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Two of my favorite things. My beautiful wife, in beautiful Hawaii.

In case you are wondering how I get to go to Hawaii so often, she is the reason. She’s the managing editor of the award winning Go Visit Hawaii travel guide.

Yes, you can be jealous. I get to go to Hawaii with this beautiful woman!

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OK, this is my last shot of Uncle Richard Ho’opi’i from the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival.

The guy is just so photogenic. Just about every shot looks like he’s smiling while singing. It’s contagious!

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I named this photograph “Eleven Waterfalls” not because of the number of waterfalls in the shot, but because to make this image, I combined 11 different shots at varying levels of exposure. It creates an HDR effect that also mimics (somewhat) the silky water of a long exposure shot.

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I scrambled off the resort shuttle to grab this rare sunset in Hawaii that is NOT over the water.

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The internet is about cats, right?

How about one that decided to hang out under our table and look cute until we gave it some of our fish.

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Another great shot of ukulele legend Richard Ho’opi’i – one of the happiest ukulele performers you’ll ever meet!

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I promise you that I took this shot for the pretty bottle colors and ocean backdrop. I had no idea they were liquor bottles.

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Performing at the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival

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One of the newest activities on Lanai is off-roading in a UTV. If you get the chance, do it! The best fun you can have in Hawaii!

Richard Ho’opi’i, originally uploaded by Andy Beal Photography.

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Ukulele falsetto legend Richard Ho`opi`i performs at the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival.

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This may be the most beautiful view on Lanai–and perhaps all of Hawaii.

The Lodge at Koele, originally uploaded by Andy Beal Photography.

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Another awesome reason I like the Hawaiian island of Lanai is that you get two vacations in one. Manele is the beach resort, but 30 minutes inland, and upcountry, you get the country club experience of the Lodge at Koele.

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If you stay on Maui, you’ll find that the sun often sets behind the island of Lanai. How do you make sure you see the sunset? Watch it from the rockpools on Lanai!

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(To add a description to this photo would just take away from its serenity)

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Here’s another shot of the Burke Manor bed & breakfast inn. This time I gave it my “signature” HDR processing.

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Just back from a one night stay at Burke Manor in North Carolina.

We’ve wanted to stay there since it was taken over by the owners of Saint Jacques in Raleigh.

Built in 1906 this historic B&B is great value for a getaway and the food is outstanding!

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One of the finest hotels anywhere in Hawaii. The Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay is breathtaking.

Who wishes they were on this beach right now?

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I love the contrast of colors in Hawaii. Here we have red ginger, with green palm trees and blue sky as the backdrop.

Beautiful, no?

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This is one of my favorite shots of my recent trip to Lanai. A deserted beach, a palm tree, and an outrigger canoe? It doesn’t get much more Hawaiian than this!

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One of the largest–and most colorful–flea markets I’ve ever seen.

Take a 20 minute drive outside of Waikiki and you’ll find all the Hawaii souvenirs and trinkets you could possibly need!

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How could you not love this colorful scene? Lanai’s Four Seasons at Manele Bay has some of the most beautiful grounds of any resort in Hawaii.

Chinaman’s Hat, originally uploaded by Andy Beal Photography.

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Fluffy clouds, swaying palm trees, and Mokoliʻi island (aka Chinaman’s Hat)

Cooking up a Sunset, originally uploaded by Andy Beal Photography.

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We barely made it off the Four Seasons Lanai shuttle before the sun went down behind this Cook Pine tree.

A pine tree, in Hawaii? Yeah, Lanai’s upcountry has hundreds of them!

Makes a nice change from a palm tree sunset cliche, huh?

Come Rest Awhile, originally uploaded by Andy Beal Photography.

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The grounds at the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele are so peaceful and tranquil, they just invite you to take a slow stroll, or find a bench and relax.

Pipeline Challenge, originally uploaded by Andy Beal Photography.

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Surf was up pretty good at the banzai pipeline, but it wasn’t surfers in this contest. Bodyboarding was the sport of the day and let me tell you, those were some pretty big waves for bodyboarders!

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This was the view from our lanai, on our last stay at the Four Season’s Lana’i. As the sun rose behind us, the beautiful golden-hour light would start to hit this wonderful backdrop.

I love clouds in HDRs, but you have to be very careful as they can quickly display a lot of noise if you tweak too much.

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Meals in Hawaii don’t need to be expensive. Our hotel (Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay) provided us with a picnic for two, and we walked out to watch sunset over Sweetheart Rock (Puu Pehe) on Lanai.

What a romantic spot! Turn to the left and you see this view of the setting sun lighting up Sweetheart rock. Turn to the right and you see the sun setting over the ocean!

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My new f1.4 lens arrived today, so decided to test out its DoF. Pretty sweet!

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I have a hard time playing golf in Hawaii. To start, I’m not very good, but then you add in stunning views, everywhere you look. Like this one of Lanai’s Sweetheart Rock in the distance.

It becomes impossible to concentrate!