Sidonie Adiam Danut
Writer
NUDE Magazine
The incredible landscapes and rich biodiversity of the Hawaiian Islands make them one of the world's best destinations for photography. There's an incredible range of environments to capture, from barren, Mars-like volcanic landscapes to idyllic beaches to tropically tepid rainforests. And we can’t forget the ocean — both wild and calm, dangerous and beautiful, capturing a waves moment in a photo. One of the most powerful, yet difficult, elements to master in photography is capturing emotion and feeling. A really great image is one that conveys a mood and pulls the viewer into the scene. If a photo tells a story and tugs at the heartstrings, it’s successful. If it strikes a mood, then it’s hot!
I had the pleasure of accompanying one of NUDE Mag' contributor on his photoshoots across the island for the “Hot” issue of NUDE magazine. Being in such a diverse landscape, one was able to use light, weather, colors, nature, movement, subject matter and composition to create extraordinary images.
Honoring the cultural identity and incorporating the beauty of the heritage is also important. I was honored to be given the opportunity by the young model in the photos’ to learn all about the rich Hawaiian culture, language and history. Utilizing the golden sand and the beautiful Naupaka flower vines to create the beautiful imagery seen in this issue, I gained a sense of appreciation of the legends of the islands Gods and Goddesses and the rich traditions of the people.
The naupaka flower legend speaks of the two star-crossed lovers: Naupaka – sister of the fire goddess Pele, and Kaui – a fisherman. Pele became jealous of their affection and sought to kill the couple. To escape Pele's fury, Kaui bolted into the mountains while Naupaka fled into the sea. Both turned into vines. Each bears what appears to be half of a blossom and when placed together, they form a perfect flower. Much like the pictorials in this issue, they are but one half of the flower. The second half is felt through the viewers eyes. So, whether a photo is “hot” depends strongly upon your audience. In photography, there are no absolutes and no two people will have the same opinion on a visual. And no one image will elicit the same emotion in everyone, therefore I hope once you look through all the photo’s in this themed “Hot”, issue, you find the one that inspires and invokes the fire in you.
So be ready to be inspired! Hawaii truly is an amazing and remarkable place to be a photographer.
Eia au, eia 'oe Ho'i hou ke aloha Eia au, eia 'oe
Let us fall in love all over again. Here I am, here you are…