Rocks on the Beach in Hawaiʻi

Rocky Sand

Large lava rocks fill the sand at ʻAliomanu beach on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi, as seen during our 2018 Kauaʻi Trip.

There are so many things that I like about this photo. One of the main things that I like is how it brings back so many great memories of our trip. This was perhaps our favorite beach that we went to during our Hawaiʻi trip because of its beauty and its lack of people.

But more specifically for this photo, I like the large lava rocks that were there. The rocks were fascinating to see, and they were a good reminder of the origins of the Hawaiian islands, as most of them started out as volcanoes. In addition to that volcanic reminder, I was also impressed with the size of the rocks. Just imagine all of that lava flowing from a volcano, and then eventually cooling and breaking off into large rocks. And then the rougher edges of those rocks are gradually worn down by the waves constantly rolling over them. Pretty cool.

Another thing I like about this photo is the rain shower way off in the distance. In fact, a little over a year ago I posted a similar photo that focused more on that rain shower. But I am also reminded that we had perfect weather during our time at the beach, and that rain shower stayed far away.

Lastly, what I like about this photo is Laura sitting on one of those lava rocks as she enjoys the ocean water. The reason we had gone to Hawaiʻi in the first place was to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. And while the scenery was beautiful, seeing all of it together made it a much better experience. Just about perfect, in fact.

Beauty in Nature

One interesting thought I have had lately is that Godʻs natural creations do not know that there is a COVID-19 crisis going on. Nature is still going on just as it always has. It knows no difference. If we were able to go to that beach in Hawaiʻi today (after spending the mandatory 14 days quarantined in our hotel room first as required by current Hawaiʻi regulations), it would look just as beautiful now as it did two years ago.

The trees in our area are the same way. When all of this started, they were still in “winter mode” without any leaves. But then as spring progressed, they grew their leaves just as they always do. There was no difference to them.

The birds around us still sing every morning, and that one mockingbird still sings his heart out in the middle of the night, just as they always have. The migrating birds have returned, not knowing that there is anything wrong right now.

It has been wonderful to me to see all of that natural beauty still going on just as it always has. No changes, no problems. Just life as usual.

All of that is a reminder to me that God is still in control. And while we believe that God does not cause bad things to happen, we do still believe that he is ultimately in charge. Everything is happening according to his plan. It might not be easy to see the overall plan because we can only see a small part of it and not the long-lasting effects. But God does have a plan, and he is taking care of everything. Just like he is taking care of his creation. As he always has.

Bible Verse

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10

About the Photo

Even with the rain shower in the distance, I wanted to focus on the brighter aspects of this photo, namely the rocks in the foreground and Laura near the water. So if you go back and look at that previously posted photo, it will look a good bit darker than this one. That is because that other photo was focused on the rain, so I did what I could with that one to emphasize the clouds and the rain.

It is interesting how some slight differences in processing can completely change the look of a photo. The two photos looked very similar originally, but they ended up different because of the intent behind the processing.

Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Aurora HDR. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
_Lens: _ Olympus 14-42mm IIR
Date: July 9, 2018
Location: ʻAliomanu Beach, Anahola, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi