photo.phile: sarah lee

underwater

i first happened across the dreamy underwater scapes from sarah lee of kona while browsing flickr, and upon checking in to inquire about featuring her photos on h|h, was even more intrigued upon discovering that such an impressive portfolio was snapped in between study sessions, film school projects, and water polo practice.

while the occasional photo may be the recipient of a magical post-processing trick, the vast majority of sarah's pictures are composed within the viewfinder. my most favorite shots are those allowing mother nature and serendipity to meet - whether it be a jumble of waves, an impromptu rain storm, or streaks of light dancing beneath the ocean's surface - and, with a click, capturing life happily uninterrupted.

one look and you will be reminded just why you are lucky you live hawaii!

set my spirit free

cloud nine

dune

{photo.phile notes}

what inspired you to pick up a camera and start clicking?
back in 2003 when i was in 8th grade, i dabbled in video editing, website, and graphic design, and probably because i've always loved capturing and creating things, i became really addicted to it. the first time i put my hands on a dslr when I was 13, i became enthralled with its possibilities, and once i was able to have a dslr of my own a few months later (thanks to my parents who helped me get one!), it all kind of took off from there.

photography muses that spark your imagination?
brooke dombroski has been one of my favourite lifestyle photographers for the past few years. i am absolutely in love with her visual aesthetic and the moments she captures with the insanely beautiful people she photographs.

morgan maassen is another one of my favourite ocean/surf/lifestyle photographers. he is crazy good at what he does, and his photographs have been a source of visual inspiration for me for the past few years as well.

a good site for general visual inspiration: ffffound

favorite island moment caught on "film"?
my favourite photo sessions have always been the ones where i'm just working in the background, capturing natural moments as they happen. just recently, i did a "mom and me" photosession with a friend and her 3-year old son during golden hour at the beach. i absolutely love photographing spontaneous moments and interactions between people, rather than the standard "posed" or fake-candids everyone's so used to doing.

i had so much fun following them around as they played together on the beach and in the water during golden hour. they were so natural and focused on each other, it was as if i wasn't even there - and that's what i love about doing what i do: capturing and accentuating the beauty of life.

any simple tricks to share on how to capture an underwater photograph?
the closer you stay to the surface with your camera, the better. not only does your subject/model's skin look brighter and less pale, but you'll also hopefully catch some trippy surface reflections in the frame.

which camera stays close by for everyday shooting?
my low-res cell phone camera! i use a canon 7d with about 4 different lenses, (10-22 wide angle, 50 prime, zoom, lensbaby), so it's a bit difficult to carry my gear around everywhere i go. i like to keep a balance between my personal life and my photography, and don't want to be "one of those girls" who wears her attention-grabbing dslr like a gaudy necklace and takes pictures of anything and everything, so i refrain from carrying it around everyday . . . but i definitely do need to start taking it with me more than i do currently.

pay it forward with the best photography advice shared with you:
keep it simple (seriously!). don't try too hard. go with the flow. you are your worst critic.

local delights that are a must in your beach picnic basket?
impromptu picnic? i would run down to ali'i drive and grab an acai bowl down at basik acai across from huggos, or grab an avocado jenna roll at hayashi's (if the wait isn't too long)!

pre-planned picnic? i would make some fresh squeezed lilikoi lemonade, fresh guacamole with blue corn chips, and drop by lava java for any kind of sandwich/wrap with their amazing macadamia nut pesto in it. oh, and for dessert: chocolate-covered arare from kona mountain coffee.

mahalo sarah!

you can order up prints and more on sarah's website and she can also be booked for portraits and other photo sessions. definitely click through the gallery . . . especially if you yearn to dip underneath the sea from the comfort of home.

p.s. you can find sarah on flickr and peek her latest photos over on her blog.