Waves on Kaena Point Beach in Hawaii

Waves crash into rocks along the shoreline at Kaʻena Point State Park on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi.

We visited Kaʻena Point State Park early in our trip, as we were looking to check out some of the beaches of Oʻahu. If you have not already done so, you might want to read about it in Part 4 of the trip report.

I always enjoy seeing waves splash high when they crash into rocks, and this beach provided a good show of that. And that show was on top of the already beautiful beach that we were getting to see. The waves just added an extra layer of beauty to the view.

Where Is Laura?

One of the fun things about the above photo for me is that Laura is in it. But you have to look closely to see her. Let’s zoom in a bit:

In this cropped view of the original photo, you can almost see her. And you can see the crashing waves even better. And you can tell that the splash was much higher than Laura’s head. Thankfully, she had heeded the warning signs and had not gone out on the rocks. We are rule followers, after all.

Looking even closer:

There she is, taking videos and photos of the waves from a closer viewpoint. And if you are looking for the Riedels, they were right behind me when I was taking this photo, so you can’t see them at all, but I know they were there.

Take a Closer Look

We often tend to look at things quickly and then move on, not realizing that there are more details to be seen if we take the time to look for them. But to see the details, you have to slow down and take a closer look.

Many visitors to this site spend just a couple of seconds on a page, looking quickly at the photo. They do not take time to look at the details of the photo, and they do not take the time to read the words that go along with it. I know that is not true of everyone, but it is true of a lot of people. But if you read the words, you might learn something that you did not know. Or you might enjoy a laugh, if you happen to think I wrote something that was funny, which has been known to happen a time or two, depending on your sense of humor.

That goes for how we interact with people, too. So often, we ask how someone is doing just out of habit or out of politeness, not really wanting to get a detailed answer. If you actually take the time to find out, some people are rejoicing, while some people are hurting. Some people just need a friend who will listen. Some people can tell you something you need to know, too. But we do not find out any of that if we do not take the time to look for it.

Be present in people’s lives. Take the the time to take a closer look and see what is really going on with someone. Offer help when you can, or just share a laugh. Because one day, you might need that from someone, too.

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14

About the Photo

You have probably already figured this out, but the three photos above are all actually just one photo. The top photo is the original version, the second is a cropped version of the first, and the third is a cropped version of the second. I am thankful for the modern high-resolution cameras, because that would not have been possible in the early days of digital photography. Most of the photos I share here are relatively low-resolution versions of the original, which would in theory allow me to shoot at a lower resolution. But I like the high resolution photos just for occasions such as this.

Also, I took several photos just to get one with the right amount of splash to my liking. If there is a photo you want, be patient and do not give up. It will be worth the wait.

Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Raw Therapee and GIMP.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: June 16, 2023
Location: Kaʻena Point State Park, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi