Scott T. Kubo, Photography.

West side to Kaena.

stk — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:00:30 +0000

Happy 2012! Good grief: its been over a year since i last wrote in my blog! (Lots to catch up on and improve.) During the holiday we took a short hike to Kaena Point. We started from the West side this time. Very different scenery compared to the Mokuleia route but no less beautiful. The shoreline is much more rocky and dramatic (if that is the right word). I wanted to travel light so i left the photo gear at home and only carried my Galaxy Note. It is simply amazing to see what this thing can do in the field! I whole heartedly believe that the “death of the P&S camera” is well under way. The following panorama photos were also captured using the Galaxy Note. Its definitely not the best panorama capture tool i have used but i am impressed, considering its my “phone”!

I had no idea that we had these natural arches on Oahu. We used to fish on the West side a lot but i never took the time to survey the shoreline. Shame on me.

There were a lot of people out there. There were two Hawaiian Monk Seals in the middle of the tide pools as well. Thankfully everyone paid their respect and kept their distance. I’m sorry you can’t see them in my photos here: no telephoto lens on me.

Such an awesome place: I can’t wait to go back again!

Ohisashiburi! ;)

stk — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:48:22 +0000

Long time no post! It has been exactly 5 months! Seems like forever. I have been very busy. 2010 has proven to be an incredible year of change! The primary reason I have been so busy: I started at a new job!!! I have made the “big switch” from totally free lance, to M-F, 9-5. I have so much to say about that but the one word that keeps echoing through my head is: gratitude. I still do free lance/consulting but I am a “weekend warrior” in that regard.

I am working at the Honolulu Academy of Arts as a Digital Imaging Specialist. I love the new job and my new co-workers! It is a wonderful change: an incredible opportunity to learn new things and meet new people. I thank my lucky stars everyday for such an opportunity!

Like I said, I have so much (more) to say… I will save that for another post though. I have to ease my way into blogging again — been a while so I don’t want to cramp up.

Uncle Harvey was in town again so we made sure to get out and shoot, at least once. We all wanted to see and touch the fabled Leica M9! We met up at KCC in the afternoon, just before sunset. The light wasn’t great so we just wandered around the cactus garden. Above is a link to my gallery of shots. Only a few and all black & white. That is my “new thing”: black & white. More like, back to basics. I’ve been bored with my own work in color and felt a need to relearn how to see. This will be an interesting exercise. ^_^

Foster Botanical Gardens.

stk — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:47:58 +0000

Today was President’s Day holiday. The weather was beautiful! Foster Gardens was a little crowded, I usually see fewer than 5 people on the weekend. Today there must have been at least 20 people wandering around the grounds while we were there. I am glad to see people taking an interest! The Bromeliad section of the garden has been greatly improved! The “butterfly garden” has filled in nicely. Not much in the way of butterfly action though. There were about 4 or 5 that hung around but seldom landed. The one I was able to photograph looked like it was attacked by an Anole or Gecko — bite taken out of it’s wing. I searched the milk weeds (Crown Flower) for Monarch caterpillars but did not find any. The new green house conservatory is really cool! Lots of orchids, strange air plants, and pitcher plants. It was a good day to photograph!

Mars rounds Polaris.

stk — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:49:12 +0000

The sky was very clear the other night, perfect for star trails! Mars is the very bright streak on the right side of the above photo. I got really lucky with this first image! In the upper left corner you can barely see three faint streaks running perpendicular to the stars. (Right click to view a slightly larger image.) I am not sure exactly what they are but they took approximately 90 seconds to travel the recorded paths. (Maybe iridium flares from orbiting satellites?) Below you can see Polaris at the center of the star trails. It looks like a stationary point but it is not true celestial North so there is a little bit of wobble.

Ala Wai Moonrise.

stk — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:00:40 +0000

We were out on Wednesday night for a quickie shoot. My original plan was to explore the yacht harbor and moorings but my timing was off. I was a little late. This area is probably one of the most overly photo’d on the island of Oahu. BUT, it was still a beautiful sunset and moonrise – I never get tired of those.

This image was made by doing a “vert-o-rama” with a Nikkor 28mm Perspective Control lens: my most favorite lens for serious landscape shooting.

KCC and Waikiki Sanpokatagata.

stk — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:13:10 +0000

I met up with cuzin: J.T. – on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday – for a photo walk around Kapiolani Community College and Waikiki. (“Sanpo kata gata” is a Japanese term for: “while taking a walk/stroll”. I know everyone uses “osanpo” or “osampo” but that is boring!) The weather was awesome and JT has been looking for some lens upgrades for her Nikon kit. I don’t need “an excuse” to toss some glass into my bag and run out the door – that was TWO! You can click on the photo above to view a gallery of photos from our photo walk, please do.

