upcountrymaui
Kula Botanical Gardens is tucked away against the slopes of Haleakala on Maui, Hawaii. It has a lot to offer as far as a diverse amount of foliage, old crooked trees and a few rustic gazebos for photography fun. I had the honor of capturing a lovely wedding for this cute tribe. Enjoy these moments and if you are interested in a wedding at the gardens, send me an email.
There is something to be said about keeping it simple… just a bride, groom, minister and beautiful gardens surrounding the wedding. Jon & Amy decided to have an elopement upcountry and it was a tender, sweet wedding. We all slowed down together and enjoyed to cool breeze and colorful flowers of the grounds. Kula Botanical Gardens is a well established place with plenty to offer if you want a laid back yet beautiful afternoon. Congratulations Jon & Amy… I hope you enjoy these moments as much as I do….
I love when I get the opportunity to witness sweet, genuine love between a couple. Joy & Jake have been in my life now for awhile and we reconnected to capture their essence. They both have done an immense amount of spiritual work and they are both magical to say the least. On our walk upcountry on Thompson Road, I kept seeing these little micro-moments between them where their love was ever so clear. Enjoy these precious moments in time Joy & Jake… and thank you for allowing me to witness it… such an honor.
Since Covid has transitioned our photography reality on Maui, it has given me time to reflect and learn patience. Now that our focus has shifted to supporting our local community, I was so blessed to hear from a young family wanting to document their life at this time. It was even more special when I was able to meet them at one of the most picturesque spots that is rarely seen by most ~ Ulupaulakua Ranch. Kristin works with the local “paniolos” (cowboys) and so I was able to off road a bit up Haleakala and see parts of the Ranch that only the working cowboys see. We were blessed with beautiful morning light and a gentle breeze. The couple was celebrating their sweet baby, Gabi, who was all smiles and giggles. I am so grateful for the opportunity to give these memories as gifts to those I photograph. Contact me for your family session as these times will never be upon us again
So here we are in the middle of a time that most of us have never experienced before. A virus has spread worldwide and the entire world is in this agreement to stop the spread by being at home in quarantine. On Maui, the tourists have left and our economy has been effected dramatically. I am out of work as I rely heavily on the wedding industry to survive.
One of my passions & gifts is photography and it has been really hard to see my camera get dusty. I have spent time re-thinking my purpose and evaluating my priorities. I remember looking out my window a few days into this quarantine thinking that I would be incredibly grateful to pick up my camera once again sooner than later.
It was a very pleasant surprise to here that my dear friend Gabriel was back on island because of the current world situation. He is a very talented and gifted singer & songwriter for his band WOLFCHILD. We have discussed doing photos in the past and our schedules were always quite full so this never came to fruition in the past. I guess the slow down became a blessing because we landed a time to capture some photos. We followed safe protocol and stayed outside ( on my private property) in the sunshine all the while practicing the new hot phrase… “social distancing”.
I felt alive being able to photograph again and relish in what brings me joy. It was a memorable session because it was the first time I have been sung to during an entire photo shoot. Gabriel came up with impromptu songs inspired by our simple surroundings while we moved about. I have to say that I was very impressed with the way songs came to him so easily and the quality of each song was record worthy in my opinion.
So…. thank you Gabriel for opening yourself to my art and in exchange sharing yours. To all of my friends, family & colleagues check out WOLFCHILD on the web or directly on Instagram @wolfchildmusic. Maybe consider giving them a download to your playlist on Spotify or Apple Music. If you want to see one of their latest music videos.. click the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs0mQpo-vwM
Our support now may help them in the long run as musicians are also taking a huge hit with no way to tour & offer shows at the moment.
Health & Happiness to you all…. Enjoy the photos!
I love seeing families get together for the holidays including mine. It is even better when they schedule a portrait session to remember these cherished moments. Blair & I have known each other since before either of us had children. She is an amazing mama and it was so nice when she reached out for family photos. Her family from the East Coast came out to enjoy a Maui Christmas and we ventured out to Thompson Road together. Now Upcountry can have glorious mornings and moody afternoons if the clouds decide to settle in. I kept picturing the rolling green hills of Haleakala and warm sunshine in hopes that we would all get so lucky to have those conditions…. well …WE DID!!! The pictures say it all and as we had fun together, I was reminded just how lucky I am to get to the opportunity to call this my job.
Thank you Blair, Laine & Family for being the beautiful people you are and letting me in.
I was lucky enough to meet Stacy over a decade ago on Maui when we worked at Flatbread Pizza Co. She was the sweetest manager I had ever worked for and when she was getting married she asked me to photograph her wedding. Fast forward to last month when I received a message from her that she was coming back to Maui with her family and wanted portraits taken. I was so thrilled to see her again as a gracious wife and fun-loving mama. We have a mutual friend who lives on a gorgeous flower farm so we decided Upcountry Maui would be the best spot for the session….. and it was. Her daughter Prudence led the way and the spots she chose to pose in were actually perfect! I am forever grateful for these experiences and it is a reminder of just how blessed I truly am. Thank you Stacy, Jay and Prudence for an amazing afternoon. Much Aloha to you all.
