A Night Walk in Downtown Honolulu
2017 Š K. W. Bridges www.kimbridges.com
Cover: Keola La`i condominium (ISO 6400, F2.0, 1/80 second)
Technical Notes Camera: Sony RX1R II (full-frame, fixed 35 mm lens) Camera settings: ISO 6400, f 2.0 Exposure length: Varied; see each photo Raw photos conversion: Adobe Photoshop Color to B/W: NIK Silver Effects preset 06 Panorama software: Kolor Autopano Pro
The walk on the evening on November 6 had a specific purpose: test nighttime photography with a Sony RX1R II camera. The specific question was whether a tripod or monopod is necessary to do urban photography at night. We’re heading out on a trip soon and it is important to know what gear we should take for nighttime photography. Downtown Honolulu is a convenient subject as we live right on the edge of the historic district. Chinatown is not much farther. Both of these places have been the subject of our daytime photography. The strategy is to walk quickly and snap photos, sometimes with a monopod and other times just holding the camera. There is no intent to show these photos. However ‌
Chamberlain House (Ka Hale Kamalani) was built in 1831. Levi Chamberlain and his family lived here. He stored the supplies for the newly arrived missionaries in this house. The construction used coral blocks and salvaged lumber. This building is the main exhibition hall for the Mission Houses Historical Site and Archives. ISO 6400 F2.0 1/25 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/160 sec 14 images
Kawaiaha`o Church stands at night as a quiet, imposing edifice. This simple, solid structure serves as a reminder of the impact that missionaries had on the Hawaiian culture. This building was constructed between 1836 and 1842 using coral slabs hewn from the nearby reefs.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/6 sec
The King Lunalilo Mausoleum is adjacent to the Kawaiaha`o Church. This royal structure once stood in a nearly barren plot. The lush vegetation that grows here now makes this an appropriately beautiful garden. The gate is closed at night but you can see through the fence. Lunalilo was the sixth king of Hawai`i. He died in 1874 after a short reign.
Honolulu Hale is the center of government for the City and County of Honolulu. Christmas decorations will cover this building and its surrounding spaces in less than a month. Tonight, the doors are closed. Only a small white fence gives any hint of the transformation that will soon take place. ISO 6400 F2.0 1/25 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/13 sec 8 images
Tourists flock to Ali`iōlani Hale in the daytime. They come to get a selfie in front of the statue of King Kamehameha I. It is quiet now, at least on the outside. Lights in the building reveal what might be a meeting. Or, perhaps, someone doing legal research. Ali`iōlani Hale houses the offices of the Hawai’i State Supreme Court.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/60 sec
The lights show King Kamehameha with sculptural details that are easily missed in the daytime.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/160 sec
Ali`iōlani Hale and the King Kamehameha I statue are star attractions of the downtown daytime and nighttime scenes. Light and shadow emphasize the complexity of this building’s architecture. Ali`iōlani Hale was dedicated 1874.
`Iolani Palace sits in a large, park-like property in the center of Honolulu’s Historic District. This royal palace dates from 1882. Lights in the staircase show a hint of the restored character of this historic building. Those lights, shining through the glasswork of the doors, makes you wish that the interior had more nighttime lighting so that we could see other parts of this magnificent building from the outside. ISO 6400 F2.0 1/250 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/25 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/50 sec
Two large bank buildings, First Hawaiian Bank and the Bank of Hawaii, dominate the center of downtown Honolulu. Both buildings have lots of office lights burning.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/100 sec
Only a few of the upper floors of the smaller office buildings are lit. Most of the windows are dark.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/320 sec
I’ve always felt uncomfortable when I try to look inside Fook Sau Tong, a traditional Chinese medicine store on King Street. Of all of the Chinatown stores, this one seems to be the most world-apart. A single ceiling panel lights the now-closed shop. This nighttime view through the window makes it easy to see the many exotic medicinal materials.
