This is one of the first images I captured on my recent trip to the Big Island in Hawaii. It’s just north of Mauna Kea Beach, a shoreline that is so deeply familiar to me, that I often consider it my second home. Each of the Hawaiian Islands have their own unique charms and climates which is also the beauty of exploring them individually. The first time I visited the Big Island was with a group of 29 fellow college students where we had escaped the frigid Minnesota temps in January, and traveled the islands for a month, learning about the ancient culture, and immersing ourselves into everything we saw.
My first impression of the Big Island is how foreign it looks with the jagged lava rock formations; a stark difference from the white sand beaches of Maui and lush greenery of Kauai. It almost felt alien, but as we learned about Pele, made her offerings, and steered clear of the night marchers, I came to love the Big Island like a sister. And so when I recently returned, I was greeted by this shoreline like my sister gives me a hug. There was a familiarity, a warmth in the embrace, and calm that washed over me as if no time had passed since our last meeting. Upon my final steps as I reached this spot, I took a long, deep exhale. I was in a relaxed state of mind and to symbolize that feeling, I chose to take a long exposure image of my beloved shoreline, capturing the ghostly waters caressing the rugged terrain.
