Getting there

Flying into the Big Island there are two major airports, one on the west coast of Kailua-Kona and the other on the East coast of Hilo. Convenience is about the same so I would make the decision based on price and what part of the island you’ll be spending most time in. In Kauai the main airport is in the city of Lihue.

Getting around

Driving around both islands can very well be done in a regular car but there are a few locations where a 4x4 is an absolute necessity. I will cover these specifics in the location guide further down.

Lodging

I travel on the lower budget side of things so I try to stay at hostels and campgrounds sometimes in order to be closest to the photography locations. On the Big Island there are hostels in the $35-$40 range as well as campgrounds but I wouldn’t particularly recommend camping. There is a sort of meth problem in the Hawaiian islands and that crowd has a tendency to hang out at beach parks and campgrounds so having expensive camera gear in your tent or car might not be the best idea.

On Kauai, however, the campgrounds are further away from cities and residential areas so I would recommend camping a few nights especially if you’re visiting Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast. There is also a hostel in the $40 range called Kauai Beach House Hostel. 

Wawaloli Beach Park/Pele’s Well

This location is convenient for your first or last sunset on the Big Island as it is just south of the airport. After turning off the main Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway west towards the beach follow the road until it turns right and take a left instead onto the dirt road. It might require a little walking along the rocky coastline but if you know what you’re looking for you will come across Pele’s Well. This is a well in a similar style as Thor’s Well on the Oregon coast except smaller and less explosive with water. The shots that work well here are about ¼ second long exposure shots as the water is receding. Don’t forget to look around for reflective tide pools and interesting foreground elements in the seaweed and cracks in the rock.

A Beach/Anaeho'omalu Beach

Another convenient sunset location about 30 minutes from Kona, this beach is part of the Hilton Waikoloa resort but accessible to the public. After parking in the lot and walking towards the beach you will see a cat sanctuary from where you can take a gravel road to get to the side of a reflective pond opposite the beach lined with coconut trees. Different shots can work here such as wide or close ups and long exposures too if it is windy. There will be people walking up and down the boardwalk that you might have to photoshop out later.

Pololu Valley

One hour and 20 minutes north at the northwestern tip of the island is Pololu Valley, an epic coastline of steep cliffs. There’s a small parking lot at the end of the road and a hiking trail that leads down to a covelike beach. This is a great sunrise location because it technically faces east and I hiked about halfway down the trail in the dark to an open vista of the coastline. Drones are allowed here so you can get some shots flying down the coastline and a telephoto lens will most likely be your focal length of choice.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

One of the Big Island’s most popular destinations is Volcanoes National Park. True to its name it is the site of one of Hawaii’s most active volcanoes. From 1983 to 2018 it has erupted continuously creating a thriving lava viewing tour industry both by land and sea. In 2018 it abruptly stopped and to my frustration one month after my visit to Hawaii on December 20th of 2020 it began to erupt again. Be sure to visit the USGS website for current eruption information and where it can be seen from. Aside from Kilauea there is plenty do in Volcanoes including several hikes and even one that goes through the inside of a lava tube called Thurston Lava Tube. Unfortunately when I visited this particular hike was closed off due to covid concerns but while making the Chain of Craters Road drive there are numerous photography opportunities in the expansive lava fields. The texture and patterns in the hardened lava make for great foreground interest and while driving to the coast there is an overlook from which you can shoot sunrise or sunset. I would recommend making a scouting drive through the park and dropping pins on Google maps to return at a later time for golden hour.

Pe’e Pe’e Falls/Hilo Boiling Pots

There are a couple of waterfalls basically in the city of Hilo, the biggest city on the east coast. Pe’e Pe’e Falls is one with a convenient parking lot and viewing area. I use the term viewing area loosely as you can’t actually see the waterfall from the lookout because there is a rock face in front of it. I believe there is a hiking trail that will lead you to the base of the waterfall but it was closed off on my visit. There is also no drones allowed so really no other way to get a look at the waterfall.

