HAWAII 2009 Photo Contest Winners

HAWAII Magazine’s 11th Annual Photo Contest winners have been announced. HAWAII readers sent in their best photos of the Islands in four categories: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island. Two winners for each category were selected, plus the grand-prize winning photo above.

Rudy Calpo’s stunning photo of sunset breaking through a patch of clouds over the taro fields of Hanalei, Kauai was the winning entry. In his story behind the photo, Calpo wrote: “My wife and I had just stopped by a vista point overlooking some taro fields. We hurried back to the taro fields, hoping the sun would break through the heavy clouds. Sure enough, we got lucky. When we got down to the fields, the clouds began to part.”

Follow the link above to see a slideshow of the winners. You can also read more about Calpo and his work in the editor’s page of the January/February 2010 issue of HAWAII Magazine on newsstands, or by subscribing.