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2013-06-02 17:37:56 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 31 +1s)

All I can say about this photo is that it was an honor and privilege to be invited, with my camera. I do not feel it is necessary to say much more. These kanakas sent shivers through my spine during their ceremony. Afterwards the same group just gave aloha until they could give no more. Mahalo for the experience!

2013-05-30 15:48:00 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

The first step is to imagine it.

2013-05-26 14:44:32 (9 comments, 6 reshares, 87 +1s)

Generally I have a tight niche as a photographer here in Hawaii. I photograph hula. This is how people recognize me as a photographer. It is my passion, and I have always tried to be the best within my niche. I got out this weekend with a couple new dancers and made a few new images. Isnʻt is funny how some of us love to keep that "retro-film" look by adding grain and reverting to black & white? 

2013-05-26 14:40:42 (6 comments, 8 reshares, 77 +1s)

Seriously? Is it really summer? Already?

2013-05-22 07:26:08 (14 comments, 4 reshares, 64 +1s)

Maui pulls another sunset moment out of her hat. This was a hula girl on the south shore. Mahalo Joey D, for your performance and skill.

2013-05-08 04:19:51 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

Love these locks of love. These "Love Locks" are found on particular bridges in Venice. It seems that the local government allow them to stay, which is nice. I think the love locks add so much spirit and flavor to Venice, and helps to make it an incredible place to visit, for those who notice the small things like this.

2013-05-06 16:21:20 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 31 +1s)

Sadly, my friend GianPaolo, was standing in an unopportune pose when I snapped my camera. GianPaolo is the maître d’hôtel at the five-star Ca' Sagredo in Venice. GianPaolo is one reason I plan to return again to Venice this year. He is like a character from a novel; wise, handsome, charming, and filled with stories from around the world. This year I will work on a better portrait of GianPaolo! 

2013-05-05 15:43:17 (8 comments, 4 reshares, 64 +1s)

Hāna, Maui, Hawaii is one of the last bastions of the native Hawaiian culture. I spent the day yesterday with the Naihe family out that direction on the eastern tip of the island. Teen hula dancer Pohaikealoha Naihe allowed me to photograph her beautiful hula.

2013-05-05 15:34:56 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 40 +1s)

There was some traffic in Ulupalakua Maui today. I thought it might be wise to pull to the side, lock the doors, and lay on the car floor. OMG! The cows were knocking on my windows! Got Beef? 

2013-04-29 16:14:49 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

Is there a DOCTOR in the house?
Adobe Evangelist and Senior Director of Creativity Russell Preston Brown will co-host my Dolomite Mountain Photo Adventure in Italy! Adobe Systems has become our official software sponsor as well. I have three seats still available. Interested? more info at: http://www.randyjaybraun.com/photography-workshops-and-adventures-hawaii/

2013-04-12 22:25:20 (8 comments, 3 reshares, 60 +1s)

A decade ago this hālau hula accepted me as part of their own. The girls of Hālau Na Lei Kaumaka o Uka (UpCountry Maui) who took the stage at Merrie Monarch Hula Festival ranged in age from 14 to 53. They are my sisters and daughters by hānai adoption. Watching them mature over time has been emotionally rewarding beyond words.

2013-04-03 16:07:22 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 41 +1s)

This week is ALL ABOUT HULA, CULTURE, and VALUES HAWAIIAN. The Ritz Carlton Kapalua just wrapped up the annual Celebration of the Arts Festival. Now many of us head on over to Hilo, Big Island of Hawaii for the annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival!

2013-03-28 15:16:47 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

2013-03-21 15:58:58 (4 comments, 4 reshares, 54 +1s)

It is always summer somewhere on the planet, right?
Whale spotting in Ukumehame, Maui, Hawaii with the island photography gang.

2013-03-21 15:26:29 (14 comments, 1 reshares, 72 +1s)

Walking up from Giau Refugio in the Dolomite Mountains of of Italy. This place is the crown jewel of the European Alps. I am heading back June 20th!

2013-03-21 15:23:51 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 20 +1s)

Counting down from three months now until we begin our journey into the north Italian Alps! This annual adventure is timed perfectly with the summer wildflowers. Join me? 

