Downtown, 10/22/11

Hawaii Photographic Society (HPS) met at Isamu Noguchi's sculpture - Skygate.  

I did not take this picture - I found this picture when I looked up info about this sculpture.  Notice the circular shadow below - it happens only twice a year - during the Lahaina Noon - when the sun shines directly overhead.  Find out more about this amazing piece http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/July-2008/Skygate/

I had fun trying different angles.

Nagasaki Peace Bell:

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2010/Jun/02/br/hawaii100602057.html
"The city received the peace bell as a gift from survivors of the Nagasaki atomic bombing and their supporters as gesture of reconciliation. The bell was mounted on Dec. 7, 1990, and is a replica of the Bell of Nagasaki at Urakami Cathedral in Japan.

Since the bell was installed in Hawaii, it was been rung at ceremonies in August every year in remembrance of the atomic bombing during World War II and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day."

 City Hall:

Close up

 Iolani Palace:

The markings of this tree intrigued me.

 State Capitol:

Queen Liliuokulani: 

 King Kamehameha statue is infront of the Judicial building.

It was fun taking the time to see our downtown.

Children and Youth Day, 10/2/11

Today, 10/2/11, is a celebration of Children and Youth.  According to info on the web, "In 1993, Children and Youth Day was established by law as the first Sunday of every October.  Later, Act 30, Session Laws of 1997, established October as Children and Youth Month in Hawaii.  The Legislature's Keiki Causcus has spearheaded the events for the past 18 years."

Suzanne Chun Oakland - Chair, Children and Youth Day and Co-Chair, Children and Youth Month.             John Mizuno - Co-Chair, Children and Youth Month

Personally, I was awed - there were over 300 exhibitors and community organizations providing free activities.  Volunteers were also provided with a delicious lunch and there were 5 choices.

I was not able to get a close up of Touch of Gold and Nanakuli Performing Arts Center performing a special song "Honor Our Children".

Sunny-Aloha Miller felt a need to have a song for this event. She asked Ricky Hana and Alan Satchwell to write a love song for our children.  She asked Taylor Hoopii from A Touch of Gold to sing the song.  She asked Johnny Kai who had already asked Pierre Grill to record the song.

Sunny-Aloha is in my opinion an Energizer Bunny.  Leslie, Jalna, Erick and myself have had the pleasure of photographing events that she has been involved with.  It is with her enthusiasm that she was able to bring together the above talents to launch the first ever song for this 18 year event.

 These young musicians also performed at the Capitol Rotunda.

More fun for the kids...

 Zumba!

Outdoor stage

The guy with his hands up was very talented. I don't have any picture of him spinning the basketballs.  I had used the largest aperture to blur the background which also meant that it would take a fast shot, uggh the basketballs looked like they were not moving.  The shutter speed was 1/1250 of a second

When he asked for audience participation, I made sure I used the smallest aperture and I was able to get a slow shot and now you can see the ball spinning.  I was able to use the smallest aperture because it was such a bright day.  The shutter speed was 1/15 of a second.

This teenage girl had no idea that he was going to have her pose with the 2 spinning basketballs.

 Lots and lots of volunteers

Luckily Sunny-Aloha Miller asked for 4 photographers.  Check out my friends' - you will see different activities in ours.  Once we started, we never saw each other again. There was so much to see and there were a gazillion attendees.  I forgot to mention, there were 5 stages, also a teen zone.
Leslie's blog, Jalna's blog, Erick will soon have his posted, here is his site Erick's blog.