A View of Waimea Canyon in Hawaiʻi / Size vs. Significance

Majestic

Looking out over Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi, as seen during our 2018 Kauaʻi Trip.

I have often said that when we went to Kauaʻi, we did not make any plans, which is true. However, I knew that one thing I wanted to do was to go see Waimea Canyon. We do not have anything like that around us here at home, and we had never been to the Grand Canyon, either. Since we were going to be so close to such a big canyon, how could we pass it up?

As you might guess, the views were just spectacular. And this was not even at the “official” Waimea Canyon State Park viewing site. We had just pulled off the road here as we were driving up because it looked like it might be a nice view. And it definitely was.

One detail in this photo that I like is the waterfall at the far left, which is named Waipoʻo Falls. We got a slightly closer view of that waterfall later on. And then after a rather long hike, which you can read about in the trip report, we ended up at the top of the waterfall. It was really cool to see the waterfall both far away and up close.

Size Vs. Significance

You could probably already tell something about the size of Waimea Canyon from the first photo. But if you need a little more reference, here is Laura standing near the edge of the canyon. As you can see, it just goes on and on. And yes, there were signs warning of not getting too close to the edge, so we stayed a safe distance away. Laura was actually not as close to the edge as it might look here. Safety first!

To me, the size of Waimea Canyon was just a reminder of how big God’s creation is. In order to be able to see for that distance here at home in our flat area, you have to be either in a tall building or up in an aircraft of some kind. We don’t usually get views of that distance. So to be able to be on a mountain ridge and look out for miles and miles, plus to be able to see the ground in front of you drop for almost a mile, is all pretty spectacular.

That bigness also reminds me of just how small I am sometimes. Compared to the size of that canyon, I am really very small. Just a speck in the overall scheme of things. And compared to the length of time that canyon has been there, my life is just a very short time. I may be older than I have ever been before, but that is nothing compared to the thousands and thousands of years that the canyon has been there.

But even though I am small, I am not insignificant. That is especially true in God’s eyes. It is amazing to have a God who cares about each one of us, no matter how many billions of us there are on the earth at any one time, not to mention how many billions there have been who have lived before us. He cares for all of us, knows who we are, knows what we do, knows what we like. That is pretty incredible, and also very comforting.

I might be small, something like a canyon might be very big, but my God is even bigger. What a blessing that is!

Bible Verse

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? - Matthew 6:30

About the Photos

Thanks to photo processing in Aurora HDR, this photo does not look nearly as hazy as the actual view. As with most summer days in Hawaiʻi, it was warm and humid that day, and there was a good bit of haze, especially at a distance. But from the Raw file, Aurora was able to pull out the details of even the distant parts of the canyon, making for an almost better view than what we saw in person. Of course, a photo can’t quite actually capture the full view of being there, so seeing it in person is still better. But this photo is pretty nice.

The photo of Laura reminds me of stories that keep popping up from time to time of people who lose their lives by trying to get a spectacular photo. As I mentioned above, we were definitely playing it safe here. Never do anything dangerous just to try to get a good photo. It isn’t worth it. Just thought I should mention that.

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 6, 2018
Location: Waimea Canyon, Hawaiʻi