Oahu Archives - Page 6 of 14 - Marco Garcia Photography

Fears of the world wide web.

I noticed I had started this blog some time ago but never got around to finishing it…or for that matter starting it.

Technology Review Magazine hired me some time back to take a portrait of cyber security expert Jeremiah Grossman who, at that time, was based in Maui. He so happen to be in Honolulu and I had a window of time to shoot a portrait photo of him.

Grossman, who founded White Hat Security, was a punk hacker who hacked Yahoo to show them their security flaws. He went on to be hired on as one of their Security Officer before starting his own security firm.

Jeremiah, who showed up wearing a business type aloha shirt, hulked right up to me and my assistant, Jamm Aquino at the location. He had that intense stare that looked right threw you scanning your brain for all your passwords and personal information. After reading a bit about him, I learned he plays rugby and knows martial arts. So if he couldn’t read your mind, he likely beat your passwords out of you one way or another.

I knew immediately I had to capture him in a dark and dangerous cyber world atmosphere; however, its hard to capture this in beautiful Honolulu with blue sky and sunshine. People don’t think of Hawaii as a dark place so my challenge was to create a moody scene.

I knew I had to get a few shots of him with the standard blue sky and what not. But I had the idea to drag him into my dark parking garage and shoot him using the available florescent lights mixed with a bit of daylight. I wish I had had a set of Kino Flos to really make my mood moodier but the overhead strip did its magic as did the odd shifts of daylight falling in the background.

I then dragged Jeremiah and Jamm down to an alley across the way and we shot him with a bare head and 7″ reflector on a Profoto 7B. It always surprises me what editors pick as I tend to favor my choices but they hardly get picked. The mag picked the safer shot of Grossman but I really wished they had gone with the garage shot.

What made the job really memorable was hearing the fears of hacking, the vulnerability of web browsers, and general chaos of the world wide web. He told me of hacker groups in Eastern Europe stealing credit card numbers and making millions of dollars via holes in the internet. I learned stories of internet security officers from big companies going to far away lands only to be run out by mafia and other assorted criminals because of the money involved in internet crimes.

Its quiet fascinating to learn that many web based corporations account for a certain percentage of uncontrollable fraud and loss into their business plans. Although security is improving, nefarious groups and governments keep finding ways into stealing from the unaware. What was most fascinating was finding out how these cyber security plans you can purchase are more like insurance policies where you are actually just paying a part of their premium for the protection…which in most cases is not really necessary.

The reality in my mind is it can happen to you but hardly likely you’ll end up stripped of everything. It seems most consumer businesses already have security watching. We got a call from our credit card one Saturday morning because of odd purchases made at Best Buy and the Apple Store which we didn’t make. My mother found her credit card hacked as well not too long ago. Chances are you’ll be hacked at some point vigilance can go along way. Don’t respond to emails from the former Oil Minister of Kenya and don’t use your bank ATM card for anything on line.

Also, according to Jeremiah, don’t use the same browser to surf and do bank work. Use separate browsers altogether. Its likely you’ll get hacked at some point but you’re also likely to have your house broken into (once in Jersey City) or getting rear ended while driving (twice in HNL.) I’m not saying I’m not scared but our pockets are not as deep as Chase or Ebay, meaning, as an individual, you’re an unknown and no one has any particular interest in you.

By the way, if any of the facts of my story are wrong, I’m certain Jeremiah will find and correct. I doubt his fists will do the talking but most likely his fingers will commit the terror.

You can see the story here.

I hear that train a commin’…its rollin’ ’round the bend

This past September, Hyphen Magazine, an Asian-American publication out of California, called me out of the blue and asked me to do a portrait of an ex con who was on Oahu. The story focused on Native Hawaiians who were incarcerated and sent off-Island to serve their sentences due to State budget matters. The ex con was one of the first Native Hawaiians to be shipped off in the late 1970s. After finding out how much they actually wanted to pay, I turned them down stating it was way too much work for what they expected. The photo editor, Damien Maloney, who believed I would be the best candidate to capture this unique portrait, then told me the story of Delbert Wakinekona and I was sold.

Its not everyday you get to spend time with a man who broke out of Folsom Prison, the jail made famous by the man in black, Johnny Cash.

According to a legal record found on the web, in 1970, Wakinekona and a partner entered a local store to buy sashimi when the outing turned deadly as the shop owners were robbed and beaten with one later dying of his injuries. Wakinekona and his partner were “indicted for the crimes of first degree murder, first degree robbery (two counts) and aggravated assault.” Although he claims he was not part of the attempted robbery and/or the beating was unintentional, Wakinekona was given a life sentence for the murder. Wakinekona felt he was framed by the others testimony and flawed court system worked against him. He tried unsuccessfully to fight his conviction but lost.

After serving time in jail, and if I’m not mistaken, breaking out of the Halawa Correctional Center, Wakinekona was found to be a troublemaker and was sent off-Island to the mainland to serve the rest of his sentence. Wakinekona was part of the first wave of Hawaiian shipped off to the mainland thus breaking his family and cultural ties to Hawaii. He sued to remain in Hawaii, even having his case argued in the US Supreme Court, but eventually lost his case.

