Happy Holidays to all...

Happy Holidays. We hope that all of our Family, Friends and Clients are enjoying this Holiday Season as much as we are and we are surely looking forward to a Happy and Prosperous 2010.

So much has happened in 2009 for our Family. Our lives changed forever, with the birth of our Twins - bringing our family from 3 members to 5 overnight. Luke Keoki and Isaiah Keali'i graced our lives on September 8th and have been great companions for their older brother Ka'eo. They are now almost 4 months old and are busy cooing and kicking - and keeping us on our toes. They like to giggle and smile when they are tickled and enjoy being talked to and engaged in conversation. At first, they did not like riding in the car... but it has grown on both of them. ;-)

Ka'eo (Kevin) is in Kindergarten and he is loving all the adventures that come with going to school. Though he still enjoys Spiderman, he has been venturing into new types of Superheros and other Cartoon figures like Ben 10 Alien Force and of course, Transformers. Now that he is a big boy, he's been able to help his Daddy & Papa George with putting up the big tents for parties and the Christmas lights at our House and Grandma K.'s - he's truly enjoying his time with the big boys. We just can't believe he will be 6 in about a month - where has the time gone? He REALLY loves his baby brothers and looks forward to every second he gets to spend with them. Kevin and I are truly lucky to have such an independent and loving son as our oldest - his brothers are lucky too. ;-)

Our Dog Koa is "same ol Koa". Always looking for love and attention. He is 10 years old already and is keeping himself busy chasing after the creatures that grace his play area. He's still very active for his age... though we swear that he is a puppy instead of an adult doggie... he always wants to play. ;-)

Kevin and I are doing well. As any parent knows... we've been keeping busy with the babies and Ka'eo and trying to balance work and home life. Kevin is now a Recruit for the Maui County Police Department and this is a new venture from his last line of work. Ho'onani Photography did quite well this year. We have been lucky to have worked with many awesome clients this year and have taken many awesome photographs as well. We've been able to meet with clientele from all over the States - from California to New York. We have also had the privilege to meet new vendors and network with companies and individuals all over the world... VERY COOL!

This year has definitely brought us many challenges and many blessings. Thank you all for being a part of our lives and we hope you all have an awesome Holiday Season and wish you the best for 2010.

Love & Aloha,
Kevin, Honey, Ka'eo, Luke & Isaiah

Braceros/Hinau Family Portraits

I have been very lucky in my career to have met and photographed many people with all kinds of personalities. One family that has been our constant clients have been the Braceros/Hinau 'ohana. Last year, we had the privilege of photographing their family portraits for their Christmas cards... and wedding photos for Joe & Kim. This year, they are back again... first, allowing me to capture Corrina & Hoalii's school portraits and again, their family photos for their Christmas cards this year.

This past Sunday, we found ourselves up at the Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm, where the mist was slowly creeping over the mountains. The overcast made way for great photo lighting... and of course, the family photos came natural for this large family... (though we were missing a few children this time) ;-)

Here are a few photos from the session. Thanks to Joe & Kim and all the keiki for always calling us for your photos... we enjoy working with you all and look forward to our next session together. ;-)

Ho'onani Photography: Free Engagement/Couple Photo Session to one Lucky Couple

Ho'onani Photography: Free Engagement/Couple Photo Session to one Lucky Couple

Free Engagement/Couple Photo Session to one Lucky Couple

Yes, you have read right... each year, Ho'onani Photography offers "representative slots" to a lucky person(s) who are interested in being our Representative. This year, besides offering just the "Senior Representative" slot - we are also offering an "Engagement / Couple Representative" slot as well.

What does this mean to you? If you are selected - you will receive a free 30 min. Portrait Session (whether it be Engagement or couples) at the location of our choice. The normal price of this portrait session is $325.00 plus tax and you get it for FREE.

Besides the free session - you will also receive a complimentary 8x10 Print (valued at $25.00)

There's more...

- Online Proofing Gallery of your images so that you can show your family and friends and they can purchase the prints too.

- Printing Discount! Your images will be discounted for your purchasing pleasure. Instead of paying full price for your images, you can purchase your prints at a discount, giving you more options and selections at your fingertips. (i.e. Instead of paying $25.00 for an 8x10 Print, you will pay $20. Prices will be provided to you upon purchase)

- B/W, Sepia and Custom Colored images to choose from.

