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Author Topic: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast  (Read 1771 times)

mtakeda

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Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« on: December 28, 2019, 10:42:46 pm »

I am planning to go photo trip in a month and would like to receive some photo spots information. I am planning to rent a car and stay for a couple of nights at Princeville. Mainly interested in the picture of mountain range with taro post foreground, and the sunset photo of Napili coast. Thank you.
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chez

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2019, 04:58:28 pm »

I've been to Kauai many times...heading again in April. The best place to get a photo of the mountains with taro fields in the foreground is right at the one-lane bridge on the way to Hanalie from Princeville. There is a road just before the bridge that you can pull off onto and then just get out your gear and get the composition you want. Best time to be there is before sunrise and if you are lucky you can get a shot with the mountains lit up and the taro fields in the shadows. I've attached a photo from this location as an example.

If you want to get the sunset along the Napali coast the place I go to is at Ke'e beach. There are two possibilities here. Either walk way down the beach to your right and use a telephoto lens to capture the Napali peaks as the sun is setting or walk around the point on the left ( there is a trail ) and use a wide angle lens for a more closeup shot. I've included an image that was taken from around the point on the left on Ke'e beach.

Things to note is there is a quota system setup that limits the number of cars allowed to Ke'e beach. You can reserve ahead of time.

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Alan Klein

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2019, 09:30:26 pm »

Alan Klein

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2019, 09:32:31 pm »

Nice shots Chez. 

chez

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2019, 10:18:38 pm »

Yeh, you definitely can get some great shots of the Napali coast from a boat.

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mtakeda

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2019, 02:33:35 pm »

I've been to Kauai many times...heading again in April. The best place to get a photo of the mountains with taro fields in the foreground is right at the one-lane bridge on the way to Hanalie from Princeville. There is a road just before the bridge that you can pull off onto and then just get out your gear and get the composition you want. Best time to be there is before sunrise and if you are lucky you can get a shot with the mountains lit up and the taro fields in the shadows. I've attached a photo from this location as an example.

If you want to get the sunset along the Napali coast the place I go to is at Ke'e beach. There are two possibilities here. Either walk way down the beach to your right and use a telephoto lens to capture the Napali peaks as the sun is setting or walk around the point on the left ( there is a trail ) and use a wide angle lens for a more closeup shot. I've included an image that was taken from around the point on the left on Ke'e beach.

Things to note is there is a quota system setup that limits the number of cars allowed to Ke'e beach. You can reserve ahead of time.

Thank you so much for very helpful info. By the way you stated “ walk way down to Ke’e beach” I wonder how far I need to walk down and how the train is. Thank you.
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chez

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2019, 09:28:56 am »

Thank you so much for very helpful info. By the way you stated “ walk way down to Ke’e beach” I wonder how far I need to walk down and how the train is. Thank you.

Not that far, maybe a couple hundred meters. By moving to the end of the beach you get a better composition of the Napali coastline. You'd be walking on the beach so sandy terrain.
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mtakeda

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2019, 01:06:01 pm »

Thank you very much.
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chez

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2019, 01:42:55 pm »

A very easy sunset place is right in Hanalei Bay with the peer in the foreground. Get there early with a beach chair, find a nice composition and wait for the sun to set...while sipping on a beverage.

If you want more location suggestions, let me know.
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mtakeda

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2020, 02:36:44 pm »

Thank you much. I would appreciate more details. Thank you kindly.
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Peter McLennan

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2020, 06:27:30 pm »

Wowsers! That is one spectacular piece of coastline.  Thanks for that.
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chez

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2020, 03:05:06 pm »

Other places near Princeville I recommend for photography are the Queens bath, Secret beach and this Lava hole just across the river at Kahili beach.

Parking at the Queens bath trailhead is very limited so you might have to walk roughly 1km to the trailhead from say the golf course parking lot. The trail down to the Queens bath can be challenging, especially if it has rained...gets a little slippery so where good hiking shoes. Bring a flashlight or headlamp or two as if you go for either a sunrise or sunset shot, you'll be walking down in the dark. If you get to the lava rocks along the coast and the sea looks rough...just skip it and go back up. This could be a dangerous place to be caught if a big swell decides to come in. Once you get out onto the lava shelf, just look for a nice composition, either right for sunrise or left for sunset.

The trek down to Secret is much easier and the beach itself is huge. The sun sets to the left, but I've got some good shots by shooting away from the sunset towards the lighthouse in the distance. Again, a flashlight is handly to come back out.

There are two ways to get to the lava hole. You can either drive right down to Kahili beach and just wade across the river...about waist deep, and then proceed for a couple hundred meters to the point from where you'll see a path along the ledge down to the lava shelf. Or you can drive in on Kahili quarry road as far as your vehicle takes you. I usually stop at that huge house complex with the iron gates...there is parking there off the road for a few cars. You will then have to walk down the road which has huge pot holes that swallow cars. It can be muddy so again bring the right shoes...but it is not steep. Once you get to the ocean, proceed right to the very point and then left and you'll see a path down to the lava shelf. The lava hole is right at the start of the shelf, you'll see it as you walk down. Again, if the seas look rough, don't go down. Once on the shelf and a big swells comes, you have no where to run.

I'll include some photos from the 3 sites I've described. The first two are from the Queens bath, sunrise and sunset. The 3rd photo is from Secret beach and the last photo is the lava hole near Kahili beach.


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Peter McLennan

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2020, 05:36:53 pm »

"kauai-8-framed" is spectacular.  Kudos!
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mtakeda

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2020, 01:29:53 pm »

Thank you so much. These are the example of “ no pain, no gain”.
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MattBurt

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #14 on: January 03, 2020, 04:18:36 pm »

All good tips. Kauai is an impressive place. Last time I was there it was more of a family trip so I didn't shoot as much as I would have liked or get to be in places at the best times but it was still pretty spectacular and I made some images I liked. Plus we had fun too!

I also shot the Napali Coast from a boat, we did a snorkeling day tour with Captain Andy which was fun.


The Spouting Horn Blowhole was easy to get to and worth a stop.


Iconic Wailua Falls is right next to a road.


Kawaihae pier near Waimea


There is also great hiking and scenery in Waimea Canyon but the day we hiked it was very foggy.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2020, 04:22:31 pm by MattBurt »
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MattBurt

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #15 on: January 03, 2020, 04:24:21 pm »

"kauai-8-framed" is spectacular.  Kudos!

+1 Really nice!
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Miles

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #16 on: January 17, 2020, 11:35:30 am »

All I can say is WOW!  Thanks everyone for sharing those fantastic pictures and location information.  My wife and I are headed there soon and I am looking forward to taking some images. 

Miles
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mseawell

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Re: Island of Kauai princeville and Napoli coast
« Reply #17 on: January 27, 2020, 03:28:31 pm »

Fantastic images!

Mark
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