Capturing the Vibrant Beauty of Hilo: A Close Look at the Red Hibiscus

 Nestled on the lush eastern side of the Big Island, Hilo serves as a beacon of natural beauty, where flora and fauna flourish under the generous Hawaiian sun. Among the standout sights are the vibrant blooms that adorn the landscape, with the red hibiscus being a particularly striking example.

On a bright sunny morning, the brilliance of Hilo’s natural palette is especially pronounced. The red hibiscus, as captured in this exquisite photograph, stands out with its deep, fiery red petals that seem almost translucent under the sunlight. The flower, with its delicate ruffled edges, dances lightly in the gentle breeze, anchored by a long, conspicuous pistil that stretches out towards the viewer, tipped with vibrant yellow anthers.

The backdrop of this portrait is a bokeh of glistening light, reflecting off the dewy leaves, enhancing the flower’s vivid color. This interplay of light and color not only highlights the red hibiscus’s stunning beauty but also encapsulates the essence of Hilo's mornings—fresh, dewy, and bursting with life.

Hibiscus flowers are not just a treat for the eyes; they are deeply ingrained in Hawaiian culture. Known locally as the kokiʻo ula, these flowers are more than mere plants. They are a symbol of the delicate, raw beauty of the islands and are often used in traditional ceremonies and celebrations.

For photographers and nature lovers alike, Hilo offers an endless canvas of such captivating scenes. Each flower, each leaf under the Hawaiian sun tells a story of growth, resilience, and natural splendor. And as this photo shows, sometimes, a simple moment of morning light on a hibiscus in Hilo can capture the profound beauty of nature in full bloom.

Whether you are a seasoned traveler to the Hawaiian islands or planning your first visit, make sure to take a moment to appreciate these small, spectacular details that make Hilo a truly enchanting place.

Hawaii Five O Theme Old vs. New

CBS has relaunched the classic seventies police drama, Hawaii Five O. Some will argue which is better, the old show with Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett and his iconic suit and tie, hair and trademark phrase, "Book em Danno", or the new show with Alex O'Loughlin as McGarrett, sans suit, tie or big hair. For many though, the only real question is, the New Hawaii Five-O theme vs. the old Hawaii Five-O theme?


I love the original theme of course, it is a classic!  Before I moved to Hawaii, I like every one else that did not live in Hawaii, wondered what all those cool scenes from the intro were. How can you forget the shots of the killer wave curling into the TV screen as the kettle drums rolled, the outrigger canoe full of bare-chested Hawaiian men paddling into the ocean waves during the closing credits, the large gleaming white statue of Justice, the beach-front Ilikai Hotel balcony that McGarret stands on, the lovely Hawaiian girl running along the beach, the gyrating hips of the hula dancer, Diamond Head, the Honolulu Airport and of course the areal shots of World-famous Waikiki Beach.

Hawaii Five O Headquarters - Iolani Palace, Honolulu 

When I first arrived on the island Oahu, one of the first Hawaii photos that I took was of The famous Hawaii Five O headquarters building, which in fact is the Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on United States soil. It was fun to find and photograph the iconic images from the Five O theme for myself. So if you can't make it to Hawaii to take your own photos, here are some of my own photographs of the Scenes from the Hawaii Five O Theme.


The new Hawaii Five O theme reboot has paid homage to the original series theme by including many of the same imagery shown in the original intro and by also employing many of the original musicians in the updated musical recording.


Compare for yourself: Hawaii Five-O Theme Old vs. New or view more of my Hawaii Photos at ComeSeeHawaii.com.

Sea Turtles Approve of Hilo Beach Cleanup

Three large Green Sea Turtles waded into the calm waters to sun at Leleiwi Beach Park on the Big Island of Hawaii after volunteers finished cleaning the beach and shoreline of trash and debris. See more  Hawaii Island Photos.

Hawaii tsunami warning for Hilo

A tsunami warning has been issued for all Hawaii islands. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck near central Chile, South America and has generated a tsunami wave. A tsunami wave projected at 6 to 12 feet is forecast to first Hilo on the South East coast of the Big Island of Hawaii at 11:19 AM Hawaii time.

Local Hawaii residents are being warned to prepare for the impending tsunami by evacuating low-lying coastal areas state-wide and moving to higher ground.

On May 23, 1960, a 35 foot tsunami wave killed 61 people and destroyed most of Downtown Hilo, following a 8.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of South America.



Hilo tsunami zone photos

more Hawaii photos at ComeSeeHawaii.com

Life in Hawaii

It's been just over five years since I sold almost everything I owned, packed what was left into a suitcase, and along with my three young children boarded a one way flight from Baltimore, Maryland to the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Long before I left Baltimore, I spent countless hours on the internet browsing websites looking for any scrap of information I could find on just what Hawaii was really like, and particularly what was everyday life in Hawaii going to be like.

What I found most frustrating was the lack of photographs of Hawaii online at the time. Now of course you say, there are plenty of photos of Hawaii online. Well sure there are, Hawaii has got to be one of the most photographed places on the planet. But when you are planning on picking up your entire life and moving almost a quarter of the way around the planet, the countless photos of Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor don't do much to prepare you for what the rest of Hawaii really looks like.

I knew that people didn't live on Diamond Head, and everybody didn't live in Waikiki Beach; but no matter how much I searched, I could not find much in the way of pictures of the rest of Hawaii, where all the people lived. There were plenty of photos of other popular tourist sites and famous Hawaii points of interest, but no everyday off-the-tourist-track stuff.

So I vowed that when I finally made it to Hawaii I would take pictures of the rest of Hawaii and make them available for people to see. In 2005 I setup my website which I named ComeSeeHawaii.com. I had been taking picture since my feet touched the island and I started to put them online so that people could see them.

In the beginning, the only visitors to ComeSeeHawaii.com were me and any friends or family members that I could annoy into checking out my new site. It wasn't until I developed my first Hawaii Photo Gallery gadget and posted it to the Google directory that people started to come by my site to see more of Hawaii. To those of you that have been with me since the beginning, I say Mahalo. In case you have not visited my Hawaiian words and phrases page, that is Hawaiian for thank you. Mahalo for your comments, your patience through the ABC LOST Premiere photo loop. Mahalo for sticking with me when I stopped posting my own photos for a time and only displayed Hawaii photos from Allposters.com. It was gratifying that so many of you asked me to return to showing my own pictures over the commercial photographs.

So now it's been five years, I have a ton of photos and I have learned a lot about life in Hawaii. My intention with this blog is to share more non-traditional sights and insights into life in Hawaii with you. As you have noticed, I have changed my Hawaii Photo Gallery gadget to include interaction from you. I hope that you will share your Hawaii impressions, experiences, questions and thoughts via Facebook, Twitter or this blog. The gadget is always a work in progress and I welcome your feedback.