The 5 Photography Sessions in Hawaiʻi That Repay the Day

1.Snorkeling for Non-Swimmers with Photos Guided Tour Wailea Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 415 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $149Our pick

Start at Wailea Beach with guides such as Triston, Ryan, James, Sarah, Seth, or Georgia. You’ll learn to use your mask, snorkel, fins, and life jacket in shallow water before heading out on a paddleboard or inflatable raft to see fish, coral, and turtles. The 90-minute lesson suits non-swimmers and first-time snorkelers.

“Triston is absolutely amazing. This was our first time snorkeling, so we wanted a beginner-friendly experience and he delivered (we later found out that it's the only option in town)! Unfortunately the morning was a bit windy, but he wanted to wait out to see if the weather would cooperate before deciding to cancel - all for our safety and comfort. After 15 minutes, we were lucky enough that there was hardly any breeze and can continue with our tour. He walked through how to snorkel and provided one-on-one support for folks who were less confident, before we headed to the reef. This experience was so fun and memorable!”

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2.Maui Family and Couple Beach Photo Session

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 333 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $99Best value

Meet your photographer at Po‘olenalena Beach for a private, one-hour Maui photo session. Your photographer guides poses, captures candid moments, and takes more than 1,000 shots. You later choose from 200 to 250 professionally retouched portraits on a private website. Photographers may include Shizen, Sara, Felix, Ian, Brandon, Branden, or Nicole.

“This is a must do activity! Our photographer- Shizen was awesome and fun. We are a family of 3 family photos but we added a little twist and did senior photos for my daughter. SO so much fun! We can wait to see the photos.”

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3.From Waikiki: Best of Oahu Photo Tour with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 274 reviews · 5 hours · from $99

This five-hour small-group photo tour takes you from Waikiki to Nuʻuanu Pali, Tantalus, Waimanalo, Makapuʻu, Halona Blowhole, and Leonard’s malasada truck. Guides including Andrew, Emily, Kurt, Mac, and Malcolm help you improve photos with any camera or phone. Lunch is purchased separately at Ono Steak and Shrimp.

“Had an AWESOME experience with Oahu Photography Tours during our visit to Hawaii. Our guides, Andrew and Aleksei were knowledgeable, polite, humorous and fun to be with. Got lots of tips and tons of great pictures. Highly recommend booking a trip with them if you’re going to be on Oahu!”

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4.Mauna Kea Stargazing Experience + Photos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 261 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $299

Meet at Puʻu Huluhulu and drive yourself to a quiet Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa site. James, Dylan, or another astronomer leads the star talk, while a dedicated photographer takes Milky Way portraits. A Celestron Origin smart telescope shows galaxies, nebulae, and clusters. Parkas and medium-resolution photos are included.

“Absolutely incredible! I never write reviews but I had to about this experience. We have done other star gazing tours before but nothing has compared to this one. First Dillon and James were amazing! They were so knowledgeable and I learned more than I could ever ask for! They answered all questions and were so kind we felt comfortable to ask anything! We also were completely secluded from anyone else so totally dark sky. They also provided chairs, coats and blankets so it was awesome to just snuggle up and recline to look at the stars and listen. We also got absolutely incredible pictures. The milky way is so clear…”

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5.1 Hour Photography Honolulu Beautiful and Magical

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 1 hour

Meet your English-speaking photographer at the Waikiki Prince Hotel lobby in the morning or Waikiki Yacht Club later in the day. Wear bright colors, pose beside Honolulu’s ocean scenery, and receive more than 100 photos per person. Wade, Jade, Lark, or Jed may be part of the creative photography team, depending on the option booked.

“Good social time with Jade. He’s so a nice person and professionnel. Anou & Naj”

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