The State Fish

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa! Say that five times fast... That is the Hawaii State fish graffiti on a wall in heart of downtown Honolulu. I've always wondered what that tank was used for and my best guess is for water back in the early 1900's.

The Voyeur

 

Across the way is the Hawaii Theater and in the parking of Mark's Garage  and a wonderful opportunity to capture another Red Balloon image. I call this one, "The Voyeur". 

In 20 days, I'd like to post your picture of your rendition of the Red Balloon being that it would be fun to see what everyone comes up with in their home town. Photo credit will be given to all photographers.

Email: flash1357@aol.com Roland Lee

"Red Balloon"

One nostalgic film that has been personally moving for me is the Red Balloon directed by Albert Lamorisse in 1956. Click on the blue link to see a NY Times critique and a short clip of the film. I was in this alley way lofting this balloon up and a street person blocked me in to tell me that he liked my style. It seemed to have struck a cord with him when I mentioned the movie the Red Balloon and that I was creating my own image and in return he said that he remembered the film as a child, smiled, and moved on.

I thought that it would be a good project to roam around Honolulu to capture other shots of the Red Balloon but then again, I thought why not offer the idea to all of you beautiful bloggers and photographers out there. The shots would be completely international. If you are interested, please feel free to submit an 8x10 image at 72 dpi via email, of your rendition of the Red Balloon along with the photographer's name and the location (country, city, street) that it was taken. Your photograph with a  credit to the photographer shall be posted in 21 days as a collection and as a tribute to the film. It will be a fun collection that you could be a part of!!!! As my disclaimer, this is not for money and not for profit. It's all in the name of fun!

Email photos to: Roland Lee at flash1357@aol.com

Thanks for excepting the challenge!

Origami Dragon Style

This would have been just another sculpture but when viewed closely, it's a giant origami or Japanese paper doll. It was folded by the Hawaii Origami Club and is on display at the Hawaii State Library. It is perfect library art since dragons are represented in so many children books.

Jazz it Up

It's high noon and business people, HPU students, homeless people, and church goers, cruise through Fort Street Mall. People socializing, having coffee, smoking cigarettes, seeking lunch, having discussions, and walking around aimlessly, gather in groups. Every week, these guys jazz it up outside of the Govinda restaurant entertaining all those who pass by the storefront.

Peekaboo

 

Peekaboo! I caught this shot walking behind grandma and grandchild.

A Reflection of Chungking Express

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai's   is known for his unique cinematography in film making. He is an auteur whose work stands out aesthetically. My favorite Wong film is Chungking Express where the story takes place in the inner city of Hong Kong. The shot above is a reflection off of a bus window and the couple in the image reminded me of the film.

Photo on the Fly

I caught this photograph on the fly while exiting Maunakea Marketplace. Because of motion blur, it looked best as a sepia image. This woman was just waiting around in her kiosk for a customer or two.

The Old Man at Amy's Place

 

The wall next to Amy's place used to be red brick, then it was painted over gray and it peeled and now... The old man sitting under the sign added character to the facade.

Woody

Happy Saturday! How's this classic beauty with wooden doors and panels parked in downtown?

Ships Crossing

Ships crossing at this intersection.

There for the Taking

 

Coming up with a photo of the day everyday is a challenge especially when I run out of fresh ideas, and then... the photo of the day creates itself. The image is there for the taking and all I had to do was depress the shutter and POP! 

Funeral procession for Officer Garret Davis who was killed while on duty in an auto accident. Thank you Officer Garret Davis for your dedication and commitment as a police officer. RIP

Street Photo of Chinatown

Honolulu's Chinatown is rich with history, culture, food, people, and texture.

A Stroll for Lunch

Coming up with a photo of the day can sometimes be a challenge. When faced with a blank canvass for ideas I sometimes resort to street photography to capture an image for the day. Today, I caught this image of a business woman taking a stroll for lunch. On the top-left corner is the Alexander and Baldwin building, which is one of my favorite buildings architecturally in downtown Honolulu.

Royal Hawaiian Band Started in 1836

Every Friday at noon the Royal Hawaiian Band plays at Iolani Palace to the public. It was started by King Kamehameha the Third and over 175 years old. The Royal Hawaiian Band is now a part of a department in the city of Honolulu and it is the only municipal band in the United States. It is always a treat to hear them play on a sunny Friday during lunch hour.

Hanauma Bay Series by Masami Teraoka

There are many Japanese American artists that I am fond of and one of my favorite is painter, Masami Teraoka. I met him several years back at the U.H. art gallery at his Acending Chaos opening show. We also saw his opening show at the Catherine Art Gallery in San Francisco. I am especially moved by his Hanauma Bay series that wason display at the Robin Buntin Art Gallery along with the Ice Cream invading Japan series. His works have political undertones depicting current events from corruption in the Catholic Church, gay marriage, toxic foods, and fast foods becoming mainstream in Japan. The above Hanauma Bay print can be seen at the Hawaii State Art Museum as part of it's permanent collection. His art style follows the Ukiyo-e' Japanese woodblock prints. Classic Ukiyo-e' woodblock prints by masters such as Hokusai, Kuniyoshi, and Yoshitoshi, depict ordinary and fleeting moments. Teraoka is a modern day master using this style in his earlier paintings.

Where Hard Decisions are Made

This is the Federal building in Honolulu where decisions on difficult cases are made in Federal Court such as for, long line fisherman, entry into Kamehameha Schools, the Felix-Waihee consent decree, and Hawaii State Hospital's acquit and commit violating civil rights of the patients.

Their Only Defense is Poison

Following heavy rainfall, wild mushrooms sprout from spores earthed in areas where they spontaneously appeared before like these on the grounds of Iolani Palace. Unique in form, these delicate fungus would probably inspire artists and architects such as Frank Gehry and credit would never be given to them. Their only defense would be poison but only if they were the poisonous kind, and even then, I ask the question, "How would they extract venom from themselves to plot against those who have stolen their intellectual property?"
 Perhaps I'm just attributing human quality to these beautiful things that have lifespans of about two days before deteriorating into nothing; but isn't it only natural to humanize everything as a human being, including inanimate objects such as these mushrooms that couldn't care about their own credit?  Any doubt, just recall the dancing mushrooms on Fantasia.  Click here for another view of today's photo of the day.

Santa's Toy Shop

Every Christmas, it is tradition for Honolulu City Hall to deck it's halls with holiday cheer. There are Christmas trees lined up in the lobby with a life size gingerbread house in the center and Santa taking photos with the kids, a giant snow globe with moving polar bears, and lots of lights for that winter sparkle. Above is one of the displays. Click here to see a photo of the gingerbread house.