Hawaii became the 50th state to join the United States on August 21, 1959. The capital city is Honolulu (Oahu). The highest point is Mauna Kea at 13,803 feet (4207 meters) (island of Hawaii, aka The Big Island), a dormant volcano last erupting 2460 BC. Mauna Kea is over 33,000 feet (10000 meters) tall, making it the world's tallest mountain measured from its base to the summit; the majority of which is under water. The highest point on Kauai is Kawakini Peak about a mile south of Mt. Waialeale, the volcano that originally built up the island.

Previously from Hawaii: The Beginning - Seaside Pinhole Photography - Tropical Clichés - Windy Drama of a Tropical Morning - Quite an Ad - Searching for Sun and Warmth - Not Your Sunrise Cliché

With the cold front leaving the area only very painfully slowly, there was a benefit of plentiful dramatic clouds in the sky at all times of the day. While those did not provide for your typical island idyll they provided for constantly changing conditions, for more drama, and for different takes on previously photographed subjects.

Getting up for a sunrise is always both exciting and difficult. Then, once outside, it's always just the excitement that remains. Well, not all. Sometimes, doubts prevail for a few more minutes like on this morning. I ask myself questions like why bother getting up for a sunrise when chances of seeing the sun are pretty much at zero. Then, I reach the selected destination and the doubts are quickly gone, rendered absolutely irrelevant.

Instead, my eyes and mind are fully occupied with searching for the perfect spot, the perfect angle, the perfect timing. With waves spilling over the lava rocks it becomes a question of a long exposure vs. action freezing shutter speed, then a process of fine-tuning the exposure length, and an exercise in patience in waiting for the perfect action. Also, do you click the shutter on the way in or out? There number of combinations seems to be endless and the action keeps developing with the day progressing from sunrise to full daylight.

Poipu Daybreak RushKauai, Hawaii

Poipu Daybreak Rush, Kauai, Hawaii

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)

References: Hawaii on 50states.com

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