A few weeks ago I had a gentleman from Canada hire me for a private Maui photography workshop to teach him a bit about the camera, see the island and learn how to take his photography to a higher level. We chose to do a couple evening sunset sessions followed by some post processing tips and techniques on the computer.
The first night we were treated to one of the most compelling sunsets I’ve seen in a long time. This guy, Dave, thought this was an every day occurrence here on Maui, but I assure you, it was not.
It was a bit overcast and there was a haze in the air that I thought probably wouldn’t let enough sunlight through to make for much of a sunset. I took him to a spot that was eerily still for this island, but that made it easy to look for good compositions.
Being as we got there a couple hours before sunset, we scouted the location for a bit. We came up with our primary shot and a couple secondary shots in case we decided to move or if the light was really hanging on or whatever. It’s always good to have options.
The sun dropped and we moved on from our primary to a secondary spot as there wasn’t much color. It was now nearly 5 minutes after the sun went down. suddenly the faint red glow on the horizon started getting more and more pronounced. After another few moments the entire sky was on fire. It was a sunset that I’ve seen a handful of times a year at best.
We started firing away in a frenzy. While I was more concerned about Dave’s images, I did manage to capture a few snaps as well. This is one of them. I wish I could promise all my private Maui photography workshops this kind of experience, but that was something special.
Thanks for the adventure, Dave! That was a great night, and one I won’t forget for a long time! A hui hou, my friend!
