Imagine…the soft sound of waves splashing on the
beach, the gentle breeze blowing through your hair, the warm caress
of the sun on your skin. Can you smell the light scent of plumerias
and jasmine? Can you hear the faint rattle of palm fronds as the
trade winds blow through them? Yes, this is Hawaii. The most beautiful
and best place on earth to have a portrait made!
The place itself puts you in a good mood. The
scents and sounds are hypnotic and soothing. On top of that, because
of the lower latitude the Hawaiian Islands inhabit, the "Golden
Hour" actually stretches to two hours!
So, what is the "Golden Hour" you ask? It's often
referred to as the "Magic Hour" in the movie business, but "Golden"
or "Magic", it amounts to the same thing. As the sun approaches
the western horizon the atmosphere bends the sun's light rays
in such a way that it appears that everything turns to gold! For
most of the world this special, golden light occurs for just one
hour before sunset. In Hawaii it lasts for two hours before sunset!
When we say the best place in the world for portraits,
we are referring to location or outdoor portraits. Obviously geographical
location has no bearing on portraits made in a studio where the
light and everything else is artificially contrived.
Here's another aspect about Hawaii that makes
it so appealing for portraits: Even at times when the sun is high
in the sky and creates very harsh shadows, the landscape is gorgeous!
So if you can find some open shade for the portrait subjects where
the background is sun lit, as long as you can balance the light
on the subjects, you're going to end up with beautiful images!
And it's not just the beaches that are spectacular
in Hawaii! Less than a minute off the main road in many places
you can find yourself in a lush rainforest! Then there's the volcanic
rock landscapes, the desert areas, and snow capped mountains.
No kidding! It does snow in Hawaii…at the 10,000+ feet summit
of Maunakea in winter. You just can't beat Hawaii for portraits!
Stan P. Cox II is a professional portrait photographer
with over 30 years specializing in fine portraits of Families,
Children and High School Seniors. His work may be seen at Watanabe
Floral, Royal Hawaiian Heritage Jewelry, and at his website: www.ParamountPhotography.com.
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