It quickly became apparent that a choice subject for a first piece would be the "Bird of Paradise" plant/flower that is so abundant here in Hawaii.

Bird-of-Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) gets its name from its unique flower, which resembles the head of a brightly colored tropical bird. Also known as the crane flower, this slow growing, evergreen perennial is native to the subtropical coasts of southern Africa and is widely grown in warm regions - such as Hawaii!

One of my favorite places to find healthy Bird of Paradise plants is along the extended driveway that leads to Mauna Lani Resort...

There are many beautiful places worth spending time exploring along the Kohala Coast, and The Mauna Lani Resort area is among the best. It's one continuous photo-op. I'll have several 3D treasures to share in future posts, but for now, back to "Paradise Nightlife"...

I love digital photography! I grew up with 12-36 pictures per roll and an expense in developing that often left exposed rolls sitting in a drawer undeveloped. Being able to take pictures along this drive for as along as I wanted left with with MANY great shots to work with, but there was THAT ONE shot that surfaced and like the flower that it was, said "Pick Me! Pick Me!" So I did - but not for this piece... Nope, little miss "pick me!" got her turn and I'll tell you about her later, other than to say her name is "Black Bird", and she's a real flyer - stretching her wings into the tropical sun - "you're clear for take-off, baby!"

Her sister, "Paradise Nightlife" needed a little more dancing room. I brought her into Photoshop and started to let her explore some of those cool artistic filters, the first thing she did was to turn the lights down real low. Then she started to move, finding the rhythm. Well I lost track of time, and next thing I knew she struck a pose and yelled out "Voila!".

I casually put on my 3D glasses as if I'm too cool, too fly, too hip to notice, let alone care. Wow! She was smoldering, she was smokin, she was HOT! She looked like she was about to succumb to spontaneous combustion. It was the strangest thing - like the room was about to catch fire and yet there was a chill in the air that sent shivers up my spine. I moved my head from side to side to catch her angles. She gave me a condition known here on the islands as "Chicken Skin". Well I threw off my glasses and yelled out to the bartender, "HEY! Can I get something to drink over here? THESE PRETZELS ARE MAKIN' ME THIRSTY!!"...

"Paradise Nightlife"

(click to enlarge)