It must be seen from the air.
I read this dozens of times about Kauai, and more specifically, the Na Pali coastline.
So then it began, the obsession of capturing the best of what the air had to offer. It started with determining the best time to fly (based on the geographic landscape and lighting conditions), choosing one of the dozens of helicopter companies there, and finding proper gear so my camera didn't fly out of the cabin.
A special thanks to Karen at All About Travel for hooking me up with a special photography helicopter tour from Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours.
The special tour allowed us to dictate where we wanted to go, taking control of the visual experience.
The tour lasted 60 minutes, and it's easily the fastest 60 minutes I've ever lived in my life. If I were to do it again, I'd bump it up to 90 minutes.
With two cameras and two different lenses strapped to me, it was time to conquer Na Pali from the air. Here are some favorites.
The sun displayed the magic beneath.
As we made our way over the ocean, we were able to get a better view at this amazing landscape.
We got a closer look only to realize the tiny mosquito-looking helicopter in Honopu Valley. It's about the only thing to show any scale of this monstrous scene.
I pushed the button to talk to our pilot.
I want to get some views looking straight down at the beach.
The chopper swayed 45-degrees, leaving me with the feeling I could tumble out at any moment.
Did I mention we didn't have any doors?
I wanted to capture the textures and colors of this place.
We turned and it was about at this moment where I experienced true exhileration. By this time, I had relaxed (as much as I could) inside the cabin and it felt like I was floating.
This one might be my favorite image, mostly because I believe it does the best job capturing the feeling I felt.
The other-worldly landscape combined with the vivid colors was hard to describe.
This angle really lit up the tunnel embedded in the coastline.
I stitched two images together to give a full perspective of this amazing place called Kauai.
Get ready for more helicopter pictures of Kauai. This is only the beginning.
