The coasts of Hawaii are known for nice beaches with palm trees and sunsets, but that is exactly the opposite of what I got on my trip. While I was there for eleven days, I got continual dramatic storms. But I knew this could make for some unique and incredible shots.

I spent days exploring the more dramatic side of Maui’s coasts, lined with sea cliffs that were repeatedly smashed by massive crashing waves. After standing in the rain at this particular spot for hours on end trying to capture the perfect wave and failing, I knew I had to switch up my strategy.

I ended up playing around with slower shutter speeds to allow visible movement in the water rather than trying to freeze the details in the wave. This resulted in patterns in the water that I truly loved. The drama of the sky and landscape did the talking while the beautiful patterns and colors of the water played the counter to that, creating the balance that I search for in all my work.

-Ryan Warner