Top Ten Secluded Oahu Beaches

Secluded beaches do exist on Oahu, and most of them are not hard to get to. Here is my subjective list of the top ten secluded beaches for weddings. Call or email to find out exactly where they are.
  
10. Papailoa Beach. This one's near some very crowded beaches of the north shore, but since it's hidden from the main road it can often be almost completely deserted, especially on weekends. It is not very wide and can be more windy than I like, but it has nice views of the north shore.
9. Makua Beach. The only reason this gorgeous, wide beach is not higher on my list is because the main reason it's secluded is that it's almost at the end of the road in Waianae.
8. Papaoneone Beach. This is another beautiful, wide beach in Waianae, not quite so far out, but hidden from the road. The main drawback are the apartment buildings that are the reason it's hidden.
7. Malaekahana Beach. This is another lovely beach that is secluded mainly because it's way up by the northern tip of the island.
6. Loulu Palm beach. This is a beautiful beach on the north shore that is almost always completely deserted because it is fronted by the private Loulu Palm estate. Unfortunately about the only easy way to get to this beach is by getting married at the estate, which is a popular but pricey venue for weddings.
5. West end of Sandy Beach. Sandy Beach is a well-known, crowded beach on Oahu's eastern tip, but few people use the west end because of the rocks along the shore. But those rocks make it more picturesque, and a great setting for photos.

Near Secret Island Beach

4. Secret Island Beach. This great beach by Kualoa Ranch is fairly easy to get to, yet very secluded because few people know it's there! It's not really an island and most of the people there are brought there by Kualoa Ranch. If you go all the way to the end of it it's always empty and there is a stunning backdrop of mountains and a fish pond.
3. Real Cove at the Ihilani Hotel. This one is so secret I can't find a name for it. Next to the artificial coves created when the Ko' Olina resort area near Waianae was developed. Even though it's next to the hotel, it's deserted because hotel guests always use the nearest artificial cove, which is bigger and more suitable for swimming. The real cove is much more picturesque, though.
2. Portlock Beach. I rank this one near Hawaii Kai high because it is very easy to get to and closer to Honolulu than the others, yet deserted most of the time.
1. Keiki Beach. I rank this north shore beach number one because although it is farther from town than some, it is one of Oahu's very best beaches. It's an awesome place to get sunset pictures.

New Technology Ushering in a Golden Age for Affordable High Quality Photography and Video!

I've been Tweeting about some of the exciting new products that are making these days a great time for getting super high quality video and photography of your wedding or other event, without breaking the bank. That is, if your photographer or videographer is keeping up with the latest technology! Here I will discuss the top three, which have all arrived on the market within the past few months.

One amazing product is the Metabones Speed Booster, which makes lenses wider and faster without losing sharpness. Oh, and you get shallower depth of field too. If you're not a photographer or videographer you may not know know what shallow depth of field is or why it matters, but trust me, it's a big deal! I can't wait to get this adapter!

                            

Another amazing product is the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema camera. It costs only a thousand dollars and is the size of a small point and shoot camera, but it can give a videographer 13 stops of dynamic range. Again, this may not mean much to you if you aren't a videographer, but this is an even bigger deal than shallow depth of field. I hope to add this camera to my equipment collection very soon. The above video compares its big brother the Cinema camera, released last year, with a popular Canon DSLR, and the difference is remarkable. The new Pocket camera has only very slightly less dynamic range than the older camera but is far more affordable and easier to use.

            

The third product is not as revolutionary as the first two, but still exciting. It is the SLR Magic 25mm F 0.95 lens. What is special about this lens is that F 0.95 aperture, which means that you can shoot in very dark situations with no extra lighting. I mean extremely dark, like moonlight or candlelight. There are other lenses that have an aperture this large, but they are considerably more expensive, and, not as sharp. The video above was shot with it. Not by me, but I want to get this lens as soon as humanly possible!

Highlights of a Wedding at Turtle Bay

Highlights from a wedding at the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's northern tip. If you want all the amenities of a Waikiki hotel but in a place far from the noise and crowds of Honolulu, Turtle Bay is a great choice.

New Website Launch

 


 
Check out the new website, where you will find more information on my rates and equipment, along with some new pictures. Some pages are stil under construction, so check back again later.

A Complete Captain Howie Wedding Ceremony, 1/25/13

This video shows one of Captain Howie's offbeat, philosophical wedding ceremonies from beginning to end, after the highlights section is over.

Captain Howie Wedding Highlights 1/18/2013

Captain Howie is a local institution. As he says, his unique wedding ceremonies are "not for everyone," but they are very popular. Some of the formals are shot in his house, which is also unique. He performs some of his ceremonies in his beautiful back yard complete with artificial waterfall, but most are done on the beach. I am one of the videographers he uses to capture his ceremonies. If you want two-camera high-def coverage like this of your wedding ceremony at a surprising price, give me, Chris Walker a call at 721-0149.

A Wedding at the Hale Koa

 


 
The Hale Koa hotel, with its many garden settings and ballrooms of all sizes, is a very popular venue for weddings and receptions both big and small. Aileen and Jody chose to have a small, intimate ceremony but a relatively big reception, and a great time was had by all! I tried to use as little flash as possible for the indoor shots, and bounce it off walls or the ceiling whenever possible. I'm a big fan of all-natural lighting, even more so than most professional photographers.