There are many photography books out there – but Olaf Heine's Hawai'i is the one for travel and black and white photographers who seek inspiration and want to dive into a place of extremes. Hawaii is one of the most biodiverse and pristine regions on Earth, but it is also the land of hula and surfing.
Over many years, German photographer Olaf Heine has traveled and documented the wonderful island of Hawaii, creating an impressive photographic catalog in the process.
He has now published his images in a captivating illustrated book, Hawai'i, that reveals and brings closer the opulent beauty of the country, the dreamlike culture, and the individuality of the people, including surf legend Laird Hamilton (pictured above), musician Jack Johnson, and writer Kawai Strong Washburn.
"Is there any place more thoroughly photographed than Hawaii? Even if you've never visited the islands, you think you at least know what they look like. Then along comes Olaf Heine, with these ravishing images, and you're confronted with a place that you've never seen before," says William Finnegan, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, a reflection of the sport of surfing and of his time growing up on the islands.
Olaf Heine's publication showcases around 150 black-and-white images over 272 pages with forewords by Pulitzer Prize winner William Finnegan and Hawaiian author Kristiana Kahakauwil. Hawai'i is published by teNeues Verlag GmbH, priced $95 / £70 / AU$163.
Sometimes Heine's images are lively and energetic, sometimes they are melancholic and sensual, but always monochrome. He succeeds in capturing the intoxicating attitude to life in connection with the decisive forces of this place.
The ocean is omnipresent and is the secret architect of the place. Hawaii is about the elemental as well as the spiritual significance of the sea. The constantly changing, restless waves of the Pacific Ocean determine the rhythm of the eight islands of Hawaii and their inhabitants. They fuel life here and define the people – whether farmers, fishermen, surfers, or tourists.
Heine describes the interaction between man and nature – and the values arising from it – in timelessly beautiful photographs. The cracks of our time and the extent of human activity are shown with the same force as sensuality, diversity, and wild, unspoiled nature. In Hawaii, we begin to understand what creation means.
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For more inspiration, check our guide about the best books on photography and the best coffee table books on photography.
