On our first night, we were treated to an elegant dinner at the Hualalai Grille. The chef took special care to create a memorable meal for us that included a roasted beet salad with Chevre, balsamic Li Hing Mui reduction, a farmer’s salad that included Hirabara mix greens, pipinola shoots, Maui onion, sherry vinaigrette and a delicate Heirloom tomato salad with kalamata olives, onions, and herbs.
We also indulged on steamed broccolini with Bernaise sauce, rich truffle fingerling potatoes, and who can forget the tropical rice pudding with local, fresh fruit for dessert?
Our call time the next day was 4 am. This is not the time we woke up, but rather the time we were expected to be on set ready to begin the day. After the models had gone through hair and makeup, we embarked on our journey with a caravan at 5:45 am. In the dark, we drove to Keiki Pond, a local cove known for its pristine white sand beaches and calm water. We arrived as the sun was coming up. Colors of purple, orange, blue, and yellow streaked across the sky as we walked towards the water’s edge. Small fish darted in every direction as the models stepped into the cove’s water. The environment, colors provided by the sunrise, and flirty swimwear by Wildfox Couture, gave us incredible shots that made the early call time well worth it!
Our next stop was Beach 69 where we walked 30 minutes over black lava rock to our location. We shot our models in brightly colored swimwear against black lava for amazing dramatic looks!
Photographer, Sarah, and VIVA GLAM founder, Katarina, were truly inspired by the location and had endless ideas on what to create!
The last location for our first day was on the beach at sunset.
We were lucky enough to see several sea turtles come on shore and bask in the last rays of sunlight. Since it is illegal to touch them, we settled for just being in the company of such majestic animals.
On our second day, we were surprised with a free day. This was so exciting for our models, and they decided to spend the day exploring The Four Seasons Hotel and Resort.
King’s Pond was a favorite for many of us. There, you can swim with over 3,000 tropical fish in a 15′ pool! We were given the opportunity to feed an eagle ray, puffer fish, and flounder! And there was even a “fish circus” where fish perform tricks such as swimming through hoops, playing with toys, and they came up to greet us. This was truly a treat! In addition to the main fish pool, there are several touch tanks where we learned about pencil urchins, hermit crabs, starfish and other marine sea life.
