PA'I KI'I WA'WAE

PA'I  KI'I   WA'WAE

(TO PHOTOGRAPH  FOOT)

Living in Hawaii isn't cheap, but there are ways to make it.

As I've mentioned in my previous blogs, I've always tried to

do it "my way".  I used to troll the beaches on the weekends 

with my camera.  There's always baby luaus, parties, and family

gatherings all around the island.  I would find the person in charge

and ask to shoot candids.  Within an hour, I'd be back with the 

photos in 5x7 photo jackets, to sell at five bucks each.  You'd be

surprised at the response from everyone.  Even those who turned

me down.  Their memory is there before the party is over.  Just

remember, this was film, before digital.  

I also had a contract with Coral Creek Golf Course.

A lot of free lance photographers had courses where 

we took tee shots of mostly Japanese tourist.  A percentage 

of our sales would go to the golf courses.  For extra cash,

I did golf tournaments and a percentage would go to

whatever the fundraiser was.  We all did weddings, 

conventions, whatever it took. 

None of this could have worked if it wasn't for

Sam's Club.  Sam's had a photo lab that serviced

just about all the photographers  from whatever

field.  They gave us a business account and they were 

fast and blessedly cheap.  We were top priority when

we came in to the lab.  Mahalo, Sam's.

One of the managers at my Pearl City lab was

Jerry Omo Jr.   He was a big help and often gave 

me photography tips.  He taught night classes at the

University of Hawaii, which is odd because UH didn't

have a photography department at that time.  I jumped

at the chance when he invited me to sign up for the

next semester.  

It was a six week course.  At the beginning, he asked

us to pick a genre which we would use throughout

the course.  Each week he would assign a subject and

we would have to apply our genre with each subject.

My classmates picked architecture, children,  etc.

Ho hum.  I picked feet.  No, it's not a fetish.  

A golfer

Tribal tattoo

Rinsing off

Evolution... Shoes to flip flops

Freedom

Keiki Hawaii

Veterans Day

Downtown traffic

Accident or murder?

Outrigger

Lifeguard

A day at the beach

Memory

Guess who?

Self portrait

I still keep in touch with Jerry.  He has his own photography 

business now.  If you're ever in Hawaii, look him up at

Hawaiianpix Photography,  Jerry Omo Jr., photographer.

2013