant marine life.

If you really want an experience, Call George's Aviation at Honolulu International Airport, and ask if my mate Seth (He is an instructor and freight pilot) can take you for a flight around the island. When I have visited with family and friends, I will charter a plane and fly myself around the island, birds eye view and you can get some great photos while it costs a damn sight less than it does here, allow 1.3-1.5hrs flying time.

772917729277293

[ameerat42]

Just adding my vote to the wide side of things. BUT, if you want to shoot the odd small wildlife, not the billions of little doves that are everywhere, then maybe the longer lens. + or - on the tripod, but definitely in your booked luggage.
Am.

[harper]

wow thanks

it looks amazing from up there. definately something to think about.

just too bad i dont have more time to spend there as everything you guys have suggested would be awesome.

[Wayne]

You can do the Moana falls, and Diamond Head climb in one day no problem. 11 days is quite a bit of time if only spreading it between 2 islands. I find that of course if it's the first trip, you want to do and see everything so things tend to take longer, but it is a great place to go back and experience another time, and cheap too!

I look forward to getting back in March 2012

[oldwolf]

Hi
If you do the Diamond Head walk, take LOTS of water, and a good COMFORTABLE pair of shoes. It gets quite warm in the crater, and the footing is a bit iffy on the track.
Wife and I did half the walk, as we both have bad knees, and it can be quite steep in places. If you like surfing, the North shore is big that time of year, all the comps are on then.
Im going to try and link my facebook Hawaii page here for some pics, (we only did Oahu, (3 years in a row))
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1066756896#!/photo.php?id=1049740964&pid=2216572&fbid=1945408788794
Hope it works
Steve

[oldwolf]

Some pics from our 2008 trip, where we did basically everything on the island.
(was going to add to first post, but cant edit it, sorry)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1066756896#!/media/set/?set=a.2209170902682.125133.1049740964&type=1

Steve

[harper]

hey oldwolf

cant seem to get your photos to work for me. i can only veiw your wall posts

[oldwolf]

Sorry about that, Ill try and open them up, so you can see them.

[Mark L]

From Column 8, in today's Sydney Morning Herald:-
"On a recent trip to Hawaii," reports John Coughlan, of Five Dock, "I asked a stranger, who told me he was a local, whether the correct pronunciation was Hawaii or Havaii. He said 'Havaii', to which I replied 'Thank you'. He said,'You're velcome'." :)

Enjoy your holiday harper.

[oldwolf]

Try this one

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.2209170902682.125133.1049740964