Hawaii Coastline From Diamond Head

Looking down on the coast of the Waikīkī area of the island of Oʻahu from the top of Diamond Head during our 2023 Hawaiʻi Trip.

As you may know, we climbed up Diamond Head, or Lēʻahi, one day during our trip, and the views from the top were amazing. It was a steep climb in some places, but it was worth it for what we could see.

There is so much to see in this view. Parts of the volcano ridge in the foreground. The houses beyond that. The hotels near the shore. The beautiful blue water with the white caps of the waves. The sailboats off in the distance. And all of those elements working together to create a wonderful scene.

Sometimes, a good climb is just what we need.

More Natural Beauty

In this year of focusing on blessings, I have talked before about the blessings of nature¹, but there is so much beauty to be found in nature that I cannot help bringing it up again. Whether it is a woodland stream or an ocean view like this one, or any other natural view, there is beauty to be found everywhere.

Many times, people attribute this beauty to “Mother Nature”, implying some mystical natural force behind it all. I firmly believe that this natural beauty is all part of God’s beautiful creation. He is the one who created it, and he is the force behind it all. And I feel blessed to live in the beautiful world that God created, because it brings me such enjoyment to see all of the natural wonders in all of the places that we go.

God could have made the world the same everywhere, so that everyone got to see the same thing. But instead, he created it as a diverse planet with many different and unique areas, and put us here to enjoy it all. I am very thankful for that blessing that reminds us of God’s power.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! - Psalm 96:1-3 ESV

About the Photo

I did my usual work to this photo - turning down the highlights, increasing the color saturation, and so on. I particularly increased the blue tone saturation to bring out the beauty of the water. I mention it always, but that blue water is so different from that of the muddy Mississippi River near where we live, so I am always sure to emphasize that in these photos.

Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Darktable.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: June 20, 2023
Location: Diamond Head, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi