While we were on Moloka’i, we visited Kalaupapa National Historic Park. This park tells the story of the forced isolation of Hawaiians with Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) on Molokai’s Kalaupapa peninsula from 1866 to 1969. Because of the isolation of the islands, Hawaiians had no natural immunity to Hansen’s Disease. Once it was introduced into the islands, the disease reached epidemic proportions. Visit the park’s web site to learn more about this tragic and heroic story.

St. Philomena church stands in the original settlement of Kalawao. It started as a small wooden structure and was enlarged in the late 1800s by Father Damian (who was canonized in 2009) and the colony’s residents. It is still in use and stands as a monument to the faith and sense of community of the people who were isolated on Kauaupapa. This HDR image was made using a fish-eye lens.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon on our last day on Moloka’i, I noticed a break in the clouds that signaled the possibility of a great sunset. I grabbed my camera and headed for Papohaku beach with visions of a blood-red sky filling my viewfinder. The completely red sky didn’t materialize. But, just as the sun broke free, it illuminated a small portion of the cloud, producing this more subtle and unusual phenomenon. Once again I was reminded that it’s not about what I will take today; it’s about what I will be given today.

This is an HDR image. It was processed in Nik’s HDR Efex Pro and finished in Lightroom and Photoshop.

The Kapuaiwa coconut grove, planted in the 1860s during the reign of King Kamehameha V, is a landmark on the island of Moloka’i. Of the original 1,000 coconut trees, only a few hundred remain. Nevertheless, it is a fertile location for photographers. Here are two images, made on different days during the recent Rekindling the Creative Spirit seminar on Moloka’i, that illustrate some of the literally infinite photographic possibilities. The above image was made using a long exposure and adding some camera shake to produce an impressionistic effect. The one below is an HDR image processed for a more realistic but still painterly feel.