- CD/DVD Discount! If you are interested in getting all of your images on CD/DVD for printing - along with a Printing Authorization, you can get it at a discounted rate. Inquire about the new pricing.

- Free low-res image for your Myspace, Facebook and Twitter Profile. Or - for what ever you want to use it for. We do hold the copyright on all images - so a small watermark with our logo will be placed on the image. (this is not a printable image)

So... how do you sign up to qualify??? Simply send us an email (info@hoonaniphotography.com) or write us a comment on Facebook (Become a Fan) with contact information. If you are selected - we will contact you by email or phone (which ever is provided.) This offer is for couples only, please. We are making our selected on Monday, December 7th, 2009 - so be sure to submit your name ASAP. The Representative will be announced on Friday, December 11th.

If you have any questions, contact me. ;-) Have an awesome week.

Looking back at this past year...

Each year I go through our archives and select a few photos that we have done over the years that continue to capture my eyes. These photos happen to be some of my favorites and the couples we worked with were absolutely adorable. I wanted to share a few of those photos with you. What do you think? Aren't these couples just gorgeous???

Holiday Photos - Book your session today!

Book your Holiday Photo Session today! Purchase a Photo Session Package and receive a Free 8x10 Print to add to your Holiday Collection.

Restrictions Apply - so please inquire for more information. If you booked your Photo Session prior to this post, unfortunately you do not qualify. However, ask us how you can qualify for a free 8x10 print for your shoot.

Dyson & Dodi's Wedding - Upcountry, Maui 10.24.09

We had the privilege of photographing the Wedding of Dyson & Dodi Freitas yesterday afternoon. The wedding took place at Rice Park in Upcountry Kula, Maui. The view from the park was absolutely fabulous and it was such a beautiful day. The couple exchanged vows in front of a crowd filled with family and friends. It was a very lovely ceremony.

After capturing a few shots at the Park, we traveled over to Sun Yat Sen Park (also known as Dragon Park by the locals) outside of Keokea to capture a few group shots.

Many thanks to my sister Hau'oli for being my secondary/back up photographer for the day... it was awesome to get to photograph with you.

We wish Dyson & Dodi a lifetime of joy and happiness. Thank you again for allowing us to capture and be a part of your beautiful and special day.

Corrina & Hoalii's school portraits

It was a fun day with Corrina & Hoali'i this past Thursday. School was out due to Teacher's Institute Day - so their mom brought them by my house for their School Portraits. I always enjoy working with the Hinau & Braceros keiki... they keep me on my toes and I enjoy them very much. Thank you Corrina and Hoali'i for spending the hour with me - I hope you had as much fun as I did...

Here are a few photos from their shoot:

Victoria & Eric's Wedding Vow Renewal 08.21.09

I am usually not behind when it comes to posting - but due to the pregnancy and the "prescribed bed rest" by my doctor... I am having difficulty sitting in front of the computer and getting work done so I am sorry this is a week late.

On Friday, August 21st - Kevin had the opportunity to work with Kahu Keli'i Arruda once again. The shoot was for Victoria and Eric who were renewing their wedding vows and have traveled to Maui from New York. It was a fun filled sunset shoot (from what I hear - seeing as I was not able to accompany my hubby this time) and the couple was such a joy to work with.

Along with Kevin were our 2 photographers in training - Frank and Lindy. We are working with them as our back up photographers and our secondary photographers at a shoot. Frank and Lindy did an awesome job and we look forward to working with them more for future shoots.

Thank you to Victoria & Eric for choosing us to capture your memories on camera and to Keli'i for inviting us as well.

