The third Maui Photo Festival & Workshops brings top photographers to the most photogenic locations

[Terrie Eliker]

What do you get when you combine a boatload or two of outrigger canoe paddlers, a dozen beautiful Hawaiian models and hula dancers, a cliff diver, a fire-knife dancer, doors-off helicopters, green sea turtles and leading edge professional photographers with some of the world's most photogenic locations? You have the third annual Maui Photo Festival & Workshops, set for August 24-28, 2011, at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa.

And in case anyone thinks that this event could happen just anywhere, organizers make sure that Maui is as big a star as the presenting pro photographers. One- and two-hour workshop sessions often start in a classroom, then spill out onto the lush 40-acre landscape of the host Hyatt Regency Maui for some real-world practice. Small classes and optimal presenter-to-attendee ratios make for great learning conditions.

The five-day festival's signature session, "The Quintessential Hawaiian Photo Shoot — Hula on the Beach at Sunset" led by Maui fine-art photographer Randy Jay Braun, has produced thousands of incredible images and continues to be a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience for MPF attendees. A sunset wedding shoot was added in 2010 and its popularity demands an expanded offering in 2011.

The festival also includes a series of event-long photo competitions — for amateur and professionals — with winners taking home prizes and free admission to the 2012 event. Last year's winners include Maui photographer Natalie Brown, who captured best hula and best overall image in 2010 and Ohio photographer and writer Douglas Bardwell, who captured best landscape honors. In all more than a dozen categories offer recognition and prizes for MPF attendees.

After an evening opening reception that celebrates the host culture, the festival begins. Mornings mean golden-hour excursions from 6:00 to 8:30 a.m., including an optional trip to the top of a volcano, to capture the most spectacular landscape and seascape sunrises. Back at the hotel, a morning keynote sets the tone. Then the day is spent in concurrent one- and two-hour breakout sessions that offer content for every experience level, from digital novice to professional.

Afternoon sessions allow for extended hands-on opportunities or optional excursions like doors-off helicopter tours with aerial combat photographers and underwater photo tours to capture green sea turtles with renown marine photographers. A hands-on studio lighting lab will offer lighting setups with models and photo assistants so that attendees can take information learned in class and put it into practice.

Evenings will feature general sessions and the digital portfolios of MPF presenting pros. Panels will showcase the different works and specialties of the comprehensive group of instructors. The festival closes with a Sunday morning awards session.

The price for the five-day festival is $595 and includes all regular on-site sessions. An early-bird rate of $495 expires on 6/20/11. Students and credentialed educators may attend for $395 with ID. Group and travel agent rates are available.

Complete information including online registration and a special room rate at the Hyatt Regency Maui is available at the MPF web site at http://www.mauiphotofestival.com. For more information call 808-633-1339 or e-mail [e-mail].

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Best Hula and Best of Festival image below taken by Maui wedding photographer Natalie Brown during the signature session of the Maui Photo Festival & Workshops "The Quintessential Hawaiian Photo Shoot — Hula on the Beach at Sunset," led by Maui fine-art photographer Randy Jay Brown. Used with permission.