Lei Day is a real showcase for Hawaiian culture, with dramatic hula, and a great lei contest including categories for fabric and floral leis, for every color, and for everyone from kids to seniors. There are local crafts, weavers, quilters and healers. The folks from Guiness Book were there to measure the "World's Longest Lei," wrapped all the way around the fields in Kapiolani Park. For the photographer, the colors and the people made it a real spectacle. The next day, the winning leis were placed on the graves of Hawaiian Royalty in a touching ceremony at the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu. The Hawaii Tourism Authority hired us to shoot the festivities, while I shot the second day, a much more sedate affair, on my own. Mike Wagner from the agency Milici Valenti had some great ideas for angles and composition, but when I persisted in shooting huge volumes, even after we got our shots, he said "I think it's a disease." I told him I was thinking of joining "Photographers Anonymous" and we had a laugh at that.
- Tor (May 1st, 2008)