Granite Cliff Studio

As a new chapter of my life begins it is time to reflect on what the last decade has meant to me. I moved to Maui as a 29 year old man that didn’t always make good choices. I had been working seasonal jobs in Alaska and Wyoming the previous years and didn’t really have a home. I was a wanderer who was self destructive. I had made many friends on my travels but never really grew relationships. Maui would teach me.

When I began my time on Maui the people that I first met were crucial to my survival and my path. I met my wife only a few months after moving here. I didn’t really have anything to offer, I was camping on the beach and I was working a temp job for minimum wage. She must have seen some potential as she will tell you. My plans were for Maui to be a temporary stop until hotels reopened in Denali, Alaska. Well, life here started to mold me into a more responsible man and I saw a future here. I met a man who had similar interests and a heart of gold. He was crude and his jokes would have made the devil blush but he also must have seen potential. Two people now on my side, one would help me get a job at the Ritz Carlton and the other would become my wife and we became a team to conquer our goals.

The Ritz era was a welcome steady job that gave me the opportunity to do everything I loved. I would travel, play golf and meet exciting new people. At the same time through mentorship and great leaders I learned a lot about hospitality and the industry of customer service. I will always remember a few of the guests that made a huge difference in my life. I had the opportunity to work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and nothing could be more humbling and rewarding. All these experiences helped me become more mature and have a passion for this work. The relationships created here with co-workers and guests will last a lifetime. This was a 6 year chunk of my life on Maui and Kapalua will always bring a smile to my face.

Kapalua allowed me to work at the PGA golf tournament and I also became a forecaddie at the two golf courses. I still have clients text me and tell me about what they shot and how a tip I gave them helped their putting or they were watching on TV and they remember when we made a birdie o the 18th. It’s rare to think of a place as a friend but I would have to say that the Kapalua golf courses were definitely my friend. So many times I would be there from sun up to sun down sometimes playing golf by myself, sometimes just parked in a golf cart staring at the ocean. Anytime you go here you will definitely be happy, it will change your whole mood, just a great group of people greet you every time you visit.

Around this time I also bought my first DSLR camera and this became my next hobby, not knowing that it would become my obsession. I used to take photos on the course and trips to other Ritz Carltons gave me inspiration. Hiking around Maui with buddies and my wife you would almost always catch me with a camera. The underwater world and snorkeling really hooked me. Taking a GoPro to Molokini, Honolua Bay and Mala to catch turtles and fish was the start, then when out on catamaran or zephyr excursions whale captures drove me to get better with the camera. Under exposures and blurry photos were a regular thing and it bothered me to the point of actually starting to learn the craft.

A wedding was next for me and the joining hands between my wife and I at the place we met was the greatest achievement of my life so far. It took place at Camp Olowalu, where we first started our relationship. This little parcel of land will always be so special because I at one point I had nothing, literally nothing, and here is where it all turned around. We combined our families and it has been quite the union so far. It is really nice to meet and bond so easily with another family. We have had so many adventures together and can’t wait to be on the mainland so these meetings can happen more frequently. My wife’s parents lived in Hawaii for quite a few years and we visited as often as we could when they lived on Kauai and Hawaii Island. We had a lot of fun.

All these big life events seemed to be happening every year now. I switched jobs and commuted to the south side and worked at the Grand Wailea. I have to say this would be just about impossible now with all the traffic and fires but at that time I was very grateful to drive around this island and enjoy the sunrises and sunsets on the Pali. Never was I upset when I was stuck in traffic, I would just stare at the ocean and enjoy its embrace. It was great meeting new people and working at a different beast that was the Grand Wailea. Because I worked at the pool at both the hotels I was in fantastic shape and pretty much healthy, everyday was 20,000 plus steps and outside right near da beach. These were fantastic occupations and certainly help you stay young. There was a lot of wisdom and experience gained here and I am very thankful.

The last few years of my Maui life I was extremely lucky. We became condo owners on a street that has been named one of the top 10 streets in the U.S., Front Street. As they say here on Maui there are microclimates all over the island, and this place definitely has it’s own. Lahaina, just because you are a character doesn’t mean you have character should be the tagline. I grew up on Main Street in a small town, my parents had a business right in the heart of town. Who knew it would almost come full circle to this. Front Street would become my life, I walked to work a couple blocks away, I would walk from one end to the other with my wife for exercise and to enjoy the community. We would have picnics at Wahikuli, watch the surfers at the harbor and dine at all the restaurants up and down the road. We enjoyed parades here, seeing magic shows and Ulalena. My wife went to UH and I took some classes at the Maui Community College and we learned the language (sort of), the history, the people, the plants, and the wildlife.

Another section of my life here was connected to the voyaging canoes. I was fortunate to meet some of the leaders that sailed on the Malama Honua voyage and also was hired to shoot for the Mo’okiha O’ Pi’ilani, Maui’s own educational voyaging canoe. It really creates perspective of what is important. Hawaiian culture had a real rough history. Imperialists and colonizers tried to wipeout the language and the culture. These things that define Hawaii like hula, canoes, the kumulipo and a desire for sovereignty are so important for future generations here. When you are an outsider here, you are still welcomed into these worlds. Most people want to teach and share so that these cultural traditions stay alive. For all those that helped me learn these practices I am so grateful.

The last couple years my camera and I really began to fall in love with Maui’s landscapes, wildlife, culture and sacred places. Theres always a place here to practice or learn different photography techniques. The pandemic brought everything to another level. The actual time to study and the locations being empty, there were many days I would walk all day snapping shots of birds, butterflies and flowers just to play around with settings. I didn’t leave our condo for six weeks and would take pictures of geckos and bees. Everyday, I wanted to get better. I would walk across the street to Baby Beach and start taking night photos. What a time this was, normally you might use your camera once a month if you’re lucky and now I had an opportunity to shoot everyday. Still I am no expert but for those who have known me I hope you can see my vision and my progression. I will always try to create and share in a respectful and unique vision. A way that has you saying wow I have seen a photo just like that but the way you did it was so different.

The bond we have with Maui will last an eternity. My wife was here half her life and myself a quarter. We are forever grateful for the hospitality and respect we received. The moves we make in life are made with no regret. They are our path and they help us grow. We tried to leave this place better than when we got here. Hopefully, our impact was only good. We only shared love and compassion for the people and the aina. We are forever thankful! Mahalo and a hui hou.

Here are some of my fondest memories in pictures that I took and why Maui is amazing: