Welcome to the State of Hawaii
Big Island
Volcano National Park Chain of Craters road will take you down where you can walk out toward the live lava flow. At the park entrance the Thurston Lava Tube and the hike across the crater bottom. stay at Kilauea Lodge good food there also.
Akatsuka Orchids a commercial greenhouse that is photographer friendly, A few miles toward Hilo from Volcano National Park is good on a bad weather day.
Akaka Falls Hilo to Waimea is a great drive with deep verdant valleys.
Old fish ponds at Mauna Lani
Rainbow Falls
Drive the road from Hawi to Waimea
Waipio Valley is also well visited but worth it. Just before Waimea, look for White Road. Park at the end and hike 20-30 minute through a bit of bamboo forest, wild ginger and other rain forest sights to the upper rim of Waipio Valley where you can see multiple tall waterfalls. Llunch and great malasadas at Tex Drive.
Parker Ranch for shooting cowboys in action on some beautiful wide open land. They also have tours. The little road from Waimea to Hawi has plenty of places to pull over and shoot. You get a great view of Mauna Kea and the coast line. The vegetation changes a lot as you descend into the valley.
Hilo side is a deep thick rain forest
Pololuu lookout, hike down to the black sand beach for landscape photo’s, lunch at Bamboo Restaurant .
Pu'ukohala Heiau near Kawaihai harbor
Anaehoomalu Beach is great for sunset photographer.
Hapuna Beach
Farmers markets in Hilo, Waimea, Kona
Holualoa
Maui
The whales (humpbacks) spend the winter in Hawaii (roughly Oct-Mar). The Northwest coast of Maui, around Lahaina along the Ka'anapali-Kapalua coast is the place to see whales.
Haleakala Volcano National Park
The road to Hana is great to explore
Seven sacred pools
Wahikuli Beach
Kauai
Kauai has some great sunsets from Kee Beach looking southwest at the Na Pali Coast also the start of the Kalalau Trail which leads to some nice beaches and waterfalls.
Hanalei go north
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is very nice for big bird shots: Firgate Birds, Red-footed Boobies, and others. Be there at sunrise to beat the crowds. (The refuge itself does not open till 10:00 a.m., but the parking lot just before the entrance is very good for some sunrise shots.)
Kilauea Point Lighthouse is very photogenic, both up close and from the parking lot referred to above. It is high up on a point, with crashing waves in a nice bay below, and red clouds on a clear sunrise day.....
On the south coast:
Waimea Canyon the Grand Canyon of The Pacific, Kokee State Park and Kalalau Lookout
Poihale State Park good spot views up to the northeast for sunsets on the Na Pali coast..
Spouting Horn on the south shore.
National Tropical Botanical Garden (Lawa'i and Alberton Gardens)
Kilauea Lighthouse and Nature Preserve
On the east shore Wailua Falls, and Opaekaa Falls, are easy to get to.
Take a helicopter ride or boat ride to get some shots of the Na Pali Coast
Oahu
Waikiki is where the crowds are if you want that type of photos that is the place.
Manoa Falls easier hikes with a waterfall
Hula show, there is a free nightly show on the beach by the big banyon tree
Honolulu zoo it is an ok zoo.
Waikiki Aquarium kinda small but nice
Diamond Head road has a lighthouse. The hike to the top is best early morning so that the sun will be at your back to get shots of Waikiki beach.
Haunama Bay great view down to the water. Just past the bay you can get some great sunrise shots with the islands of Lanai and Molokai in the distance. Continue next to the Halona Blowhole
Sandy Beach is great place to get action shots of bodyboarders
Waiamea Bay Audubon Center
Koko Crater nice hike and view at the top.
Koko Crater Botanical Garden
Makapuu on beach road is a short hike with nice views of the coast, Can see whales in the winter. There is also a lighthouse on the ocean side.
Lanikai Beach has been votes best beach and has a couple of islands off of it that make nice photos.
Pali Lookout nice view of the island
Downtown Honolulu classic shots. The King Kamehameha Statue is across the street from the palace. Chinatown, Aloha Tower take the elevator to the top for higher views of downtown and the ocean.
Pearl Harbor get first thing in the morning.
Chinamans Hat
Crouching lion
Sunset Beach has good sunset shot
Kaena Point has monk seals and albatross as well as some desolate rocky shorelines
Manoa Falls/Lyon Arborium
San Souci Beach and Fort DeRussy Rec areas classic palm tree silouette shots
Magic Island in Ala Moana Park sunsets
Sea life Park to swim with dolphins and sting rays
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