Hello Friends and Family,

Link to this year's index by clicking here.


Maui, Odds & Ends

The tropical Maui sun gives the photographer so many wonderful opportunities to capture the magic of this place that I sometimes forget to take my camera outside at night. I often go out after dark to sit on the pool deck looking out over Napili Bay but usually without camera. One of those nights, my little buddy, Johnny, went with me and we spotted three moving blue lights under the water just past the breakers. We sat in wonder trying to figure out what they were. My best guess was night divers — even though I had never heard of such a sport, I figured some folks might do it. When I got back to the condo I jumped on the Internet and learned that my guess was probably correct.

After I originally published this issue, a friend sent me the following additional information about night diving.

"Night dives with SCUBA can be quite awesome. You can dive exactly the same site at night and not recognize it.

I had the chance to do that many years ago on Riotain in the Caribbean. The colors change versus daytime and the animals you see are almost entirely different. When were surfacing after the dive we surfaced through a school? of box jellyfish that seemed to glow in the lights of the dive boat. They were cubes about a cubic inch in side with their tentacles dangling below.

I wouldn't expect such a dramatic change off Maui because the area of the Caribbean we dove was warmer and populated by 53 coral species.

A night dive is part of getting as advanced certification along with a deep dive to 130 feet."



It is so peaceful here at night. The waves crashing on the rocks. The trade winds blowing the palm fronds hither and yon. And the lights from Napili Kai reflecting on the surface of Napili Bay.


Looking up, we can see a fingernail moon. So relaxing — seems like nothing is wrong with the world. Love it.


Even the landscaping takes on a surreal quality.


During the day, the kids love to challenge their parents to a game of checkers on an oversized board with coconut shells painted red or black as game pieces. At this time of night the kids are all watching TV or playing video games. They don't know what they're missing outside.


The palms are swaying in the wind which presents a challenge to the photographer. Low light requires slow shutter speed, larger f-stop or high ISO. Unfortunately two of those settings will result in blurry palm fronds. Love that high ISO on modern DSLRs.


The next day, I was heading down to Wailea to hear my good friend, Larry, perform at the Wailea Shops. On the way I stopped at Aloha Mixed Plate — one of my favorite "local" places. This oceanside grill is owned by the same folks who own the Old Lahaina Luau. Strong recommendations for both from this long-time visitor. FYI, they are located makai (ocean side) of Long's Drugs at the Cannery Mall at the north end of Lahaina.


The Grill offers open-air dining among the gentle mid-day breezes (keeping the flies away). Sample some of the local treats like Teriyaki Beef, Kalbi Ribs, Kailua Pork, Fresh Island Fish or Mochiko Chicken. Can't decide? Try a combo plate.


My table overlooked the ocean with the island of Lana‘i on the horizon. A small flotilla of boats are tied up here. Wouldn't it be nice to jump in one and enjoy an afternoon sail after lunch? Dreamer!!!


Also nearby is the Mala Wharf. I noticed someone standing out on the wharf which is closed with a not-very-effective barrier trying to keep people off. Oh well, not my problem today.


Have you ever noticed the wind turbines on the Pali between Ma'alaea and Lahaina. You may have also seen them when coming in to land at Kahului Airport. Unfortunately, there is not a good spot for the photographer to stand and get a good shot of them. And if you go to Kihei or Wailea (as I did) you run into a problem with haze obscuring what you want to photograph. Photoshop (in ACR or Lightroom) now has a handy filter which can reduce the haze but unfortunately not eliminate it. I continued to work on the image to adjust the color to get a better rendition — not too bad I thought.


To be continued...

Life is good.

Aloha,
B. David

P. S., All photos and text © B. David Cathell Photography, Inc. — www.bdavidcathell.com