Day 43: Piha Beach and Lion Rock

Piha Beach was today's agenda, and turned out to be the day's only agenda. I must say, a full beach day was welcomed and much needed. The hour drive flew by, and when we finally reached the ocean view, we were taken back. The dark blackish-grey sand stood out from any other beach I have ever visited, and I've always wanted to visit a volcanic-black beach. Sure, some are darker than this one, but the fine glistening sand was the softest and most beautiful I've ever encountered. The sand almost felt like silt, and was so fine that it was rather firm to walk on whether wet or dry. This must be what heaven will be like.

The first thing we did was hike up to the top of Lion Rock, the massive mass of rock standing alone by itself on the shore. We reached about halfway up when the path ended and signs urged visitors to turn around. Personally, I'd like to think when I'm ninety and in a wheelchair on oxygen, signs like this will encourage me to do the exact opposite. We journeyed up, climbing rocks and walking the edges of shear cliffs, and it was well worth it. The view from the top was magnificent, and something that one cannot dream up. Taking in views like these is so important yet so upsetting. No matter how long you sit there and admire the beauty, trying to capture the feeling of contentment with the wind rushing through your hair and the sun warming your skin, the memory will never come close to recreating that feeling. I know that the second I return to memories of days like today and the others on this trip, I'll simply long to be back.

Editor's Note: I think I may have taken my all-time favorite picture today. Walking, I found a rock area covered in black. As it turned out, millions of tiny mussels covered the rock, something I've never seen before. I took photos and decided this would be the perfect time to shoot macro shots with the soft blue water in the background. As I aligned for the perfect shot, an Asian couple was perfectly in my way. Gotta love it, every photographer knows the struggle. I waited around for a second, and the father walked off. One down, mother and son left to go. As I took in the scenery, I bluntly realized that photography isn't just about capturing what you want, but capturing what's around you in its' current state: how you experienced it. The mother and her son were laughing and enjoying the refreshing water, and the happiness in that moment is unparalleled. This moment is one that so many people in this world don't have, and so many view on a post card and wish with everything that they did. Love for this world and the people in it is something that we so often overlook and assume to be given. With this renewed perspective, I captured my shot and included them in it, and I'm so glad I did. I've never had an aperture shot blend a background subject quite like this one did, and the touch-up in Lightroom brought it to life. I did not edit coloring; the highlight and shadow touch-ups to lighten the foreground and reduce white-wash from the water did the trick.