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August 20, 2006
Aloha
Jennifer and I reluctantly returned from our vacation to Oahu and Hawaii today. Many thanks to Uncle Brian, Aunt Karen, and James for being such generous hosts in their beach front house in Waimanalo. Always makes it nicer to have such good friends to hang out with in paradise.
Hawaii is really indescribable. If you've never been to Hawaii, you need to go. Life is short. The earth is small. Enjoy your stay here. It will be over before you know it. :)
As for the colors in these images, they may look somewhat surreal or preternatural. Some might even suggest that they have been modified in photoshop. They have not. All I did in photoshop was adjust contrast, or, in some cases, lighten shadows on people's faces. In one image, I removed a powerline. This really is what the water in Hawaii looks like as viewed through a polarizing filter (or polarized sunglasses).
This slideshow is composed of original images I shot on Oahu and Hawaii. (Except the photos with me in them. Brian shot those. Thanks again, Brian.) All photos were captured using a Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens, and a Canon EF 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens.
This slideshow (5:56) is a 10.6 Meg self-playing executable named bittersweet.exe created using Imagematics StillMotion PE+. Soundtrack is Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, available as a CD Import Single.
Click here to download the presentation. If you have an Apple, or you're running Unix, or if you're nervous about running a .exe file from my site, then click here to download the Macromedia Flash version. The resolution is not quite as good on the Macromedia Flash version, and you can't pause and go backward and forward, but it loads faster, and it's a fairly decent presention. Click here if you need help.
Lyrics in the extended entry.
Bittersweet Symphony Lyrics
by The Verve
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah,
No change, I can change
I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can change
I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Try to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the things meet yeah
You know I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change my mold
no, no, no, no, no,
I can't change
Can't change my body,
no, no, no
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Have you ever been down?
Have you've ever been down?
Posted by Peenie Wallie on August 20, 2006 at 8:20 PM
Comments
Amazing...I had been enjoying the daily blog shots...but the slideshow made me yearn to go back to Hawaii. Wonder what time the next flight leaves???
Thanks for sharing your gift for capturing life through a lens with us...
Posted by: Katie Bodiford on September 5, 2006 at 5:02 PM
Many thanks for your kind comments. Hawaii is a beautiful place. I'd like to go back in February, when it's cold in Colorado. I miss it now that I'm back here on the mainland. Nothing compares to life on those crazy islands.
Posted by: Peenie Wallie on September 5, 2006 at 11:19 PM