Barber’s Point Lighthouse

The recent release of “Pacific Lighthouses 4” from the USPS inspired me to take a close look at the lighthouses on Oahu. Unknown to me, Noel had not heard about the stamp release, but had been researching the Hawaiian lighthouses as they had come up in some of his net surfing. So one afternoon in mid-June we headed off to find and photograph the Barber’s Point Lighthouse. For me, it was really just a warm-up and practice photo shoot for our upcoming Mentor Series trek to Alaska. I hadn’t done any shooting since last December, when we ventured over to Maui for a long weekend for another Mentor Series Trek. I was feeling photo-rusty and physically out of shape due to my bout with morning sickness (aka “the black hole”) from mid-February to early May and needed some outdoor activity – pronto!

As noted by the Lighthouse People, the lighthouse is adjacent to a large luau. I had no idea this luau existed, but on the afternoon we headed out, there were plenty of folks bused over for the evening so someone is getting the word out to Waikiki visitors.

The lighthouse itself is pretty basic, nothing fancy. For the most part it is in good shape and appears to be well-maintained, but some chipped paint can be seen near the top. Amazingly, it is not covered with graffiti. I don’t know why that impresses me so much, probably because the surrounding area is now really industrial and other than the luau, very quiet and you would think prime area for tagging. Unfortunately, the surroundings are no longer as scenic as in some of the web shots. The one tall palm tree you can now frame in the shot is withering away (we’ve had a dry year, not sure if that has anything to do with it). And unless you nail a day with perfect blue skies and puffy clouds, the skyward shots are a bit dull. And there’s not much room anymore for you to back up and get the sea in the background for a wide-angle. But, nonetheless, a good enough opening shot for my first official photo post!