Cameron Brooks was born and raised on the island of Oahu. “I’ve always been in love with the natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.” At a very early age  Cameron Brooks worked with his father as a location scout for movies and TV shows and explored the hidden treasures that Oahu has to offer. “My photography began as a hobby with my first Canon Rebel and blossomed into a full-time lifestyle for me. Being a passionate fan of films, I feel that every image has the potential to tell a story. I hope that every one of my photographs will convey a feeling, stir a mood and transport you to another world!”

“In the near future I plan to visit each of the neighbor islands to expand my night photography collection. I feel that there are not enough stunning photographs of Hawaii by moonlight. I can’t wait to capture such majestic vistas as the Waimea Canyon or Mauna Kea on a full moon light.”

Gallery and Interview

AA:  How do you feel your photography has progressed over the past year?

CB:  I feel like my standards for photography have increased greatly ~ I feel that every new picture I put up has has to feature something unique and special about the setting that no one has seen before.

AA:  What is your favorite location to shoot?

CB:  I love shooting on the east side of Oahu ~ it’s always the greenest and makes for the best pictures. I got really lucky the day I hiked Olomana ~ the sky was so clear I managed to capture Rabbit Island, Molokai, Lanai and Maui in the same shot!

AA:  What are your views on image manipulation?

CB:  I think Photoshop and Lightroom are wonderful tools ~ and some of my shots would not not be possible without them.  It’s not a whole lot different than using actual filters in front of the lens on your camera, except this way you can be much more precise.  I think a lot of times these effects can be overused~ and some artists will try to compensate a lousy image with over-saturation.

AA:  Your new lightning shot went viral on the Internet overnight ~ tell us a little bit about it.

CB:  I was pretty lucky to get that shot as well.  It was a 30 second exposure and the bolts went off at the 29th second.. right before the camera clicked off.  I was amazed to see how far it spread on the Internet ~ the visitors to my website went up 10 fold the next day!  I gave a print of that shot to all the buildings that got hit ~ they were pretty stoked to see it.. it’s amazing how many new people I met because of that one image.

AA:  You recently took a trip to LA and San Francisco ~ did you learn anything new about the art world over there?

CB:  There seemed to be a gallery on every other block in parts of San Francisco!  There are definitely a lot more art collectors over there ~ but I would still prefer living in Hawaii.. nothing can compare to the colors of the islands!  All of the beaches in LA looked pretty much the same.. it made me more grateful of how unique and diverse the Hawaiian Islands are.