And I ain’t seen the sunshine,
Since, I don’t know when

So as I drove out to Waianae to meet Delbert Wakinekona and Lilian Harwood, his new wife who helped him get out of prison on a compassionate release due to Delbert’s declining health, I filled with dread and anticipation of dealing with a man who might be maladjusted to the outside world. But the few hours I spent with ex-con Delbert had me understand not just what life is like inside prison but understood was prison does to a man. I make no excuses for the crimes Delbert supposedly committed. He was no angel. However time does change people and injustice can make a person very bitter.

Delbert, who looks give him the appearance of a weathered Santa Claus, greeted me with a smile but his demeanor made me realize he was a tiger. He looked through me, intimidated me, and outplayed me instantly. I immediately knew I was dealing with someone who understood the nature of man and survival. Delbert lived within a silent world where life and death were separated by a glance, a sudden mood change, a split decision. There was no trust, no basis of friendship or loyalty in his mannerism. He was dangerous. But dangerous as a means of survival.

We began to chat, talk and getting to know each other. I felt every move I made was watched and anticipated. Like a wild dog, any movements towards him might have resulted in a snap, growl or worse. I could sense he struggled with PTSD as he had been in jail for most of his life. The outside world was different. He had no constraints yet knew no other way.

I’m stuck in Folsom Prison,
And time keeps draggin’ on,

We talked about his case. He asked about my ethnicity. I told him I was Hispanic and he relished time time spent with Mexican Americans in Folsom Prison. He told me once he was shipped off Hawaii, he entered a world in the late 70’s early 80’s where Hawaiians were only known through Elvis and aloha shirts. Hawaiians were virtually unknown on the mainland and invisible in prisons. He was neither white or black so the only people he could visually associate with were the Hispanics. In his first encounter with Hispanics in jail, they began to talk Spanish which he couldn’t understand. The Mexicans, finding his disrespect intriguing, demanded to know who or what he was. He told them he was Hawaiian and quickly the Hispanics found humor in calling him a pina, or pineapple in Spanish. According to Delbert, this slight was more sexual in nature and he quickly had to establish he was no “fruit” and quickly gained the respect of the Hispanics for his bold stance. Delbert was then referred to as Hawaiiano which he claims with pride.

He talked about his case, his life, his breakout of several jails including Folsom, and life being outside. He talked about some of the more infamous inmates he knew at Folsom including Charles Manson and others. He talked of legal battles with prison wardens, judges, and prison itself. He talked of life on the lam and shining the light on Native Hawaiian struggle as they are sent off Island. He mentioned the correspondence from other infamous prisoners he met along the way. Delbert was a walking history book of American crime figures and prisons.

But that train keeps a-rollin’,
On down to San Antone

As I finally felt he trusted me enough to pose, we went down to the beach near Yokohama Bay at sunset and I was able to snap some haunting images of this man who some might feel he still belongs in prison for the crimes he committed. It wasn’t hard to have him give me that prison stare as it seemed natural to him. I never posed him pretentiously or expected him to show me some deep emotion. I wanted to capture him like the man I saw in front of me.

At first he work a dark blue t-shirt with some type of fishing logo and I really wanted it to come off. I quickly realized his body was covered in “jail-house tats” and Delbert was more than willing to show me his history told on the folds of his now old skin. He had the names of his children, Hawaiian folklore icons, dragons, roses, and a half goat man hugging a naked woman. His crude tattoos told a story that no hipster skin could ever begin to tell. These were the stories of a man whose life turn a turn for the worst on a faraway night back in 1970.

Across his now flabby belly were the words “Hawaii No Ka Oi’,” or simply, “Hawaii…the best.”

Aside from the convicted murderer who stood in front of my lens, I found Delbert to be a tiger, but an older tiger who still had his teeth but losing his bite. He was granted a compassionate release from jail as he is currently suffering from advanced liver cancer. Whether a man like this deserves to be out of prison is up to debate but with cancer quickly advancing, he might not be around long enough to fight that battle.

At the end, Delbert was grateful for the attention and kindness I gave him and gave me a bear hug that clearly wasn’t toothless. It was kind and tender but quickly felt the power of man who survived prison life. I learned I wasn’t meant for prison but a young Delbert probably thought the same thing. We all have tigers inside of us, its just odd we have to be incarcerated to find it.

When I hear that whistle blowin’,
I hang my head and cry.

Take Monday Off!

I’m not sure if you can, but according to the Wall St. Journal’s late December travel piece (shot by me of course) you can manage to see Oahu in three days!

See article here.

I’ve often thought travel to Hawaii is tough as we are a long way from “da mainland” so considering flight times, jet lag, Oahu traffic, etc, it seems like a tough path to follow. However, the story lays out a great argument of what you can see and do on Oahu in a short period of time.

I had a helluva time shooting the job all considering it rained during the entire commissioned time to work. I had to dodge rain, clouds, and gloomy seas but I was able to produce wonderful telling images of Oahu.

The WSJ article produced a really nice video with all my images which can be seen on their website here… Take Monday Off

Of the wonderful Oahu spots, Iolani Palace is one of those places that lots of tourist seem to visit from the outside but hardly go in. The interior shows the elegant side of Hawaii’s Royal Family with 18th-19th century imported indulgences giving the Royals that touch of European royal class.

Waimea Bay without waves can be boring as most tourist expect big waves and surfers but when the water is flat, its like swimming in a big lake. Brilliant place to spend the afternoon and see the sunset…if you can park!

And of course the not well visited Doris Duke’s Islamic shrine, Shangri-La. Duke, the trust funded daughter of a super rich tobacco tycoon, used her wealth to import only the best art, furniture, and artifacts from all over the Islamic World. The home is now a museum with limited access. The ocean side estate is a Pacific mecca of Islamic art and architect bringing scholars from around the world to study and conserve the many artifacts and pieces on the estate . Although some may see controversy as Duke purchased priceless art and pieces throughout the Middle East, including having an entire room (floor to ceiling) imported from Turkey, she helped preserved parts of Islamic culture that might have been lost dude to neglect or theft, or sadly zealots. Imperialism aside, Shangri-La is fantastic and well worth the time to visit the home.

a long time away

It’s been some time since I’ve written here and its time to update the life around me.

Those who know me well know that I’ve entered a new stage in my life by having to let go of something. Its been tough but these are the unavoidable obstacles in life.

As work goes, things have been very busy. With Hawaii having a “shooting season,” I’ve been shooting loads and keeping myself busy. I’ve done work for Sony, National Geographic Society, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and everything in between. Great images all and all.

I will update my blog as the days go on and will start with a more interesting subject…FILM!

I shot a page for Conde Nast Traveler and the editors wanted me to shoot 4×5 Polaroid! Now you’re saying to yourself…”Polaroid? Do they still make that stuff?”

Actually…yes and no. The company Polaroid no longer makes instant after going kaput in the early 2000’s but Fujfilm still makes instant film, although they stopped making it for 4×5. There is a Dutch company, the Impossible Project, that did buy the patents and technology to make their version of Polaroid but they haven’t made a 4xt5 version yet. They do have an 8×10 version but its pricey. But luckily I found some old stock of Fujifilm locally and set off to shoot a portrait of of Roxy and Matt of Vers Hawaii.

Roxy and Matt design all the clothes on their Vers line and they got national attention from the mag. They were quiet a nice pair to photograph as its never hard to shoot good looking people. The idea was to shoot them near sunset near Portlock and to ensure a nice tilt/shift on the image. Pulling out the old 4×5 proved to be a tough one since the last time I really shot that camera was for a surfer project I shot before Polaroid T55 pos/neg disappeared. To have to rethink like a film photographer after shooting totally digitally was tough yet fun.

With assistant Natalie at my side, we shot about 20 polaroids, rather Fuji45 instant film and lost about 4 to 5 shots to exposure, sand, and unstable film. It might have been easy to shoot if we had more time, more experience with shooting 45, and just a more controlled situation. You forget how quickly the light changes when the latitude of the instant film is clearly unforgiving…unlike digital which captures and sees all.

The shot the mag chose is on the layout along with my shot of an Ono Pop. The Mexican Style palettas are quiet the hit here in Hawaii and the mag figured I had the skill to do both a still life and a portrait. Clearly people recognize my ability to wear many hats while living in the Aloha State. When living in a place where a photography career can have you shooting a football game, a business portrait on an airplane, and a concert by a hip hop artist, you have to learn to do everything. There is very little room to specialize in Hawaii.

So the pineapple vanilla Ono Pop needed to be shot on a white background. Hence I shot the ice cream on a piece of white plexiglass, lit from below and a hard light from above, all the while having my living room as my studio. Shooting white on white on yellow is really, really tough but I managed to pull it off.

a quick post about tear sheets

I’ve been busy…which is good but haven’t had time to think much about blogging. So here’s a quick post on a few tear sheets from a couple of jobs I’ve had in the last few weeks.

Melissa Rivera is a babe. An art babe no less. Further…a RISD artists and a Chilanga! And when you’re able to shoot a creative person, they do all the work. Melissa made a great portrait for Modern Luxury. I actually didn’t do much but just point the camera. Shes a great designer and could only hope…rather…strive to have the creativity she oozes when you’re around her. Check out her designs on her website.

The Wall Street Journal sent me to the Four Seasons Maui to shoot their updated resort shopping. Always exciting to see a 3/4 page with all my images. Fun Stuff.

And the lead image is of a job I’m proud of as its for Texas Monthly, a mag from my home state. Oddly, a Texan blogger by the name of Kev Jumba was in Honolulu by chance and I had a quick portrait session with him. I contacted Diane Ako at the Halekulani and rented a banquet room to shoot a clean white background. The fit was a bit tight but we got the job done quickly. Erica was a big help. Great portrait and he used my camera as a prop.