SLIDESHOW: HAWAII Magazine’s 11th Annual Photo Contest best photos
How’s this for a great Hawaii photo?
It’s the grand prize-winning entry of HAWAII Magazine’s 11th Annual Photo Contest.
Last March, we asked HAWAII readers to send us their best photos of the Islands in four categories: Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii. Dozens, sometimes hundreds of entries arrived in our offices daily—packing our mailboxes, blanketing our desks.
When it was time to judge, our staff scrutinized every photo, debated some, and marveled at our favorites. Three days and 2,500 entries later we selected two winners for each category, plus the grand-prize winning photo you see above.
There was little argument over the top shot: Sacramento, Calif.-based architect Rudy Calpo’s stunning photo of sunset breaking through a patch of clouds over the taro fields of Hanalei, Kauai. In his story behind the photo, Calpo wrote:
“My wife and I had just stopped by a vista point overlooking some taro fields. We hurried back to the taro fields, hoping the sun would break through the heavy clouds. Sure enough, we got lucky. When we got down to the fields, the clouds began to part.”
Calpo’s reward for the winning photo? Airfare for two to Honolulu from Hawaiian Airlines and a six-night stay at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach hotel in Waikiki.
The grand prize wasn’t the only category Calpo placed in. Two other photos he entered took second place for our Maui and Oahu categories. You can read more about Calpo and his work in the editor’s page of the January/February 2010 issue of HAWAII Magazine, on newsstands and in subscriber’s mailboxes in the weeks ahead.
What did the rest of our winners receive?
Our first-place prize winners in each category were awarded $100, a coffee gift set from The Kona Coffee & Tea Company and a book prize package from Watermark Publishing. Our second-place prizewinners in each category receive $75, a Watermark Publishing book prize package and a collection of CDs from The Mountain Apple Company.
A big mahalo from all of us at HAWAII Magazine to our very generous photo contest sponsors, and to the thousands of HAWAII readers and admirers of our Islands who entered this year’s competition! The first call for entries for our 12th annual photo contest will be announced in the May/June 2010 issue of HAWAII.
Now, we invite you to get comfortable and take a look at the slideshow below of our 11th annual photo contest prize-winning photos and finalist entries.
Who knows? Your stunning Hawaii photo could be part of our winners album next year. (Click the slideshow frame to enlarge.)
