The Photography of Aaron Yoshino

lua. aha kane 2012 for mana magazine. leica m8, 50mm zeiss planar *t.

bon dance. fuji x100.

fisherman at ka lae. fuji x pro 1, 35mm f/1.4. 

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This is the work of local photographer Aaron Yoshino (@honozoolooo).

I’ve followed Aaron’s work for some time now. He’s published in a bunch of local magazines and I like to check his latest photos every now and then on honozulu.tumblr.com.

Aaron’s photojournalistic style captures Hawaii scenes and moments that I’m sure most Hawaii residents (especially those that live in Honoulu) can relate to.

Meet Aaron. We had lunch the other day at Cocina in Kakaako to talk shop.

Aaron is well known around town. He was born and raised in Honolulu, went to college and worked a bit in California, then came back to Hawaii in 2006. He’s worked as a freelance photographer in Honolulu ever since.

You’ll find his work in publications like HONOLULU Magazine, MANA Magazine, Honolulu Star Advertiser, Flux, Contrast, ESPN and a bunch more. He’s also does a good amount of commercial photography for local Hawaii brands.

Aaron’s personal work is all about capturing moments that trigger memories. That’s what drew me to his stuff. I was scrolling through his photos on Tumblr one day and as I was going through photo after photo, I found myself feeling nostalgic. (Which is weird because I live in Hawaii.) Aaron’s photos capture the character of Honolulu and draw attention to the scenes we see here on a daily basis but don’t necessarily think about.

Aaron’s subject matter is very broad though. He shoots street scenes, people, landscapes, and lifestyle imagery. His style though is almost always photojournalistic and he’s always trying to capture scenes that trigger memories.

He shoots primarily with his Fuji X-Pro (a camera that’s becoming very popular among professional photographers), Canon 5D Mark II and a bunch of film cameras.

In this story, I’ve selected photos that show the range of Aaron’s work. For any folks out there that used to live in Hawaii, especially those that lived in Honolulu, this collection of photos is for you.

For each photo, Aaron has provided a caption that includes the type of camera and lens that were used (and sometimes the type of film).

Neighborhood Scenes

I found that one of Aaron’s themes tends to be shots of buildings or views we see here in Honolulu on a regular basis. These are probably my favorite photos from Aaron’s since they are so different than my own. I feel like these photos bring to attention the character of Honolulu that normally, only a resident would be exposed to.

the occidental. fuji xpro 1, fujinon 18mm f/2.

the minatoya building. fuji xpro 1, fujinon 18mm f/2.

l&l drive inn. fuji xpro 1, fujinon 18mm f/2.

liliha. canon eos 5d mkii, 50mm f/1.2L.

liliha avenue. fuji xpro1, 18mm f/2.

mama’s bbq. fuji xpro1, 18mm f/2.

kuakani st. fuji xpro 1. 18mm f/2.

kalaka. bessa r3a, 35mm f/1.2. nokton asph v2. fuji nps160.

 freeway. canon 5d mkii, arsat 90mm f/2.8 tilt shift.

flossie. fuji x pro 1, 18mm f/2.

sunset. fuji x-pro 1, 35mm 1.4.

bridge. leica r3, 50mm summicron-r.

plantation style. nikon fe, 50mm f/1.2 ais. fuji neopan acros hand-processed in d-76.

Lifestyle

Real Hawaii life is much different than what you see portrayed on TV, travel shows or even most of the photos you see here on Unreal Hawaii. Of course, there is no one way to express the idea of “real Hawaii life” because everyone lives differently but, I found that Aaron’s photography provides an authentic take at portraying his version of everyday life.

s’mores. fuji xpro 1, fujinon 35mm f/1.4.

mama’s bbq. fuji xpro1, 18mm f/2.

rainy sunset. fuji xpro 1, fujinon 35mm f/1.4.

fuji xpro 1, 35mm f/1.4.

menace at manana. fuji xpro 1, 35mm f/1.4.

there’s always the most trash ever here. leica m8, voigtlander 35mm nokton asph v2.

ray’s. leica m8, 35mm f/1.2 nokton asph v.ii.

mele kalikimalasadas. canon eos 5d mkii, 50mm leica summicron-r.

kumu hoaka delos reyes. aha kane 2012 for mana magazine. leica m8, zeiss planar*t 50mm f/2.

cruising. ka lae, hawai’i island. fuji x pro 1, 35mm f/1.4.

makapu’u lookout. canon 5d mkii, arsat 90mm f/2.8 tilt-shift. 

Double Exposures

I’d also like to share these three double-exposures with you as they show Aaron’s artistic side of photography. This is a creative guy.

anonymous. on assignment for mana magazine. fuji x pro 1, 35mm f/1.4. double exposure mode.

 fuji x-pro 1 double exposure mode. 35mm f/1.4.

last shot of the night/first shot of the morning. double exposure, leica r3, 50mm summicron-r, kodak ektar 100.

Learn more about Aaron Yoshino:

• Aaron Yoshino’s official website: www.honozooloo.com.
• Browse through his excellent Tumblr: honozooloo.tumblr.com.
• Aaron on Instagram: instagram.com/honozooloo.
• Aaron on Twitter: twitter.com/honozooloo
• Article profiling Aaron on Midweek.com: Aaron Yoshino – Photographer.

See also:

• See more Unreal Hawaii features on Hawaii photographers in the Inspiration category.