We swapped between three lenses that day: Nikkor 10.5mm DX Fisheye, Sigma 12-24mm DG HSM, and the Sigma 150mm DG Macro. I was shooting full frame and JT was on DX cropped sensor. Say what you like about “third party” lenses; I love those two Sigma’s! Did I mention that the Sigma 12-24 is a full frame lens? NO ONE else has anything to match – not even Nikon (at the moment). The Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 is a phenomenal lens but it is also bigger, heavier, twice as expensive, and it “sees less”: 114 degrees for the Nikon vs. 122 degrees for the Sigma. (These are aspherical super wide zooms. IE: in general, horizontal and vertical lines stay almost perfectly straight.) Although the corner light fall-off for the Sigma is much heavier. So, one could argue that the Nikkor has just as much “usable field of view”. Personally, I have grown to appreciate the in-camera vignette – saves me a step in post… hehe.

Happy New Year.

stk — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:54:46 +0000

I hope everyone had a great holiday season! “Twenty ten”, that sounds nice. I enjoyed the movie. Let us hope that this reality will be just as good.

I’ve been playing catch up for the last 30, or so, days. I have way too many photos to sort through… (-3-) I am most excited to go through those from our last trip to Japan. That is my, “dangling carrot”. (I am working towards that.) Please be patient, there will be a bunch of galleries in the near future. In the mean time, check out Chad’s Flickr. He has his latest photo selections, from Japan, online. (I gotta lose weight!) (~3~;)

I wish everyone the best for 2010! Aloha!!

Nevada and South Lake Tahoe.

stk — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:10:37 +0000

Our last day in Tahoe was spent at leisure. As I mentioned in my previous post, we were supposed to drive back out to Reno-Stead but decided it was not worth the time/distance. I am very glad we decided to stay in Tahoe.

The night before we stopped on the Nevada side of the lake. The sky was pretty clear and light pollution was not too bad. It was better for the star gazing but the moon was not out. I’d definitely like to return and do more night time photo exploring with various phases of the moon. (I know it’s been done but i gotta see it with my own eyes — IRL, as it were.)

We had a little visitor in the night. I had seen some evidence on the floor, in the way of dust fallen from the rafters. I actually said out load, “I think we may have a squirrel or chipmunk…” Then, Chad said, “Oh, I think there is a moth. I heard it flapping around last night.” Immediately, I knew what it probably was and, LIKE CLOCK WORK, the tiny bat leaped into the air – from its hiding place above the fireplace – and proceeded to scare the crap out of J. then buzz Chad and I. Good times! After a few tense minutes “die fledermaus” was gently coaxed out the back door. (Honest, we did not hurt it.)

With excitement like that, who needs the air races? We spent the rest of the morning looking at Emerald Bay and walking up the trail to Cascade Falls. It was more like a trickle when we got there. But that was a good thing as it allowed us to actually walk where water would normally be flowing. (What volume? I have no idea.) The weather could not have been better. It was a very cool diversion before our 6 hour return trip to the South Bay. Good weekend! Please click on the image above to view the photo gallery.

2009 Reno Air Race.

stk — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:54:50 +0000

The 2009 Reno Air Race would be my very first experience of this kind. (See the gallery above.) Sure we’ve had more than a few Air Force and Navy air shows in Hawaii but nothing like Reno. The trip to Reno-Stead was inspired mainly by my father’s life long fascination with aircraft and flying; in part by a chance meeting earlier this year, in Hawaii.

I had done some architectural work for a regular client and the home owners happened to be Mr. & Mrs. Mike Brown. Yes, that same Mike Brown of Reno Air Race fame! Captain and patriarch of the 2006, gold medal, “Mike Brown Air Force”: September Pops, September Fury, and Big Boss Man. I knew very little about pylon racing and probably insulted Mike by asking, “Is it like the Red Bull?” He sorta straightened me out and outlined his experiences and small fleet of very impressive aircraft. I was hooked! And I promised myself that I would bare witness to a “real air race”, this year!

Well, we did it! Although it was “a day late and a buck short”. While at Reno-Stead, I constantly wondered, “Where is Mike?” The MB Air Force was no where to be seen. Only after returning to Hawaii did I realize why. Apparently, late 2008, Mike had made the decision to retire from air racing and sold EVERYTHING. I felt like more of an ass for making the Red Bull comparison!!! The reasons are the Browns’ alone and I respect that… I just wish I could have had the chance to see the MB Air Force fly, at least once!

We actually had purchased tickets for the entire weekend but after a long, MB-Air-Force-free Saturday, we decided not to return on Sunday. With MB absent, I was far less enthused to watch the Unlimited’s. And I knew enough about Strega to know that she and her new pilot would more than likely win their class… it’s no fun when you know who is gonna win before the race is run.

I am glad we attended the 2009 Reno Air Race. I may return. But I am sure there are many who were also very disappointed by the lack of the MB Air Force. I am glad I met Mike Brown and his lovely wife, when I did, and I wish them all the very best that life has to offer!

South Tahoe 360.

stk — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:08:27 +0000

This 360 was captured at sunset on the shore of South Lake Tahoe. We were graced with beautiful weather every where we went. Please click on the thumbnail image above to view the 360 panorama. More from Lake Tahoe, California and Reno, Nevada to follow shortly.