Hula U. | Hana Hou! Magazine

The world's first and only Hula college degree program, at Hawaii Community College in Hilo, is taught by kumu Dr Taupouri Tangarō. I had the pleasure of photographing Tangarō and his students perform a Ho'ike Hula, a beautiful formal presentation of dances learned over the summer in the Quonset hut on campus for this Hana Hou! Magazine cover story.




Taupouri Tangarō

Makapu'u Tidepools

Pipeline Wandering

12 for 2012

2012 was an amazing year for me. A lot of great times were had, gorgeous places were seen, and beautiful memories were made. I picked one photo of a memorable time from each month this year as a visual recap of my 2012.

January
I traveled to the former leprosy colony of Kalaupapa, Molokai with legendary slack key guitarists Dennis Kamakahi and Stephen Inglis for Hana Hou! Magazine. It was fascinating meeting the last residents of the community and feeling the extreme isolation from the rest of the world by its surrounding mountainous sea cliffs.

February
I was asked by M-Le magazine du Monde to work on my personal project photographing life underwater on Oahu, as visual commentary in the world for that week. I headed to my local swim spot at Kaimana Beach and made this frame of a swimmer and the Waikiki skyline.

March
Had such an awesome time swimming with a mermaid in the deep blue sea off the Waianae Coast for an underwater profile feature in Hana Hou! Magazine.
April
I was married on the 3rd day of this month to my best friend and love of my life, Matt. It was such a magical time. Our flower girls for our special day were my great friend Willa's sweet twin daughters, Kyla and Naleah. Playing on the beach with those two darlings and all our friends and family made our wedding perfect.
May
One of my favorite feelings is the powerful liquid energy of a rolling wave pulsing all around you. My friend Nicole and I would go body surfing in the waves at Makapu'u even when she was 7 months pregnant with her first child.
June
I chased rainbows half the year for this Hana Hou! Magazine feature story. Studied weather radars to help detect where and when I needed to be at locations on the island to see vibrant rainbows. I staked out this spot at Queens Beach and waited patiently many mornings when the sun was just right and a light rain was blowing through until finally this vivid rainbow appeared.
July
My best friend Nicole gives birth to her son Jett Michael Ea Keliehor. I was by her side throughout her labor as a doula and witnessing his birth was truly an incredible moment of my life.
August
Portrait of Cardiology Doctor Jeremy Lum at Straub Hospital for the Hawaii Pacific Health Foundation's Annual Report 2012. I focused on more commercial work this year with stellar advertising agency Wall to Wall Studios for various hospital company reports within the Hawaii Pacific Health Foundation.
September
Swimming and photographing underwater sea life at Makaha during a week-long shoot on Oahu and the Big Island for Japanese Toyota Credit Card Travel Magazines.
October
I went on a trip to the mainland through the Pacific Northwest visiting good friends I hadn't seen in a while. Watching the sunset while hiking to Flat Top on the Chugach Mountain Range in Anchorage, Alaska with a dear old friend was a favorite memory.
November
I love getting assignments that require hiking to beautiful remote locations. For a story about Natural Area Reserves in Hawaii for Hana Hou! Magazine, I went on a gorgeous sunset hike to Kaena Point, the western-most tip of Oahu.
December
Looking into Ai Wei Wei's golden cube at his show, According to What? at the Hirshorn Museum in Washington DC. Taken while visiting family and friends in DC over the holidays, a great way to end the year.