USA Maili Pillbox (Pink Pillbox)
This is a photo of the very popular and well-known Maili Pillbox. It's also well known as the "Pink Pillbox". Four pillboxes sit atop a "hill" called Pu'u O Hulu.
Photography Tips
The Pink Pillbox resides on the western side of Oahu. So this location is great for sunsets. This is a challenging area to photograph well.
- You'll be shooting directly into the sun (challenging dynamic range).
- Composition is tricky and rendered more difficult due to the limited space at the top of the ridge.
- The hiking path is narrow.
- Deadly fall if you trip.
- Many people constantly moving around.
This is a 3-photo HDR (-2EV, Nominal, +2EV). The specs of the nominally exposed photo are shown below:
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 III
Lens: Sony 16-35 f/2.8 G-Master
Shutter Speed: 1/10 sec
Aperture: f/18
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 16mm full frame (approx. 11mm on an APS-C sensor)
The 3 photos were merged in Lightroom using the HDR Merge function.
It can be windy on the top of the ridge, so a tripod is recommended. You may have to increase the ISO to reduce the shutter speed. Also consider which filters you may want (polarizer, reverse gradient neutral density, etc.).
- You'll be shooting directly into the sun (challenging dynamic range).
- Composition is tricky and rendered more difficult due to the limited space at the top of the ridge.
- The hiking path is narrow.
- Deadly fall if you trip.
- Many people constantly moving around.
This is a 3-photo HDR (-2EV, Nominal, +2EV). The specs of the nominally exposed photo are shown below:
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 III
Lens: Sony 16-35 f/2.8 G-Master
Shutter Speed: 1/10 sec
Aperture: f/18
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 16mm full frame (approx. 11mm on an APS-C sensor)
The 3 photos were merged in Lightroom using the HDR Merge function.
It can be windy on the top of the ridge, so a tripod is recommended. You may have to increase the ISO to reduce the shutter speed. Also consider which filters you may want (polarizer, reverse gradient neutral density, etc.).
Travel Information
As mentioned above, the Pink Pillbox is located atop Pu'u O Hulu. This unique "hill" sits between the towns of Maili and Nanakuli on Oahu's western shore.
Head north on the Farrington Hwy (93) along the western coast and turn right on Kaukama Rd. The Pu'u O Hulu trailhead is located around the 9th light pole. Parking is available on either side of the street. Don't leave valuables in your car. Leave nothing in sight to discourage thieves.
The trail to the top is ~0.8 miles and reaches ~533ft (163m). Some areas of the trail have sheer drop-offs. Be careful as a fall could be fatal.
This exact spot is slightly behind (east) the Pink Pillbox. Be careful as the trail is narrow and there is not much room to manoeuvre. I was sitting in an area the size of a small dinner table. The southern side of the hill is virtually a vertical drop - it can be very dangerous.
If you are shooting the sunset please keep the following info in mind!!!
The trail leads up the northern face of the hill (in the shadow area during sunset). Once the sun completely sets the trail becomes dark very quickly. So bring a light to help navigate the path down. As I mentioned above, a misstep at higher elevations could easily prove fatal. Falling down the path could also result in serious injury.
After the sun sets, get down the hill immediately or have a good flashlight.
Head north on the Farrington Hwy (93) along the western coast and turn right on Kaukama Rd. The Pu'u O Hulu trailhead is located around the 9th light pole. Parking is available on either side of the street. Don't leave valuables in your car. Leave nothing in sight to discourage thieves.
The trail to the top is ~0.8 miles and reaches ~533ft (163m). Some areas of the trail have sheer drop-offs. Be careful as a fall could be fatal.
This exact spot is slightly behind (east) the Pink Pillbox. Be careful as the trail is narrow and there is not much room to manoeuvre. I was sitting in an area the size of a small dinner table. The southern side of the hill is virtually a vertical drop - it can be very dangerous.
If you are shooting the sunset please keep the following info in mind!!!
The trail leads up the northern face of the hill (in the shadow area during sunset). Once the sun completely sets the trail becomes dark very quickly. So bring a light to help navigate the path down. As I mentioned above, a misstep at higher elevations could easily prove fatal. Falling down the path could also result in serious injury.
After the sun sets, get down the hill immediately or have a good flashlight.
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