For this year's workshop we got a bit of a late start to Hana, so we ended up skipping the Black Sand Beach that we shot at last year and went straight to 'O'he'o Gulch in Kipahulu ("Seven Sacred Pools" to the tourists) to shoot at the waterfall.
The Waimoku Falls.
A 400' high waterfall.
Woah.
Now some people you ask around Hana town might tell you it's an easy 1 mile hike to get up to these falls.
BULL.
To get up to the base of this waterfall, it is a TWO MILE HIKE.
UPHILL.
BOTH WAYS.
All along the trail as you're going up, the people coming down from the opposite direction will smile and tell you "It's just a few hundred yards more" or "oh, you're almost there".
These are cruel and sadistic people - don't believe a word they say.
You're not even close until you see this:
And even then, you've still got a LOOOOONG way to go.
It's a beautiful hike - you will cross bridges and hike through bamboo forests. Lots of places that would make awesome settings for shooting a model in. But if you're gonna suffer through this hike, you're gonna want to shoot AT the waterfall.
It will take you about an HOUR AND A HALF just to get up to the waterfall.
Wear shoes. SHOES! No slippers.
Bring water, bug repellant, and PACK AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE - bring MINIMAL gear.
Like a dummy, I ignored that last sentence and schlepped up a backpack with 2 cameras (Sony RX-10 and Canon 5DmkIII with a 85mm f1.2L lens), a Manfrotto light stand, 2 Cheetahstand V850 strobes, Lastolite Ezybox II Softbox, tripod, and a StealthyPro video camera stabilizer.
Yes, yes, I know - I've been meaning to have my head examined.
If you do survive the hike up to the falls, it is VERY worth it.
However, it is not advised to get too close to the actual waterfall. With a waterfall of that height, a rock falling down from the cliff most likely will KILL you.
Ok, so now, time to get to work.
This first shot was with the Sony RX10 on the tripod - using a long exposure to blur the water.
Sony RX10 24-200 f2.8 iso 80 .5 sec @ f8
Our model Ashley deserves special recognition for this image. To do a long exposure shot, the model has to hold her pose completely still for several seconds. What you don't see in the shot are the THOUSANDS OF RED ANTS that were swarming all over the rock she was sitting on (which I didn't realize until she told me AFTER we took the shot).
Modeling - it's not just a job, it's an adventure. :-)
Second setup was with 2 Cheetahstand V850 strobes in a Lastolite Ezybox II Softbox. I figured since I was crazy enough to hike all that gear up there, I better darn well use it.
Soon after setting up the lighting, it started to rain and we had to pack up and leave, so we only were able to grab a handful of shots.
Canon 5d mkIII iso 800 1/160 @ f8.0
Got some great images, but don't know if I'll be crazy enough to attempt this hike again next time. ;-)
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