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There is a little hidden corner of Paradise in… well, Paradise: aka Hawai’i, specifically the island of O’ahu. It is called Luakaha, and it is set within a private property in Nu’uanu Valley. Passionate local hikers know how to reach it from the back trails, otherwise it remains off the beaten track, especially for tourists.
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I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to do a photo shoot at this beautiful location, with full permission from the property owners, and accessing the site from the official entrance – which is through the property’s gardens. As we headed towards the waterfall, we were sidetracked by the beauty of the flowers and foliage by the creek, which is where I shot these jungle-like images.
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The beautiful faerie of the jungle is Hawaiian actress and model Jackie Seeley. You may have seen her in one of the early scenes of the movie Princess Kaiulani, in which she played the young mother of the little Princess.
The advantage of working with a professional model is that you hardly have to say anything: she/he knows what to do. Without hesitation, Jackie waded into the creek and started interacting with the beautiful flowers.
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It was not long after this day that Jackie became pregnant. She now has a little girl that is as beautiful as the mother. Here you can see some of Jackie’s maternity images.
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One guess what we did when we were done with the shoot? Of course, we dove into the pond and let the waterfall cleanse us. It may have been a hot Hawai’i day in May, but the water was still crisp and refreshing.
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I am currently working behind the scenes to make art prints available for sale, so some of these luscious faerie of the jungle images will be available for purchase. I will of course be announcing this as soon as I am ready, but if you should be interested and would like to be notified via e-mail, do let me know.
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Other related posts you might enjoy:
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It looks like paradise. Almost too good to be real! 🙂
It certainly is! It’s a glorious location. 🙂
Hi there, I am so sorry to bother you but I am a resident of Oahu and I am interested in seeing Luakaha Falls. I want to be very respectful and ask permission with the land and home owners. Would you mind sharing a tip on how or who I could and should contact in properly seeking approval? Your photography is gorgeous by the way. And I feel terrible for asking you advice on this but I cannot seem to find any other source. I understand if you do not feel comfortable sharing any information and I don’t mind doing my own research but it has been very difficult so far to get any type of info and I DO NOT want to tresspass. I am simply a lover of waterfalls who wants to see this place for a short while and not be bothersome whatsoever. Thank you for your time.
Thank you,
Sai S.
Aloha Sai: Thank you for posting your comment here, as this is not the first time I am asked how to reach Luakaha, and this way my reply might help others as well. It is very considerate and Pono of you to want to avoid trespassing, as the falls are indeed on private property. However, I do not recall the name of the people who own the property, nor the address, as this was a few years ago. I do have signed releases among my papers, but they are right now in storage about 3 hours drive from where I am located at this time. I do remember that if you get to the Kaniakapupu Ruins, better known as King Kamehameha III summer home, you can easily hike to Luakaha from there, reaching the falls from the other side of the river. Enjoy the falls! <3