Every Day Has Its Summit - “Behind-the-Scenes” with OluKai

Behind-the-scenes look at our Fall lifestyle photoshoot in Maui with renowned photographer Daniel Bloom.

When we arrived at the Kahului Airport in Maui, Hawaii, there was an immediate acclimatization, via the short, humid, signature hike to the outdoor baggage claim. The cast of characters originates from many different parts of the world, but just about everyone has Hawaii pouring through their veins. We all came together to capture the photography for the OluKai Fall/Winter 2013 campaign, launching the brand’s diverse line of new styles. From upcountry ranch boots to relaxed lifestyle closed toe shoes.

For the next several days we are a family, with Maui as our home. Lumeria Maui was our home base, a beautiful boutique yoga retreat outside of Paia on the north shore of the island. Lumeria served as both a functional photography production facility as well as one of our set locations. The lush gardens and restored historic buildings was a perfect venue to capture the rugged yet refined theme of our Fall/Winter product range. The zen lawn provided a sophisticated and playful spot to capture a spontaneous game of lawn bowling- Hawaii style.

 

 

Our photographer, Daniel Bloom, is a rising star originally from northern Sweden. He’s honed his photography skills in the snowy landscapes of high altitude snowboarding. His ability to capture the energy of a scene and deliver the human element in each photo is what has drawn OluKai to his work.

 

Since 1883 the Williams family has captured the spirit of Hawaii, one snapshot at a time. For past several years, OluKai has partnered with the Williams family to help preserve and share their historic collection of photography. The featured image depicts waterman Warren Ackerman skillfully thawing a fishing net. To pay homage to the original, we recreated the scene in full color near Ukumehame Beach on our first day of shooting.

    

Day two and three were dedicated to upcountry stories. Maui gives us a generous selection of ranches, forests and trails as possible locations. Much of the Fall/Winter 2013 collection was inspired by this rugged upcountry of Hawaii’s ranchers. The Paniolos, or Hawaiian Cowboys have a rich history that continues to modern day. We chose Piiholo Ranch as location to tell this story. The legacy of Piiholo Ranch extends for generations dating back pre-1800s as a thriving cattle ranch.