One of my first sunrise stops in Oahu was at Sandy Beach Park for some sunrise pictures. I had read before hand that this would be a good spot. It’s located just about a minute past Halona Cove Beach.

Arriving there half an hour before sunrise was about the perfect time. Close to the parking lot and still on the beach I saw a bunch of other photographers clustered around these rocks. Must have been one of the photo tours I had read about.

A Sandy Beach and Some Rocks

I chose a rock to be the main subject and composed it so some other rocks would add some interest to the landscape.

The swirling water and wet beach glisten from the light on the horizon.

The great thing about taking pictures before sunrise is the light is that the rocks when basked in the golden light of the horizon turns everything a magical golden.

I also wanted to make sure I caught the movement of the water, so timing when to press the shutter was crucial.

Waves crash over rocks at Sandy Beach Park.

Beyond the Beach

Further down beyond the beach, the rocks start.  Be careful if venturing out here, as rogue waves can level you and secure foot holds are never a sure thing.  But there are some pretty interesting rock formations here, which can make it worthwhile to venture past the beach. This one particular rock formation drew my attention. It was kind of like a rock shelf. Th waves would sweep right up and over the ledge and then retreat in dramatic fashion.  So I waited for just the right moment before pressing the shutter in the hopes of catching the movement of the water.

“Rock Shelf”
The water retreats over a rock shelf at sunrise. Purchase a print of this image in the shop.

I wished i had gone down to this area sooner because there were really some interesting rocks, but by the time I ventured further, the sun had risen and was just too bright.  But it made for a nice short first morning in Hawaii.  The next morning I would spend hours at Halona Cove Beach.