The hula is a thing of great power and grace. Kyoko and I were fortunate to photograph Kapu Kinimaka Alquiza's prominent halau on Kauai during video filming for the Hawaii Visitors and Conventions Bureau. Looking at the girls chanting and dancing as one, I feel the power of the dance coming through in the images, which makes me feel the enduring strength of Hawaiian culture. And this somehow gives me a feeling that some things are really as they should be.
--Tor (July 2008)
Click here to see how these images were used in New Yorker Magazine.
All photos © Tor Johnson
(Above) Kumu hula Kapu Kinimaka-Alquiza
Some of my favorite images are the ones taken while the keiki (kids) danced (above), and the older girls were watching and laughing (below).
When the shoot was over, the girls started clowning around on the beach, which was really cute.
While we were shooting one of Kapu's lead dancers, Amanda (above), at McBryde Gardens, a rain squall blew in, and she took cover with her kumu under a lauhala mat, which made for a nice image in the slanting rain and sun (below).
(Above) Couple walking through McBryde Gardens
We were also lucky to be asked to shoot scenics around Kauai after the hula video shoot was over. Kauai has to be one of my favorite islands, for its dense jungle, craggy mountains, and mystical scenery (not to mention the great surf).
We ended the day at Hanalei Pier, alternately getting soaked by rain squalls and shooting the pier in some impressive evening light.
All photos © Tor Johnson