On the Big Island there are a lot of beaches to explore! I am always looking for beaches that allow swimming (not just looking), and have shade. My favorite one is Mahai’ula Beach, which is one of the three beaches that are part of Kekaha Kai State Park.
This is a beach that you really shouldn’t drive to unless your car is lifted up a bit, because you have to drive over a pretty rough lava road. However, once you get to the end of the road, you’ll find a beautiful beach that has all of the things that are most important to me (shade, swimming and less people). Because it’s a bit hard to get to, the masses are kept at bay. I have swum here with dolphins! The water is clear and depending on conditions, can be great for water photography.
I like to drive to the end of the lava road, and then take the walking path that leads down to the right, from the parking lot. This path opens up into a beautiful cove with lots of shade and places to sit. At the end of the cove is an abandoned red building that worked great for shade (it’s where I took some of these portraits of Liwia, just for fun). We also got some gorgeous shots of her on the beach. Some monk seals even came by to say hello! (If you see them, make sure you don’t get too close, because they are protected. These photos were taken with my zoom lens).
This isn’t one of the beaches that we are allowed to do commercial shoots with (it’s not on the list for permits), but if you’re with friends and want to check out a great beach, I high recommend it. Bring your camera and take some beautiful shots of the water, waves and sky. You won’t regret it!
If you want some beach portraits, let me know and we can determine the best beach for your Big Island Portraits.
