We did a photography session on the Big Island of Hawaii for a gorgeous four-day huge Indian wedding, I will never forget a local photographer that I met on my day off as I was exploring and wandering around the island. He had a stand selling his amazingly beautiful prints next to the volcano where tourists would go and take their pictures. This man would get in his boat at 3:00 am and get so close to the spewing lava that was spitting out the fire just feet away from him, and he would capture the most incredible art photographs, I have ever seen of the volcano, that really belongs in a museum. He told me he changes his camera every three months because his camera melts from the heat of the lava because he gets that close. He asked me if I would like to join him at 3:00 am for a photoshoot. I would definitely have gone with him but my flight was a few hours later, back to Maui. I noticed his skin was looking like ash because he is there every day, so he had a permanent ash look on his skin that didn’t wash off. I often wonder about him and imagine myself capturing an image just feet away from hot blazing spewing lava that could at any time spit right at you and you are gone for good. Now that’s what you call a fearless photographer, or just completely crazy?.
I always say it’s the crazy ones who are usually the most talented, the ones who are fearless and go above and beyond their fears to capture what they must achieve that turns into incredible art. I bought some prints from him and hoped to see him again one day. He had no website, no cell phone, no email, just his stand. In today’s world we obviously need all these modern tools to survive, but not that long ago we managed just fine without any of it, and it turns out all the top famous celebrated photographers in museums today, didn’t have anything just their camera and they did just fine. I wondered how long I could last without technology, just me and my camera.
The problem is if you don’t return emails or answer calls in a few days, you are considered not in business, so how could I achieve this today and still survive.? I love going to the big island for shoots, jobs like photography for family portraits, wedding photography, surprise proposal photography, engagement pictures, and maternity photography because I always get to travel to the volcano to say hello to the natural wonder and pay my respects to the thunderous and powerful volcano that is still erupting today with its magical colors and shapes.