2013-03-20 16:20:01 (14 comments, 1 reshares, 57 +1s)

From my kayak-cam yesterday, a full-sized female humpback whale was in a belly-up position rubbing against another whale.... It appeared either mating or feeding. Off the waters of Maui, Hawaii

2013-03-19 17:12:42 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Photograph whales with me? Camera Insured? ;-)

2013-03-12 17:00:13 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

2013-03-07 15:47:15 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 37 +1s)

I get turned on by falling water. Donʻt deny that you do too! WHY? 
http://www.randyjaybraun.com/?p=5835 Here are my theories.

2013-03-02 07:08:11 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Don you wish you could just capture you day at the beach and slow it down to almost a stand-still? Ahhhh Hana, Maui.

2013-03-02 07:05:38 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 14 +1s)

2013-03-01 16:21:02 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

Hawaii is Pure Magic.

2013-02-28 16:00:54 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 47 +1s)

A passage from Herman Melville came to mind as I set out in my dinky kayak during a particularly spooky day on the water...
“for there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men ” (Moby-Dick).
Ramming speeeeed ahead!!! Argh! 

2013-02-28 07:54:59 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 40 +1s)

Sometimes shooting your photo files in RAW format is just really depressing. This is especially true when you pop open the RAW on your computer for the first time with such great anticipation. The image looks blah, and lifeless. Just keep in mind that you have only captured the data with your camera at this point. The real magic happens when you take the RAW image through your editing software like Adobe Lightroom4. Wow, there is no end -- if you can imagine the finished image, then you can make it happen. Bring it to life!
This is a waterfall that is often dry. I know the rain had been heavy the day before, so I took full advantage of each hidden falls that I came across along the famous Hana Highway.

2013-02-25 16:54:12 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

2013-02-21 19:06:27 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 22 +1s)

Upon being hired by a large photo management company to cover the Hyundai Tournament of Golf Champions recently, I thought to myself, "These chaps are looking a bit younger every year." Hooooo, maaaaan I am feeling old. 

2013-02-21 16:55:02 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

2013-02-16 16:04:25 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

Use the power of processing to get rid of the blahs.

2013-02-15 17:45:45 (9 comments, 2 reshares, 56 +1s)

Sometimes you can find the biggest personalities in the tiniest men. Little Eli is a new addition to his familyʻs long legacy at Haleakalā Ranch, Maui.

2013-02-12 16:49:59 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 25 +1s)

My  new website construction is nearly complete. I beginning to like Wordpress a lot. Building a back-end WooCommerce shopping cart system is not for wussies. 
Have any of you photographer friends come up with a good eCommerce cart system that sells products every single day? I am still grappling with the dreaded "square-format" thumbnails and hoping to max a fix one day. The site is now live, and new products are being uploaded daily.

2013-02-10 17:01:54 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

2013-02-06 21:32:24 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

2013-01-30 20:32:04 (19 comments, 4 reshares, 106 +1s)

On frosty cold mornings, I often feel more inclined to just stay under the blankets, unless I am heading up a photo adventure tour with a bunch of other eager photographers. In this particular case, we were in our cozy private dorm in the Lagazuoi Refugio - the HIGHEST mountain hut in the Dolomite Alps of northern Italy. We peeked out the window, and flew out the door, just in time for first light at the top of Europe.

2013-01-26 22:54:43 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 30 +1s)

I stumbled across a lovely little scene in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii. Most folks who stand in this spot are looking at the magnificent mountains behind the church. I saw an opportunity for a super wide 14mm shot of the building rather than the mountains. I just love these Hawaiian Islands!

2013-01-26 22:54:13 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 19 +1s)

I stumbled across a lovely little scene in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii. Most folks who stand in this spot are looking at the magnificent mountains behind the church. I saw an opportunity for a super wide 14mm shot of the building rather than the mountains. I just love these Hawaiian Islands!

2013-01-26 22:47:01 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 58 +1s)

I stumbled across a lovely little scene in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii. Most folks who stand in this spot are looking at the magnificent mountains behind the church. I saw an opportunity for a super wide 14mm shot of the building rather than the mountains. I just love these Hawaiian Islands!

