As a practicing travel/landscape photographer, my work is guided by a desire to capture beauty and tell stories through my imagery, holding moments in time that invite reflection and recollection. Lahaina, a historic town on Maui, Hawaii, was one of those places that offered remarkable opportunities for this. Its charm, steeped in history and tradition, was a visual treasure trove – from the vibrant banyan tree to the quaint wooden storefronts, and the spirit of its community. In August 2023, the wildfire that engulfed and devastated Lahaina changed everything, reducing a town rich in culture to ash.

My photographs of the community, which I once viewed from an artful perspective, have taken on a new and historic significance, an almost sacred value. The post-fire landscape and remnants of what was left behind challenge us to process a deeply altered reality and ask us to consider what our role is within this altered space. I experienced this when I visited Maui in October of 2024 and saw the depth of destruction first-hand.
How do we honor what was? How do we contribute to help the healing?