Carter 'Ohana - Family Portraits

Today was a fun and exciting day. We had scheduled a Family Portrait session with the Carter 'Ohana for today - thinking it would be a wonderful day to shoot photos at the Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm... however, much to our amazement - it was pouring up there. After contemplating where we could go that would give us a great photo session, we found ourselves heading into Makawao and utilizing the grounds of the Hui No'eau Visual Art Center. It's always easy to shoot there because of the different surroundings around every turn - so it although it was not our initial plan, we had fun and quite enjoyed ourselves. ;-)

Kevin and I had lots of fun on this shoot, as the Carters and Papa are not our average Family Portrait session... they are old time friends (considered to be 'ohana) and it was nice to spend the few hours catching up on ol' times as well. Because my pregnancy has me limping and dragging along, Kevin was the main photographer for this shoot... and I stood in the backdrop catching pictures from afar. Our son Ka'eo even joined in and acted as assistant for Kevin and I - holding the reflector when needed and carrying our clipboard... a little guy in training... ;-)

Above are a few photos that I put into a quick collage to share. Thank you to Kaleo, Kamiki, Papa, Kamahi and Maka'iwa for working with us today and for having such a nice dinner out... we had so much fun and truly enjoyed it.

Are you looking for a Photography website Host?

I've had the privilege of working with several different Web Hosting companies with regard to getting an awesome Flash/Website up and running for my business. It's been almost a year since I first found Photobiz - and in my opinion, they are quite possibly my all time favorite Web company of all time. Their affordability is by far top notch - allowing for any business owner, whether they are just starting out or have been Pro for years to make great use of their service and still be able to afford such quality in these tough economic times. As if this wasn't enough - Photobiz is continuously updating their database with new templates that are customizable, allowing the owner of the business/site to adjust as they see fit and at the click of a mouse.

Those are options that are wonderful and perfect when you are a business owner in an industry that can often times be very competitive. Photobiz also provides THE BEST Customer Service in the field. I have had to call upon them several times - even if it were to just ask a lame question to ease my mind... and their response was not only timely but it ALWAYS satisfies what I am looking for. Photobiz also provides their clients with weekly if not daily posts on their Blog - that provide Photographers and business owners with ideas, guides and other really cool aspects that most if not all Website Hosts do not offer.

I enjoy working with a company that is intuned with their clientele and our needs. If you are interested in finding out more information on Photobiz or are looking for a website host - check them out, I promise you will not be disappointed. I am a very satisfied customer and am sure you will be too.

http://www.photobiz.com

Aloha,
Honey

Lots of changes - Seniors Website is up and running

With today being the start of the new school year for many students, especially high school Seniors - I have gone ahead and dedicated a website completely for the use of Senior Portraits and previewing ideas and designs for seniors who are looking for that creative, casual portraits to add to the Excitement of their Senior Year.

Take a look and let us know what you think. Click on the link below.

Seniors Website

Company Updates - Blog

Aloha all,
It has been a whirl wind of changes for Ho'onani Photography. Maybe it's all due to the pregnancy factor and my hormones having a say in what it is I do on a day to day basis.... ;-) But - we have decided to return to our old Blogger blog site and keep our Wordpress site as a secondary site for pages and other unique items. I am just not quite conformatable with using the Wordpress site at this time and am hoping to get further engaged in it once the twins are born.

You can still view our wordpress site if you want to refer back to it and all of the information listed can be found there by clicking on the links above... Seniors, Specials, Wedding Q&A's, etc.

Should you have any suggestions - please feel free to let me know.

On a personal note - I am now 31 weeks pregnant and the doctor says I could give birth at anytime now. We are busy making plans for the twins' arrival and trying to balance our crazy busy schedules that we have for the month of August - tons of photography sessions booked. ;-)
I'll be sure to update everyone on the pregnancy progress once I get more updates.

Aloha,
Honey

Updates - New blog

I am happy to announce that we are transitioning to a new blog through wordpress.com
It's a bit of a change and lots of different aspects to learn - but it allows us to have several different pages to work with including an "About Us", "Links & Resources" and others.

You can visit our new blog while it is being produced into it's final stages by going to: www.hoonaniphotography.wordpress.com. I will be updating all of our links through out our sites so that we will all have ease of access again to the new blog.

For those of you that are still interested in visiting our old site - do not worry, our old Blogger Blog will still be active for a little while until the transition to the new one is completed.

Thank you to all of our blog followers and clients for making this such a fun tool to use. We look forward to having this new blog develop into something that is truly interactive and unique for Ho'onani Photography.

Stay tuned for more fun stuff to come.
;-)

Copyright Infringement - important information you should know.

The following information was obtained/provided by our friend Rodel Casio of Kreative Dream Studio.
You can also find more sources and information at this address: http://www.photolaw.net/faq.html


What is Copyright Infringement?
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of a copyrighted work. This includes photocopying a copyrighted image without permission.