Rainbow Falls

Nearby Rainbow Falls is another popular waterfall in town. This one also has a parking lot and look out but fortunately the waterfall can be seen clearly and from a close enough distance. Although the angle is uninspiring I did shoot a long exposure and time lapse on my visit. To see the rainbow that gives it its namesake one must visit around noonish when the overhead sun reflects light in the waterfall spray.

Laupahoehoe Point

On the northeast coast about 40 minutes from Hilo there is a beach park called Laupahoehoe Point. This is a boat loading ramp that has paths along the coast where you can get seascapes of the waves crashing into the jagged lava rocks. It makes for a great sunrise location and drones are allowed here too. When I visited it was a rainy cloudy morning so I’m not particularly impressed with any of my shots but there is great potential.

Waipi'o Valley

This is a scenic valley located about an hour from Hilo at the northern coast of the island. There’s a parking lot at the top which offers a partially obstructed view of the valley below. The better option for photography is to make your way down to the beach below via the very steep downhill road. This absolutely requires a 4x4 vehicle so DO NOT attempt it in a car as it is very steep and slippery. The alternative for people traveling in a regular car is to park at the top and hike down which is easy enough. After making your way downhill and through a bumpy dirt road towards the beach you will find yourself at a rocky coastline. The beach here isn’t made up of sand or sharp lava rock like most Hawaiian beaches but instead round stones of lava and regular rock in a sort of Pacific Northwest style coastline. Sunrise is the key time to be here due to the angle of the valley though I visited for both sunrise and sunset and with the right conditions you can get some color at sunset too. Unfortunately when I was there at sunrise it was cloudy and rainy so I settled on moody black and white compositions. Drones are allowed here as well.

Mauna Kea

The tallest peak in all Hawaii and most famous volcano (inactive) on the Big Island is Mauna Kea. What makes this location unique is that it’s one of the few places in the world where you can drive from sea level to a summit of almost 14 thousand feet. The danger here is a little something called altitude sickness. To mitigate this it is required that all visitors spend one hour acclimating at the visitor center located at nine thousand feet before continuing on to the summit. The park rangers supervise all incoming cars and make sure you adhere to the rules. Altitude sickness can be deadly but for most people when you reach the summit you will feel slightly dizzy or nauseous and sometimes short of breath. Additionally when making the drive only 4x4 vehicles are allowed, not so much for the condition of the road, which is only unpaved for the last ¼ of the drive, but for the drive back down where it can be dangerous to ride the brakes of a regular car for so long. At the top you’ll find a series of telescopes which are part of the Keck Observatory. As of my last visit they are not allowing visitors to stay past sunset due to the headlights of cars interfering with the astronomy work so astrophotography isn’t a possibility here. Regardless there are a couple different summits of different heights from which you can watch the sunset above the clouds. The key shot to get here is a long exposure of the flowing clouds which makes a silky fog effect. I used some of the telescopes as my focal points.

Scuba Diving on the Big Island

The Island of Hawaii is a great spot for scuba diving. Most of the sites are located on the Kailua-Kona side due to the protection from the wind. Underwater photography has become a recent hobby of mine and there was no shortage of beautiful fish, eels, sharks, and other exotic species. I dove with a company called Kona Honu Divers and they offer both morning and afternoon dives as well as the very exciting Manta Ray Night Dive. Even if you are not a certified diver I would highly recommend the manta ray experience as they allow snorkelers to float at the top where dolphins and seals will often swim. I personally did not have any manta rays show up on my dive unfortunately but the underwater “campfire” set up that attracts the plankton which is supposed to attract the manta rays will still draw other fish species. On the occasion of no manta rays showing up the tour guides will take you around the surrounding area where various exotic animals can still be spotted. Additionally they offer a “no manta ray guarantee” which will allow you to reschedule your dive for any night within a year's time for free.

Wailua Falls

This is a popular waterfall about 15 minutes from Lihue. There’s an overlook near the parking lot where it can be viewed from the top and an unofficial trail to the base which is quite slippery, steep, and requires ropes. To reach it you have to climb through an opening in the gate a little back down the road. Under normal circumstances it’s a very tame waterfall with two streams coming down from the top however during or after rainstorms it can change dramatically making it a raging waterfall during which being at the base or bathing in the river below is dangerous with the risk of being swept downstream. It might be tempting to fly a drone here for better perspective but it is prohibited.

Opaekaa Falls

Nearby you’ll find another easy to access 151ft waterfall called Opaeka’a Falls. This one has a viewpoint from the parking lot but is quite far so a telephoto lens or drone is best for shooting photos of it.

Spouting Horn

In the south about 30 minutes from Lihue is Spouting Horn. This location is inside a gated community. You’ll find a rocky volcanic beach with an overlook from the parking lot. The spouting horn itself is a sort of geyser which shoots up in the air as waves crash into a cave below. The size of the spout can vary based on tides and swells so when I was there it was only about 15 feet high but one of the locals told me it can get to 50 feet. Nearby there’s a Pele’s Well looking hole which makes for interesting long exposure shots. Due to it’s facing west this location is best at sunset. One thing to keep in mind is that although you’ll see many shots taken from the rocks close to the spout there is a fence and a sign that warns of a fine for trespassing so venture forth at your own risk.

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. This region is in the west of the island and consists of a winding road with several views and pullouts from which you can get epic shots of the canyon at any time of day. Because it is inland there’s always a chance of rainy or cloudy skies as was during my visit so I left with more moody looking images than expected. The canyon offers opportunities for wide view shots but I think the gems are really found in shooting minimal or abstract close ups of the textures and occasional distant waterfalls. Waimea Canyon is a state park so drone flying is prohibited however if you drive south by the entrance the landscape looks very similar and equally as photogenic.

Kalalau Lookout, Pu’u O Kila Lookout

Kalalau Lookout is located near the end of the Koke’e Road driving through Waimea Canyon. From the parking lot you can get a side view of the valley but it’s partially obstructed by trees so my advice is to hike down the path to the left until you reach the open viewpoint. Depending on the time of year this location is best at sunset because it faces northwest but clouds can be a variable. Pu’u O Kila Lookout just down the road will give you more of a center view of the canyon. As with Waimea Canyon the wide view shot can be great but don’t ignore the opportunities for close up detail shots.

Queen’s Bath

One hour from Lihue at the north of the island is a beautiful beach called Queen’s Bath. Due to its position it can make for a great sunrise or sunset spot. To get to the actual coast you drive through a gated community until you reach a parking lot by a fence. Here you’ll see a part of the fence that has been opened up and a path into the jungle. It’s quite a popular location despite its low profile so there will be mud covered hikers coming out regularly. A piece of advice I didn’t seem to find in any guides was the challenging hike. It’s not steep but as is typical of Kauai hikes it can be very slippery as you navigate through pools of mud and large tree roots. You will most likely step into muddy pools up to your knees and the risk of slipping with expensive camera gear is high. Making the hike back through the dark after a sunset shoot can also be difficult. After the 20ish minute hike you will emerge at a rocky coastline, small cove and small waterfall. A common composition here is to shoot from inside the cove under the waterfall as the sun lights up the rock wall but keep an eye on the tide. It’s important to tread carefully around here as many lives and camera gear have been lost to large rogue waves which suddenly appear and can sweep you off your feet. Drone flying is ok at this location.

Scuba Diving in Kauai

There are an abundance of dive sites in Kauai but while I was there the tour company took us along the southern coast. There are a few species of fish unique to Kauai but in general you will see the same rich variety of exotic fish, sharks, and turtles and plenty of photography opportunities.

About

Chris Crass is a landscape photographer and travel filmmaker whose passion for creativity draws from his jetsetting lifestyle. Born in San Francisco, growing up in Dominican Republic, and now living in Miami for the last 8 years he has always sought out new experiences in far flung and exotic places and cultures. This pursuit of adventure combined with a knack for the visual arts has culminated in the founding of Boss Talk Productions and bred an artistic style that showcases locations through a flattering lens and hopefully inspires viewers to embark on their own journeys.