USA Kukui’ula, Kauai
This photo was taken on the eastern side of Kukui’ula. The small village of Kukui’ula is located on the south side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Kukui’ula is just east of a popular town called Poipu.
Many locals and tourists seemed to stop by this area to watch the sunset. Because this location is on the southern tip of Kauai, it is indeed a great place to have an unimpeded view of the sun falling below the horizon.
Many locals and tourists seemed to stop by this area to watch the sunset. Because this location is on the southern tip of Kauai, it is indeed a great place to have an unimpeded view of the sun falling below the horizon.
Photography Tips
This spot faces west so I would recommend waiting for sunset. The details of the photo are below:
Camera: Nikon D7200
Lens: Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/30 sec
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 10.5mm on a Nikon crop sensor. So about 16mm full frame.
Make sure to use a tripod for longer exposures. Also, consider applying a CPL filter or ND as needed.
I took bracketed photos of the sunset to create an HDR. However, my nominally exposed photo was not "clipped" on the light/dark ends of the histogram. So I was able to adjust the Highlights and Shadows in Lightroom such that it creates the HDR look.
To be clear, this photo is not an HDR. The key point is to confirm the histogram when taking a photo. You can oftentimes avoid time-consuming HDR post-processing and end up with a photo which has just as good a result.
Camera: Nikon D7200
Lens: Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/30 sec
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 10.5mm on a Nikon crop sensor. So about 16mm full frame.
Make sure to use a tripod for longer exposures. Also, consider applying a CPL filter or ND as needed.
I took bracketed photos of the sunset to create an HDR. However, my nominally exposed photo was not "clipped" on the light/dark ends of the histogram. So I was able to adjust the Highlights and Shadows in Lightroom such that it creates the HDR look.
To be clear, this photo is not an HDR. The key point is to confirm the histogram when taking a photo. You can oftentimes avoid time-consuming HDR post-processing and end up with a photo which has just as good a result.
Travel Information
This area is super easy to access. If you're in the Poipu area or southern Kauai just follow Lawai Rd until it terminates at the gate. Park on the side of the road to allow others to drive by. Follow the walking paths through the shrubbery until you find a good spot.
The road may fill up with locals and tourists, especially during peak travel seasons. Be careful when approaching the shoreline as there are some areas which may be unstable or have a short drop onto rocks. Use common sense and you should be fine.
The road may fill up with locals and tourists, especially during peak travel seasons. Be careful when approaching the shoreline as there are some areas which may be unstable or have a short drop onto rocks. Use common sense and you should be fine.
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