Wednesday, February 9, 2011

On Lahaina Bay



Fifty-foot sailboat, humback whales breaching, slapping their flukes. A mom-whale swam directly under the boat when her baby got too close to us; she quickly headed him off. We were able to see most of her when she arched up out of the water: spectacular. It's a thrill unlike any other. The first mate said that she's about as long as the boat and weighs three times the boat. No whale photos -- I didn't want to be fussing with the camera and then miss the actual experience.



But in the lulls between sightings, the horizon beckoned, as did the West Maui Mountains, and Lanai and Molokai in the distance. This Hipstamatic lens (on my iPhone camera) I'm using takes the shot and then reverses a part of it and superimposes it on the photo, and it's different every time, with some pretty thrilling results. Today it seemed to capture where my head is in this exotic landscape: a shifted perspective, images layering themselves one upon another in my consciousness, and hazy at the edges. Sometimes up is down, and vice versa --

But then, that's what a vacation is supposed to do, I think: shift the brain into a new place, shake up the vision a bit, open ones eyes to a changed landscape, where there are colors whose names you could have never imagined before this day, this place, this moment --


7 comments:

  1. Yummy. I can almost feel it, smell it.

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  2. I believe that Elvis lives there somewhere. Lucky you; and Elvis.

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  3. that first photo is so reminiscent of some of your Ireland shots....

    yes, vacation is meant to get us out of our head, our usual way of seeing things. New visuals, new scents, new experiences to WAKE UP! Nice post.

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  4. For whatever reason my comment to your entry of yesterday was rejected at every attempt.

    Those photos you shared were spectacular. I have been so looking forward to your voice and vision reacting to your time away.

    Hey, what is it with you guys? Islands, it's alway islands for you. :)

    Love, C.

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  5. Your iphone helps create those artful shots? I thought it was old-school Polaroid manipulation. The are all stunning, as were your Ireland photos.

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  6. Foxessa, I LOVED what you said about me on K.'s blog....we've been chuckling about it all week. Paul keeps saying "Ooooh, twisted, T." Or, "that was really dark and ethereal!"
    Makes me smile, often and widely!

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  7. Marylinn, yes, the wonders of technology, and then some. Most of them I manipulate a lot further in photoshop -- it's great fun, and hugely rewarding. I wish they were Polaroid manipulations. I've done a lot of research on those techniques, but I gotta tell you, this way is waaaaaay less $$$ and way more immediate. Technology spoils us. But one of these days I hope to set myself up with a some of those cool Polaroid "toys" that are out there.

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