Oahu Market is, perhaps, the epicenter of the meat and fish stores in Honolulu’s Chinatown. Lights inside the building show the display cabinets for the many vendors in this market. Nothing is out on display to lure customers at this hour. Steel curtains block the entrances until dawn. ISO 6400 F2.0 1/160 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/50 sec
Kekaulike Mall is peaceful at night. It is clean and orderly. This won’t last. Vendors will take over in the daytime. Produce stands will line the outside of the buildings. Cardboard boxes, full of recent deliveries or trash to be hauled away, will sit among the Hong Kong Orchid Trees (Bauhinia blakeana). Lots of people will come here to do their daily shopping. Note: Kekaulike was the sister of Queen Kapi`olani.
The Kekaulike Market is the home to many vendors, each occupying a small stand either inside or outside the market. Most stands sell fruits and vegetables. A few specialize in meat. During the day, this busy market is a great place to see the diversity of foods for sale in Honolulu’s Chinatown. The nighttime quiet masks the daytime frenzy. ISO 6400 F2.0 1/320 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/80 sec
Tall wooden racks will be placed against this wall during the day. The racks will hold hands of bananas along the top. Below, the rack provides support for carboard boxes containing many types of fruits and vegetables. This is part of the “bones� of a busy shopping area.
Formal wear is on display in the window of this Chinatown store. This window display seems strangely out of place, especially at this time of the evening.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/800 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/800 sec
There are nighttime bars in Chinatown. But they are mostly sleazy joints. Just outside of Chinatown, here on Nuuanu Avenue, are two respectable Irish pubs. This black-and-white photo mutes the bright colors of the signs in the window of O’Toole’s Irish Pub.
Merchant Street is a quiet side street in downtown. You find some of the most historic business buildings on this street. Hawai`i’s first bank was located in this building. The Harriet Bouslog Building stands out with its white finish and ornate architecture.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/80 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/160 sec
Alexander & Baldwin Inc is housed in this beautiful 1926 building. A&B, as they are known locally, is one of Hawai`i’s largest private land owners. It was also one of Hawai`i’s “Big Five.” These were the large companies that dominated the economy of the Territory of Hawai`i.
The courtyard of Pacific Guardian Center is filled with people during the day. The tree-covered mall is a tranquil oasis at night.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/20 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/30 sec
Queen Street, looking Diamond Head. Lights among the trees cast shadows on the sides of the buildings. There are just a few cars out at this hour. The sidewalk is empty.
This is Hale Auhau. It is a Spanish-style, 1939 structure that originally housed the state tax department. The offices of the Hawai`i State Attorney General are now in this building. A monkeypod tree arches over Queen Street. Albizia saman was introduced to Hawai'i in 1847 and it is a common street tree in this area.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/10 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/40 sec
You can see Keola La`i, our destination. To the left is 801 South Street, a recent addition to the inventory of high-rise buildings in Kaka`ako. The cemetery of Kawaiaha`o Church is in the foreground running alongside Queen Street.
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/60 sec
ISO 6400 F2.0 1/800 sec
The Honolulu Brewing & Malt Company Building towers over the adjacent Kaka`ako Fire Station. The Brewery is the home to the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA). This state agency oversees the redevelopment of Kaka`ako. The fire trucks are always at the ready.
Final Thoughts I rarely used the monopod for these photos. Instead, I left the monopod (collapsed to about 16”) attached to the camera. This gave some mass that probably dampened movement due to handling while taking the picture. The traditional rule, 1/focal-length, told me that I should not use exposures shorter than 1/35 second. I “violated” this rule in a few of these shots. Even these seem sharp enough. I conclude that I won’t need to take along a monopod on the next trip. Just keep the ISO high and the lens wide open. The color versions of these photos were not very inspiring. Conversion of the images to black-and-white put the subjects into the context of a nighttime photo shoot. The loss of color really helped most of the pictures.