When there is an infringement, the owner of the copyright can sue for damages. All law suits for copyright infringement must be brought in federal court, and will not be handled in or by a state court.


What is Copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection, authorized by the United States Constitution, that gives photographers, artists, authors, musicians, choreographers and architects the exclusive right to use and reproduce their works. Essentially, all original works can be copyrighted. This includes photographs, art works, sculpture, writings, music and computer software. Virtually all works created or first published after January 1, 1978 are protected by copyright.

Generally, owners of copyright have the exclusive right to use and copy their works. Copyright owners can also authorize others to use their works. The use or copying of any work without permission from the owner of the copyright is a violation of the United States Copyright Act.

About our (Ho'onani Photography) Photography & Graphic Work:
All of the Photography & Graphic Work produced by Ho'onani Photography (a.ka. Always means... Forever, Productions) and Honey & Kevin Kaho'ohanohano is copyrighted. No image may be copied from our website, blog or other postings (including prints, CD's/DVD's, brochures, flyers, etc.) without direct, written consent from Ho'onani Photography (and/or its Owners). Please respect our company and our Hardwork by not stealing our images without our permission. ;-)

*thank you to Rodel for assisting with this very important information. ;-)

Joseph Kaimana okalani Braceros

I had the privilege of shooting the first pictures for baby Kaimana. He is 9 days old today - born on April 19th, 2009. He was such a pleasure to photograph and was very easy going and relaxed. His mommy & daddy hired us to take his first photos and to do his birth announcements.

Here are a few photos from his shoot:

Steve & Sara Newman's Wedding 04.25.09

This past weekend was definitely a crazy and busy one - but it was filled with tons of fun. After our Junior Prom photo shoot - Kevin and I headed over to meet with Kahu Keli'i Arruda (http://www.4opihisweddings.com) to photograph the wedding ceremony of Steve & Sara. It was an honor to be a part of Kahu Keli'i Arruda's ceremony once again, as we have worked with him a few times before - his ceremonies are unique, beautiful and simple.

The ceremony for Steve & Sara took place at the beautiful Kapalua Bay on the far side on a bluff above the ocean. After many days of rain and wind - we were very lucky to have such wonderful wedding weather and the sunset that afternoon was absolutely amazing.

Along with Steve and Sara were their beautiful children - 3 girls and a boy. They were a lovely couple and a lovely family and Kevin and I surely had lots of fun capturing their special day. Thank you to Steve, Sara and their wonderful children for allowing us to be a part of your special day. And of course, Mahalo to Kahu Keli'i Arruda for giving us the opportunity to share in such a special moment.

Here are a few photos from the Newman wedding shoot:

H.P. Baldwin High School Junior Prom 2009

It was a privilege to capture the special moments of a few teens that attended the Junior Promenade for H.P. Baldwin High School. The Prom was held at the Beautiful Westin Maui Resort & Spa on Saturday, April 25, 2009. Not only was this a momentous occasion on my end because I am an alumni of Baldwin High School having attended my own prom more than 10 years ago - this was also the prom for my baby sister Harmony. The Prom committee made a fine choice of choosing The Westin Maui as their location - not only because of their beautiful landscaping and architechture - but also because I had worked at property before and was very familiar with where would be the best locations to use for back drops. Kevin and I had a blast capturing these photos and the team was very energetic and fun to work with.

Here are a few pictures of Harmony and her friends that joined her that evening. Thank you to Harmony, Nohea, Michelle, Reanne and Jaren for allowing us to be a part of your special event.

Karen Kondo & Ohana - Family Portraits

Kevin and I had the opportunity to do a Family Portrait shoot on Saturday, January 24, 2009 on the Grounds of the Maui Kaanapali Villas. Karen Kondo contacted us a month or so ago as she won the bid on a Gift Certificate that we donated to the Taste of Italy Auction for the Kihei Rotary Club. We were very excited to do this shoot as it consisted of several different types of portraits: Head shots and Family Portraits.

Here are a few photos from the shoot. Thank you so much to Karen and her ohana for allowing us to photograph all of you... it was very fun and we enjoyed it very much. ;-)