On the Scene With Kim Taylor Reece

Kim Taylor Reece wasn’t planning to stay when he came to Hawaii from Southern California 40 years ago. He’d be here for a year, surfing with his brother, and then move on.

Four decades later Reece is 70, one of Hawaii’s most prominent fine arts photographers and known far beyond the islands for his sepia-toned photos of island women dancing hula on pristine beaches.

His work is seen in five coffee table books, in a long line of licensed products, and in the decor of the newly restored Grand Naniloa Hotel overlooking Hilo Bay.

JOHN BERGER: I remember Wyland doing art for a hotel in Waikiki. How did you get involved with the Grand Naniloa?

KIM TAYLOR REECE: When they remodeled it they made it really, really nice, and then they wanted to make it the home of the hula because of Merrie Monarch so they had me come in and do the artwork. I put in all the pictures in the lobby, the hallways and the rooms.

I’ve got about 1,400 pictures in there from big murals — one is 44 feet high — to smaller ones in the rooms.

JB: How did hula dancers become the subject of your life’s work?

KTR: My dad was a Pearl Harbor survivor and he had all these great sea stories about how beautiful the hula dancers were, so when I got over here I was thinking about that. But because my background was in art, I started photographing hula dancers to use as sketches for paintings. What I found was that the paintings didn’t have the impact I was getting in the photography.

Photography is the best way for me to capture the dancers’ energy and the strength and emotional impact, and it lets me share that with other people so they can see how beautiful it is, too.

JB: What has been the biggest challenge for you?

KTR: Going from film to digital was not just a major change but a psychological shift. It’s a whole different look. You have to learn everything all over.

I wanted my photos to keep looking old and it took me a long time to figure it out.

JB: What do you enjoy doing that isn’t career-related?

KTR: I work a lot with artists and musicians to help them make sure that their work is protected from copyright infringement if they’re having problems with that. I also do a lot of free album covers for musicians — music is one of my inspirations so if I can give back to the people who have helped inspire me I like to do it.

“On the Scene” appears on Sundays in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach John Berger at jberger@staradvertiser.com.