Category Archives: Abstracts

Abstracts: Sunset

Sunset over Kohala
This week’s posts are in response to the WordPress photo challenge on the theme of ‘evanescent.’

Sunsets are an evanescent event. They’re all different, depending on the clouds and the atmosphere and the weather. And where the sun goes down changes from day to day depending on the time of year. And to top it off, the colors, the composition, change from moment to moment as the sun sinks and the clouds move. There’s no ‘OK, it’ll be like this for the next 15 minutes.’ Instead it might vanish in a moment, diffusing into a previously unnoticed layer of haze on the horizon.

I like that unpredictability. I’ve driven down to a good viewing spot, lured there by promising weather and cloud formations, only to have the sunset be a damp squib. And then there have been other times when I’ve gone with low expectations and been treated to a cascade of color.

This photo was taken from the comfort of my lanai and I like the striking contrast of the bright and the dark at that moment in time. A few minutes later, it was all gone.

Abstracts: Impressionist photo of Hawaiian sea turtles

two Hawaiian sea turtles look like an impressionist painting as they swim underwater
Kiholo Bay is a popular spot for Hawaiian green sea turtles. On a recent hike I saw several of them on land and in the water. A light breeze rippled the water and when the turtles swam just below the surface, their appearance was in constant flux. It was a nice surprise to find I’d captured this impressionistic effect.

Abstracts: Morning webs

Webs on the ground catch the early morning sunlight.
I was on the west side of Mauna Kea, at around 7,500 feet, when I saw these lines all over the ground. I don’t know what they are. I doubt they’re spider webs, though they look like it. If they’re trip wires, they didn’t work. But I did like how they caught the early morning sun, which had just cleared the edge of the volcano.