As I boarded my plane from Kalispell, Montana, I pulled out my phone and looked at the forecast for the next week at my house. Like a lot of places around the country, frigid temperatures well below zero were on the way. Up until then, we had been experiencing a very mild winter, but all of that was about to change. I almost felt a little guilty as I heard them call my group for our flight to Hawaii… almost.

I was there to run both of Backcountry Journey’s Hawaii trips on Kauai and the Big Island. These are two of the best locations for photography in the Hawaiian islands, offering a huge diversity in subject matter. Our itineraries covered all the top locations on each island and we were excited for the opportunities ahead.

The first adventure was on the island of Kauai. Nicknamed The Garden Isle, Kauai boasts some of the most lush and rugged terrain in Hawaii. From stunning beaches to the massive Waimea Canyon, there are so many amazing landscapes on Kauai. Perhaps the greatest of all is the iconic Na Pali coast. This wild and remote part of the island is arguably one of the most beautiful coastlines on earth.

We wasted no time as the first day of our workshop held one of the highlights of the entire trip: a doors-off helicopter ride around the island. Getting in the air above Kauai is the best way to photograph some of the more difficult-to-reach locations around the island. The excitement was palpable as we went over our safety briefings and loaded into our helicopters. It is hard to describe what this experience is really like.

As the helicopter takes off with Creedence Clearwater Revival blasting through your headset, your heart races as the ground falls away below your feet. Soon you are flying at 100 miles per hour high above the untouched landscape below. It seemed like there were new and interesting compositions at each turn and our shutters were flying almost as fast as we were.

Our pilots were excellent and made sure each side of the helicopter got a good look at the scenery. The pinnacle of the flight was when we crested a ridge on the northwest corner of the island and got our first look down the Na Pali coast and its steep spines descending thousands of feet directly to the ocean as far as the eye could see. It was truly a breathtaking view.

After returning, we shot a sunset on a nearby beach, but the discussion that night at dinner was still centered around the helicopter flight. It was truly one of those “bucket list” experiences. As the week went on, we had so many great photo opportunities. From remote beaches at sunrise to a group of sleeping sea turtles at sunset, we were giving our cameras a workout.

On our last night, we made the slow and windy trek high up to the Kalalau lookout. This spot is one of the few places on the island you can get a great view down onto the ridges of the Na Pali coast. As we climbed up the hill, we were engulfed in a dense fog. I could tell there was some skepticism about whether this drive would be worth the view. I sort of half-heartedly said something about how you never know what’s happening on the other side of the ridge. I have to admit, I wasn’t very optimistic we would be able to see more than about 30 feet.

Sure enough, we arrived at the parking area in a heavy fog. Resigned to the reality of the situation, a few people figured they might as well use the restroom before we started the long drive home. As people were unloading, I looked up and saw the fog was getting lighter. A few seconds later, I could see a bit of blue sky. “Grab your cameras and go, it’s clearing!” I exclaimed.


We all raced over to the overlook right as the fog broke and revealed the sunlight ridges and ocean below. We took as many photos as we could, but thirty seconds later it was over and the fog returned for the rest of the night. Sometimes it helps to get a little lucky!

After a great trip to Kauai, I was eager to keep the party going on the Big Island! We had a few guests continue on to this trip as well as welcoming some new faces to the adventure. The Big Island is very different than Kauai. While it has some areas that are incredibly lush, it also has some very barren lava rock fields that make up large parts of the coastline. It is also home to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a really interesting landscape with many opportunities for unique photos.

We began our journey with a private whale-watching trip off of the west side of the island. Every winter, humpback whales from Alaska make their way to warm waters off of Hawaii to mate and have their young. January is peak season for whales in Hawaii and we were treated to many sightings of tails and blows. The highlight was a very close encounter with a mother and her very young calf right off the bow of our ship. I love whales and it is always a pleasure to spend time with these amazing animals. That night we were able to photograph a blazing sunset off the lava coastline near Kona. It is always great to start a trip with an extremely productive day.

After starting on the west side of the island, we transferred to the east side where the town of Hilo would be our base for the next few days. The east side of the island is very different as the landscape transforms from black rock to lush green forests. We were able to shoot some of the best beaches and waterfalls along this side of the island.

A big highlight was the day we spent exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Despite the Kilauea volcano being dormant, there are so many interesting things to photograph in the park. We started high on the rim of the crater where we peered through the rain and fog at the steam vents below. Then we hiked through an ancient lava tube which felt like a natural subway tunnel in the middle of the forest.

As we descended toward the ocean, we marveled as the lush forest gave way to a barren landscape of recent lava flows. We stopped to walk out onto the lava shooting the abstract patterns and textures below us. I always think the best way to get to know a landscape is to get out and touch it. Go climb the mountain, swim in the ocean, or walk on the lava. We wrapped our day shooting a beautiful sunset/moonrise along the coastal cliffs. It was a very fun and productive day for us.

On our last day, we woke up early to shoot sunrise over the beautiful Waipi’o Valley. It is such an impressive view looking down at the black sand beach and towering cliffs behind. We continued back to Kona where we would shoot one last sunset. When we arrived at the location, we watched as perfect backlit waves crashed against the rocks. We really honed in on some nice wave photography, stopping the action as well as trying some more creative intentional camera movement shots. It was a fun exercise and a great last night of shooting.

As we wrapped up the trips, it was hard to believe they were already over. These workshops always seem to go by in a blink of an eye. As always, thank you to all the guests who made this experience memorable. Can’t wait till the next one!