Nikon D810, 25 sec, f/8.0, 86mm, ISO 200
One must do when visiting the island of Maui is sunrise at the summit of Haleakalā. The Summit Observation Deck is the best place to catch sunrise. There is limited parking there, so be sure to arrive in plenty of time to get a spot. Otherwise you will be parking at the Visitor Center (pictured above). This is a 25-second exposure which captured three bands of cars headlights arriving at the summit. I always wanted to capture such an image and caught this one without thinking.
Be aware that reservations are required to enter the park for sunrise viewing. Make your reservations well in advance of your visit. Because of the early departure time required to reach the summit, the best time to do this is the day after you arrive on Maui. Because of time zone differences, you will be wide awake very early the first day anyway, so plan on making the drive then.
Puʻuʻulaʻula (Summit Observation Deck): 20.709829° -156.252568°
Kahakuloa Church
This is Kahakuloa Church, located on the north coast of the island of Maui. To get there you take the Kahekili Highway out of Kapalua and drive the north shore. This is a slow curvy road, not Hana Highway curvy, but not for the faint of heart. Along the way there are many, many, many photographic opportunities so plan on spending several hours along the way.
Should you go to Maui, be sure to pick up Richard Sullivan’s book Driving and Discovering Hawaii: Maui and Molokai. This is the book for photographers touring Maui.
By the way, when you arrive back in civilization near Kahalui, keep an eye out for Bill the wild boar. Bill lives in a pen on the side of the road next to a shop that sells local goodies. That is a ton of bacon!
Location:
N20 59 49.18
W156 33 04.26
