“From the swirls of a fallen plumeria, to the vibrant sun soaked golden
sunkiss
I Left a Piece of my heart on the Island of O`ahu words and images provided by Debbie Friedrich
I didn’t know a person could fall in love with an island. That’s what happened
when my family moved to O`ahu in 2001: my heart and my soul completely resonated with the land and the people. I met a beautiful woman who would become my mentor and one of my very dearest friends, Arna Johnson. She took me under her wing, guided my photography career, taught me about the land and life and then let me soar.
When I photograph, my camera is an extension of my heart—I shoot from
my heart. I see the tenderness of the father of the bride holding on to his daughter one last time as he’s walking her to her new life ahead. I see the tears that fill the corners of the bride’s eyes as her husband gazes at her while speaking his vows. I see the groom’s elation as they take their first walk as husband and wife. Looking out amongst the guests, I see an “auntie” smiling so huge that her light shines from within. When I give the couple their images, I’m holding my breath, hoping they love them as much as I do. When I know that they are happy and are reliving their day through the images, then I breathe—I am happy too.
I had been photographing weddings and families before I moved to O`ahu,
but I never imagined how busy I would be photographing in the islands. I was honored to be photographing so many beautiful couples and families, both locally and from all over the world. During the reception of a beautiful wedding at Paliku Gardens in Kualoa Ranch, I stopped and looked over to my left up the majestic peaks of the Ko`olau and then to my right, gazing at Mokoli`i Island
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