Hawaii is the perfect winter antidote to Seattle’s gray skies. The islands we visited in February – Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai – also happen to be a photographer’s paradise. Cobalt skies, cottonball clouds, aquamarine waters, pristine beaches, brilliant sunsets are visual candy for me.

Papohaku Beach, Molokai, three miles of soft sand for walking and wave-watching

Molokai’s Papohaku Beach, shown here, is a spectacular three-mile long walking beach. A rocky shelf at the water’s edge causes wonderful “dancing” surf, such as shown in this picture. The explosions of water seemed to mimic the cloud shapes above. After a picnic nearby, we spent several hours immersed in this perfect setting, reveling in soft sand and warm breezes.

The undersea world is just as magnificent, with tropical creatures who seemingly encountered a mad painter gone wild. Fish with stripes, dots, speckles and slashes of rainbow color on delicate bodies of indescribable shapes. On a snorkeling foray near Olowalu Beach on Maui, a green sea turtle camouflaged on the sandy bottom surprised me by surfacing just a few feet away, leisurely replenishing his air supply before returning below to join his friends. Purple brain coral and ruby-hued urchins added to this vivid seascape.

Green sea turtle near Olowalu Beach, Maui

The many shades of green of the Seattle area define lush for me, but Hawaii is WARM lush, which I find even more luscious! Even the rainy mist is comfortable, not cold. I like this mist, because it brings rainbows, one of the signature beauties of these islands and a farewell gift we received as we departed Molokai.

Coming soon from Shutter Wonders will be a 2014 Hawaii calendar, with these images and so many others!