Photo Finish: Favorite images of 2014

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
For all the frantic hurricane preparation by government agencies, residents and news outlets during back-to-back storms in 2014, an unidentified boy at the Elks Lodge in Waikiki briefly stopped to play in the rain on Oct. 18 as Hurricane Ana passed south of Oahu. This photo is a reminder to myself to take time to have fun and play, even in the face of adversity.

BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
I was cruising around town looking for “wild art” on Sept. 29 and decided to check out the beaches in Waikiki and along Kapiolani Park. I came upon a family waiting for dad Aaron Rivera to get out of the water. When sons Tyler, 7, and Marcus, 3, decided to help their father with his gear — and with the youngest clowning around — I shot this photo.

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
This image was from a series of group portraits I took of the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team on Nov. 7. It was an assignment fraught with tension since it was scheduled shortly after the team had lost its head coach and a star player in the wake of an NCAA investigation. I didn’t know what to expect but was prepared for a sullen team that would need a lot of coaxing during the shoot. To make matters more complicated, the court was not available, as the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team was hosting a match that evening. I chose to shoot in one of the courtside entrance hallways since it was the simplest and most efficient option given the circumstances. One of the groups I photographed included Isaac Fleming, left, Zach Buscher, Negus Webster-Chan, Brandon Jawato and Garrett Nevels. We tried a few posed shots but it looked static, so I suggested showing more movement. Without missing a beat, the players began dribbling and spinning basketballs. The noise from all the action boomed out of the hallway and within a minute the shoot was over. I was impressed with the entire team’s positive energy and confidence. As I left the Stan Sheriff Center, I thought, “This team has heart. I’ll be rooting for them.”

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Changes are afoot on Lanai since billionaire Larry Ellison bought the island in 2012. Kathleen Noelani Soule, 56, snapped a picture of her family home one last time before it was to be torn down and rebuilt. Soule, who now lives on Maui, reminisced about her childhood when she visited Lanai on Aug. 26. She said she had to take a picture of her former home before it was gone. To me it was poetry in motion as she gracefully moved into position and paused with the wind ruffling her skirt. When she lifted her camera and snapped the picture, so did I.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Thalia Martin, 3, was likely unaware of her family’s desperate circumstances when the city did a sweep of the homeless in Kakaako on Nov. 13. The toddler stopped and smiled for the camera while helping her parents remove their belongings from a Kakaako park, where they had been living since August. The living conditions there are already pretty sketchy, with no toilets and muddy, wet conditions, and having to move personal belongings, even with advanced warning, is stressful for the families. As I look forward to the new year, a roof over my head is still a wonderful thing!

CHRISTINA CHUN / CCHUN@STARADVERTISER.COM
I wanted to get a higher perspective on Honolulu and heard Puu Ualakaa State Park was the place to go. It was right after New Year’s, and there was a small tour group there, led by a cheerful man who played the ukulele. The serenity of the place was such that everyone spoke softly, when they did at all. I stayed until the park closed, enjoying the soft breeze, listening to the tall grasses rustling at the edges of the park, and watching the lights flicker on in the city below. Looking at this photo now reminds me of beginnings and the anticipation of a fresh new year ahead. I’d like to share that feeling for 2015.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
University of Hawaii guard Shawna-Lei Kuehu, foreground, grabbed a rebound ahead of University of North Carolina forward Stephanie Mavunga during the first half of a women’s college basketball game Nov. 30 at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu. This photo is one of my favorites because the Tarheels player with her feet in the air provides a lighthearted element in contrast to the intensity of Kuehu and Mavunga going for the rebound. I’ve shot hundreds of sports events, and this shot sums up my career as a photojournalist — fun, spontaneous, serious and intense — all in one frame.

KRYSTLE MARCELLUS / KMARCELLUS@STARADVERTISER.COM
The Lopes family allowed us to share their intimate moments while they were staying at the Institute for Human Service’s emergency shelter for women and families. Charles and Momi Lopes’ positive and loving relationship with each other and their children was contagious and remained constant despite their circumstances. Their story of renewal after job loss, drug addiction and homelessness was inspiring and honest. Charles Lopes’ love for his family radiated through this scene as he said goodbye to his son Ka‘i‘ama before heading to work for the late afternoon shift, while Kau‘ila held baby brother Kane on their bed at the shelter on June 11. As a photojournalist, I am privileged to witness these kinds of moments. Mahalo to the Lopes family for their courage and openness.