Clouds, Trees, and Mountains in Hawaii, and Blue Skies from God
Palm trees stand in the foreground with mountains and clouds in the background at Haleʻiwa Beach Park on the North Shore of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, as seen during our 2023 Hawaiʻi trip.
As I sometimes do, I was going through photos from our trip to see if any of them jumped out at me. This was the first one I saw, as it was the first that I took on that day,1 and it immediately caught my eye. It did not contain a focal point. But it did contain lots of elements that I like - palm trees, clouds, and mountains.
Once I started working on the photo, I arrived at a color scheme that reminded me of the original Hawaii Five-O television series,2 which I often like to watch. So then the photo became, in my mind, very similar to a background scene from the show. And that is how I left it.
Who says every photo needs a clear focal point, anyway?
See more from this day in the post Hawaiʻi 2023 Trip Report Part 7 - The North Shore
Blue Skies
I like blue skies. And rainbows, and sun-beams from heaven, too, but that is another story.
As I am writing this, I can see a beautiful blue sky through the window. Blue skies are happy skies, because they mean that there will not be any rain or harsh weather, at least for a little while. Blue skies mean that the sun is out and everything looks happy. The world is more colorful when the sky is blue, not only because of the blue in the sky, but also because the sunlight brings out the color in everything else.
Of course, blue skies do have their downsides, too. Blue skies can mean that the sun will be raising the temperatures and (in our area) humidity on a summer day, making it a little difficult to exert much energy outside. Blue skies also mean that the sun will be pelting us with UV rays (just another reminder to Wear a Hat). But both of those scenarios are better than damage from thunderstorms and tornadoes, or blankets of freezing snow.
Blue skies are a blessing from God. But then when we have cloudy, stormy skies, God is blessing us in those times, too, despite how it may seem at the time. They are different blessings, but they are still blessings.
God is good all the time. Whether we are getting what we want or not. He is still blessing us through it all.
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Don’t stifle the Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 CSV
About the Photo
Usually, the first photo of the day is just to make sure the camera is set properly. I do not remember for certain, but I am guessing that is why I took this photo. But sometimes, those first photos turn out well. And then at different times, different photos catch your eye for different reasons. On another day, I might have passed right over this one.
As I have mentioned before, I always like to work on my photos and not just post them straight out of the camera. I find that I can make them even more appealing by tweaking a few things here and there, or sometimes by putting the photo through some major changes. This one only required a few tweaks, which is always nice.
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Raw Therapee and GIMP.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
ISO: ISO-200
Shutter Speed: 1/8000 sec.
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal length: 35mm
Date: June 19, 2023
Location: North Shore, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
