Laupahoehoe Point, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is decorated with a large number of sea stacks, all resulting from ancient lava flows. The point faces east, into prevailing winds that almost always bring large waves crashing into these stacks. It is an extremely treacherous place for boats of any kind and has been the site of a few significant marine tragedies.

I frequently visit this point, as the constant crashing of waves is mesmerizing and can provide spectacular photo opportunities. Amazingly, the stacks show almost no wear or erosion despite the constant pounding, so they provide great texture and drama as subjects.

The spot where this photo was taken is a circular array of stacks about 25 feet high that create a cove-like area very near the shore. Waves overwhelm this spot, launching up to 50 feet in the air, as seen here. The cove becomes a bit dangerous when it subsequently fills with churning water.

On this day, the tide was out, and the cove was a bit emptier than usual, so I chose to climb down closer to the water's edge and await explosions that I knew would tower over me. I was soon rewarded with this scene and was able to get off several shots before the giant wave explosion landed on me.

I was lucky not to get too wet or injured. The photo was taken late in the afternoon, with the sun behind me to illuminate the stacks and waves in front of me. I wanted a very short exposure to freeze the explosion, hence the higher-than-normal ISO for these conditions. I reduced the contrast in the lower portion of the wave spray to make it appear as three-dimensional as possible. The 24mm focal length somewhat diminishes the towering quality of the wave but was necessary given its proximity.