L & S were a DREAM to work with! A couple from Florida, L & S reached out to inquire about an engagement session with me. From the sound of it, they're wedding was going to be an extravagant, unforgettable event and they wanted their engagement session to match the vibe of their wedding theme. Think black outfits. Black sandy beach. Evokes feelings. Passion. L referred to their vision as "Moody Boho". It was a tall order, and definitely not a session that I'm asked to do often, but I love challenges, and this most certainly was a challenge! I loved how deep I had to dig into my creativity to meet their vision. It was super, super exciting and absolutely inspiring and terrifying at the same time! LOL. So if course, I said YES!!!
We started to plan out the session a few months out. The idea was to fly out to the Big Island for the day to meet L & S during their first half of their trip to Hawaii. Take a few hours shooting their engagement session and then I'd fly back to Oahu and call it good. However, with the COVID pandemic surrounding us, we didn't even know if travelling would be allowed. But we were hopeful and continued to plan as if everything would be open by then. Since the session was scheduled to take place on the Big Island, and the last time I actually visited the Big Island was in high school (many, many years ago!), I decided to reach out to my friends and family members who either grew up there or currently live there, for some input. They had so many suggestions of beaches to consider; they provided so many tips while being on the Big Island. They even suggested other locations that would absolutely fit the vibe. It was awesome, but not going to lie, a little overwhelming, lol. Personally, I was excited because I've never been to many of the places that were suggested, so I was excited to explore. I shared all that I learned with L & S and they were so excited with the possibilities that they asked if they could book me for two days instead of one. And who can turn that down??? Not ME! So once the details were finalized, I booked an Airbnb near theirs, I booked my flight with Hawaiian Airlines and we made sure that we rented a 4WD because we knew off-roading was going to be a part of the agenda.
I flew out on a weekday with my camera bag on my back and a small carry-on for my clothes. The flight was a quick 30-minute ride. The forecast called for gloomy, clouds, and 70% chance rain while we were there. Bad for others, but great for what we were there to accomplish. L & S picked me up from the airport with their close friends in tow and away we went! We headed out to the middle of nowhere and were surrounded by miles and miles of lava fields! The clouds were low. The fog came in. It was PERFECT! We even found random plants and flowers in the middle of the lava field that offered a different look.
After a few shots we hopped back in the Jeep and continued into our adventure. We found an area with tall dead brush on the side of the road that made for a gorgeous look. We couldn't pass that up so we turned around and pulled over for a few shots.
We hopped back into the Jeep and kept on driving. First lava fields, then dead brush and now... lush green fields up ahead- like we were in a scene of a movie set. It was soooo cool! We took a few shots there, and then moved on. We stopped for a hot minute to eat lunch at The Fish and The Hog (cute little restaurant with awesome customer service and delicious food!).
The sun was starting to set during our search for the perfect spot to have a picnic in outfit change #2 of 3. However, the sunset and scenery was looking so gorgeous during our search that we continued to randomly stop on the side of the road to snap shots along the way. It was madness, but so much fun at the same time!
Our last, last goal for the first day was to get to the top of Mauna Kea Summit to catch the sunset above the clouds, and then do some stargazing down at the visitor center after that. We knew it would take a little bit to drive up to the top (not allowed to do that unless you have a 4WD, by the way), but before we could even consider checking out the sunset, we still had to find the perfect spot for L & S's picnic! And just as we started wondering whether or not we'd even be able to find a location, it appeared in front of us. But we were now REALLY racing time and almost out of light so we quickly pulled over. L & S grabbed their outfits to change into, and as they did, we quickly grabbed their props, found a spot, set up their scenery so that all would be ready by the time they were ready. The picnic set-up was LIT!!! And their outfits? All I can say is... DAMN!
Day #1, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! Once we wrapped up, we packed everything up, accidentally dropped a retainer, quickly found it, ran back to the Jeep, changed to warmer clothes with lots and lots of layers (because we knew the temps would be at least 30 degrees at the top of the summit), and away we went to climb up to the top! And having to experience a sunset above the clouds??? I mean... WOW!!! What an experience!!! We froze our butts off up there, but still... WOW, WOW, WOW!!! And stargazing??? Hands down, the clearest, most perfect spot to do it! L & S dropped me off to my AirBNB late that night so I could rest up for Day #2.
Day #1 was so freakin' wild! What an adventure. It totally exceeded ALL of my expectations! It took me a while to fall asleep that night because I was still on a high and overstimulated from everything that happened that day, lol, but I eventually fell asleep. All I kept thinking was "will Day #2 even compare?". You'll have to stay tuned to find out!
Rachelle is an Oahu-based photographer for the fun and adventurous individual, couple and family. Click here to book your session with her today!
Where I stayed and ate during my trip:
Lunch: www.fishandthehog.com
AirBNB (Hilo Vacation Rentals): www.booking.com
Flight: www.hawaiianairlines.com
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