2013-01-16 15:29:45 (12 comments, 2 reshares, 46 +1s)

"Between a Rock and a Hard Place" - Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.
I just re-discovered this image that I made a couple years back. The magic, drama and conflict of nature is on full display here. The constant cycle of Earthʻs erosion and growth; destruction and rebirth continues century after century and yet we barely notice in our own short time frame.

2013-01-09 22:27:11 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Fast Day on the Golf Course.

2013-01-04 02:21:21 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 37 +1s)

Some old wisdom for the New Year. 

2013-01-03 16:01:58 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Hey, this Logo photo was taken from near my home in Kula! Sweet place.

2013-01-03 15:45:17 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 59 +1s)

A photographerʻs journey is generally something of a "goat walk". We often meander here and there capturing photos of some pretty cool things without an end goal. Now that we all have internet access at our fingertips, great images seem to be a dime-a-dozen as they flow across our computer screen. Where is all going? What will be the "new photography"? What will separate our work, and what will give it value? I hope to explore some of these topics in 2013. Hang with me and join the discussion. It is time to take a breath, step back, and analyze the overall direction of this "glob" of social/photo/media/frenzy/digital/chaos. There are diamonds in the rough out there. I believe this whole heartedly. 

2013-01-01 21:07:34 (19 comments, 1 reshares, 75 +1s)

A photographerʻs journey is generally something of a "goat walk". We often meander here and there capturing photos of some pretty cool things without an end goal. Now that we all have internet access at our fingertips, great images seem to be a dime-a-dozen as they flow across our computer screen. Where is all going? What will be the "new photography"? What will separate our work, and what will give it value? I hope to explore some of these topics in 2013. Hang with me and join the discussion. It is time to take a breath, step back, and analyze the overall direction of this "glob" of social/photo/media/frenzy/digital/chaos. There are diamonds in the rough out there. I believe this whole heartedly. 

2012-12-25 01:17:00 (15 comments, 5 reshares, 28 +1s)

Merry Christmas, Mele Kalikimaka from Maui and from Hawaii!
Many thanks to Debra Lynn who wrote this song, sang it, and assembled the slideshow (and then gave me all the credit!)
Warm holiday wishes to all of you friends around the world.

2012-12-15 07:16:08 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 53 +1s)

Backpacking. It is pretty cool stuff. 

My father has backpacked off-trail for 27 straight Octobers with his group of 8 other experts.

There are moments in the Grand Canyon when you are worried that the trail is never going to end; or that you took a wrong turn; or that you may not make it to the next water. There are also moments deep in this desert wilderness when you hope the trail keeps going because you dont want it to end too soon and you sort of enjoy that scary feeling in your gut.

2012-12-14 21:33:05 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

To Cloud, or not to Cloud? This is the question.

2012-12-14 17:31:51 (13 comments, 4 reshares, 61 +1s)

Yes, Mauiʻs winter weather has arrived. Bring it on!

2012-12-10 16:30:10 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 32 +1s)

No, he doesnʻt bite. 
Kona Yurong is the young man pictured here. Genetics have been good to this guy. Not only is he very photogenic, but the guy dances hula like you cannot even believe! He is polite, repectful (and possibly can cook a good meal too)!
Behind every good hula dancer is a great teacher. I was fortunate that Kumu Hula "Aloha" Kenneth Victor of Hālau Kala'akeakauikawēkiu made to time this week to share a couple of his top students with me. Stay tuned; I will be sure to post a couple of finished images of Kona, pretty soon.

2012-12-01 16:36:56 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 57 +1s)

This past week has brought Hawaii a mixture of scattered "mainland-looking" clouds plus volcanic haze from out nearby Kilauea Volcano. These conditions are the perfect recipe for a jaw-dropping sunset. Here on Maui, watching the sun set is a spectator sport. The daily chaos pretty much comes to a halt for 10 minutes; cars pull off the road, people turn their heads westward, lovers embrace, babys stop crying, angels sing.... it is part of our unusual daily ritual that makes Maui, well... Maui.

2012-11-30 17:35:48 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

This is the weekend for a fabulous cultural event at Mauiʻs Ulupalakua Ranch. Hula, top music, and wine!
Bring your camera. See you there! ~randy