in the presence of pele

in the presence of pele, hanalei bay, kauai

vog.

volcanic fog?

volcanic smog?

vog. it's like a pink haze blown from kona, and it gets really bad when the trade winds stop and the heat, humidity and kona winds prevail.

vog.

it's like pele's presence. a little reminder that she is still here. still active. still so powerful. it's also a reminder of what once was and what may be again.

adrift

adrift, hanalei bay, kauai

pele is the goddess of fire. the goddess of the volcanoes and in that sense, she is the creator of the hawaiian islands. for hawaii, i guess you could say she is like mother earth. she is fierce and powerful and the myths recount stories of her jealousy. she is said to reside on the big island, but  sometimes she reveals herself elsewhere. one of naomi's friends swears that she saw pele at wailua falls, and that pele asked her for a cigarette. (i guess she didn't need a match! :-)).

tunnels full moon, tunnels, kauai

for a photographer the vog tends to obscure the landscape like any haze or fog, which makes finding detail and overall sharpness difficult, but the colors can be spectacular-- bright reds, soft pinks, and lush lavenders and purples that remind us that we are still in pele's powerful, feminine presence.

aloha pele. mahalo for your gift.

a walk on the beach, tunnels, kauai

aloha,

lee