New Work: Morning Sunrise Over the Wai’opea Tidepools. Things Will Never be the Same.

A while back when the little hamlet of Kapoho was around on the Southeastern coast of the Big Island. I made this image of the famius tidepools ar sunrise.

This place no longer exists.

On any given day these tidepools were a spectacular environment of crystal clear water teaming with abundant life (corals and fiah).

No longer exists.

You see a couple of years ago the lava from a nearby volcano wiped out Kapoho and these tidepools. The fast moving eruption destroyed over 700 homes and deposited new land 20 feet high.

In a way, this photograph represents a graveyard for me, with it’s dark brooding tones. The ocean, waves and clouds represent the fact that at the end of the day., Mother Nature is immortal.

This photograph can be purchased as a print.

Why is Hawaii’s Highest Mountain So Controversial?

Mauna Kea. Not just the highest point in the islands. Geology, tradition, culture are emblematic of this beautiful place.

Probably the biggest controversy to erupt in Hawaii since statehood in 1959 has to be the construction of an enormous 30-meter telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

This spot is one of the most sacred in all the islands for Native Hawaiians. They say it has been desecrated enough over decades of use by the observatories already there.

Granted, these observatories have been essential in our quest to observe and understand the universe. The clear air atop a 14,000 foot mountain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean affords an amazing view.

But at what cost?

I agree with the Hawaiians wholeheartedly. If this new monstrosity is such a marvel to science, why not demolish the rest of the telescopes and buildings up there and build this one? I think that would be a reasonable compromise.

By the way, I am not sure of what the current conditions on the ground are. When they finally got approval for the construction of the telescope, locals gathered in mass to block the Mauna Kea access road.

It used to be that you could drive to the summit with a four-wheel vehicle to witness the spectacle of the glorious sunset (as seen in my photograph).

I am not sure if you can do that anymore.

Barring that, you can benefit environmental causes I support by purchasing a print of this photograph on my sales site. I donate 10 percent of my net proceeds to organizations like The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund and others. Thank You.