I’ve always maintained that if you are looking for photo inspiration you should book a trip to Hawaii. (Okay, so I am slightly biased.) And now more than ever the Big Island of Hawaii is the spot to be to capture nature at its finest.
In an effort to keep avid photographers’ creative energy flowing the Fairmont Orchid Resort located on the South Kohala Coast is offering a new stargazing program every Friday evening. Famed local astronomer Wayne Fukunaga and his team from Star Gaze Hawaii will lead the sessions. In addition, crewmembers from the Hawaiian outrigger voyaging canoe Makali’i will also be on hand to answer questions about the night sky.
The stargazing sessions will take place on the hotel’s pool deck, however, you don’t have to be a hotel guest to participate. Though there is a charge to take part in the session. The cost is $30 for adults, $15 for children 5 to 11, and free for 4 and younger. The $30 fee for adults includes a gift packet filled with a star map, astronomy postcards, an astronomy fact booklet and a red LED light. Children don’t go home empty handed either; the gift for kids 5 to 11 includes a star map, coloring booklet, crayons and activity sheet.
This stargazing program is very similar to the one run by the Alder Planetarium in Chicago. Experts are on hand to share commentary about the night sky and help you focus your camera on frame worthy constellations. The hotel provides basic stargazing tools such as telescopes and photo attachments; however each participant is required to bring his or her own camera.
The session also includes an hour-long talk given by crewmembers from the Hawaiian outrigger voyaging canoe Makali’i. They will speak of their night-sailing experiences and discuss how the ancient Polynesians used the stars to guide their canoes across the ocean.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Hawaii is one of the most spectacular places on Earth to photograph the night sky. It’s prime location in the Pacific Ocean—the Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated in the world (2,500 miles to the nearest land mass)—along with its cloudless nights make stargazing experiences second to none. The stars appear to be within arm’s reach and they’re brightness is unparalleled. It’s no wonder observatories representing 13 different countries have been constructed atop the Big Island’s largest dormant volcano.
Related Articles:
Visiting Hawaii’s White Mountain
Learning More About Shooting Constellations
Go Lunar In Chicago… Or In Your Own Backyard
Tips to Consider When Taking Group Shots