I’ve taken countless photos of the intense and mesmerizing wave action at Laupahoehoe Point on the Big Island in Hawaii. Prevailing winds come from the east and bring waves that build as they hit the shallow waters of the point and explode against the east-facing lava towers that surround the point just offshore.
Each big wave leaves you hoping that another, even more incredible explosion will follow. The wave here is blasting more than 40 feet upward, and I particularly like how the late morning light provides some backlighting of the water while also revealing subtle detail in the black lava towers. I have tried many different shutter speeds here and find that freezing the motion of even the smallest droplets with a very short exposure best conveys the sense of violence and chaos that is palpable when close to these waves.
I’ve photographed wave action around the entire point area and am repeatedly drawn to this lava “bowl,” where waves careen off the different faces of the surrounding lava. While this place is not well known to the average island tourist, it is a favorite of locals, and it is common to find families, fishermen, and photographers enjoying the action here. For this shot, I climbed down into the bowl as far as was safely possible to increase the appearance of the wave towering over me.
