How to REALLY do a conga line!

Happy Aloha Friday everyone! Hope everyone is getting ready for summer fun! I know a lot of schools are finishing up their semesters, including the University of Hawai’i and (my alma mater) the University of Portland! I follow their Twitter feed and it’s amazing to think the class of 2013 graduated this year! 2013! I graduated eight years ago, and it still seems like yesterday that I was lining up at the Chiles Center to get my diploma! Speaking of which, where is that thing… Oh well, on to the blog!

Last week, I was given a challenge by Dad & Alex. With only 5 days, I had to design a new album cover for the exclusive CD we are producing for the Dole Planation. This meant setting up a photo shoot out at the Plantation, at 4am, and get as many different shots as we could while the sun was rising. Luckily, Alex worked hard in coordinating the Dole Plantation to allow us to be there at 4am, and my good buddy Jonas Maon was willing and able to snap the shots. We had a great time, had exclusive time with one of the trains, and we’re able to produce some of the awesome results you have seen on our Facebook page. I was also lucky because another good photographer, Ric Noyle, pointed me at an app that let me see where the sun was going to rise that day. For all you photographers out there, this was key in preparing where and when we needed to be ready to get the best shot!

Using an app on his phone, Nick was able to guess the correct rise of the sun on a recent photoshoot!
Using an app on his phone, Nick was able to guess the correct rise of the sun on a recent photoshoot!

Next, a little gloating. Most of the time, when I take a picture with my phone, I think: “well that was crappy, but at least I have something to remember this moment by.” This was not one of those sad times! During our break at Lulus, I wandered downstairs and saw some nice light hitting the building behind Lulus and decided to see if I could compose a good shot. Does this mean I am a professional photographer and should quit ManoaDNA and IOLANI to make millions? Become the next king of phone photography and have thousands of people asking me to take their picture on my phone?! Maybe. You’ll just have to wait and see! Haha.

The sun was right and an incredible shot was captured with Nick's phone!
The sun was right and an incredible shot was captured with Nick’s phone!

Finally today, I offer this photograph taken by Alx:

A huge conga line erupted during a recent event in Waikiki!  It was super fun!
A huge conga line erupted during a recent event in Waikiki! It was super fun!

I end with this picture because it is amazing. We were playing a corporate Japanese event, where thousands of Japanese visitors were enjoying a meal that signaled the end of their corporate retreat in Hawai’i. Normally, these events are relaxed and everyone is just enjoying their friends and listening to some music. THIS WAS NOT THAT TYPE OF EVENT! As soon as we started playing, people stood up, clapping, dancing, faking hula moves, really getting into it! I thought to myself: “Cool! I’m glad their having a good time!” Well, that was an understatement! As soon as we announced our last song, they all got up and started a HUGE conga line. Biggest one I have ever seen! It wrapped around and inside the entire ballroom and had everyone involved! It was an amazing sight and it just proved to me that you NEVER know what is going to happen at event!