We believe in the beauty of STORY and that a picture should hold moments worth remembering. This is why we work hard to create authentic sessions that capture you and the story that is uniquely yours. There could be no better investment than the gift of presence, truly celebrating the moments we are given today and creating memories to withstand time.

by pekuna hong

Our style captures movement and life being lived. The little things that we sometimes don’t even know we will miss, the little things that will never be the same but will always be a part of us…like the touch of a hand, or the gaze of loving eyes. Sometimes we don’t know what our story looks like until we see it in an image. It can make us see ourselves, our family, our world…in such a new way. The magic, the chaos, the blessings, the struggles and the joy. Because joy isn’t known through everything being perfect and exactly the way we thought it should be.. joy is known by enduring the struggles and triumphing in the greatest moments for the reasons and people we love. Life is messy and so are we. Messy, fun, crazy but also mellow and reflective…our style strives to pull the emotion out of our session and really capture all we can to celebrate you without it feeling like we are trying to be anyone except yourselves.

Learn more about our packages HERE.

ALOHA

My name is Pekuna Hong. Married to my love, Steven Hong. My waterman who hates being in front of a camera and spends every minute he has with his ohana. We have 6 Keiki that keep us busy and drive us to do better everyday. Keep us crazy enough to keep dreaming, believing and creating.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WONDER WHY KICKING BIRD? When I met my husband he knew me as Jazmin, my first name, but I would introduce myself to everyone else as Pekuna. They’d always ask me what Pekuna meant after saying my name 5 times trying to get it right. It was a name I was given by my ohana before I was born which literally means to kick a lot, but my Grandma said it also meant to stand up strongly for what you believe in, with a kick. After hearing me explain that a few times he started calling me his Kicking Bird and he still calls me that when I am being difficult. It’s always stuck with me and reminds me of my name whenever I hear it… Standing up for what I believe in, doing what I love and providing for my family while doing it. It always makes me remember my why, my community, my lahui and where I come from.
Image by Mahina Choy

How beautiful is this Mami!?! I couldn’t decide between the color and BW. I’ve been soooo into the BW’s lately. Which one is your fave?? Being an anxious and socially awkward person AND being a photographer is probably a bad match 😂 I always show up soooo nervous to shoots, have no filter on my mouth and feel like my brain isn’t connecting all the wires lol… but you all make it soooo easy and give me so much inspiration!! Thank you for giving this Mama your trust and support! I couldn’t do it without you guys, YOU are the best! 🫶🫶

Trying so hard not to blink and they still grow up too fast

@vvailana taking my breathe away when I rummage through galleries

New work for @eweoiaio 🤎

Howling side winds, high tide surges, barely any beach, people camped out at your “favorite spot” and we still make magic 🤎

⏸️

Oxytocin boost (aka Maternity session) 💗💗💗

Saturn was always my favorite planet besides earth 🪐 there was always something about a ring of ice particles and other matter orbiting alongside moons around a planet that seemed so beyond reason and sensibility that it made me believe in the magic of the universe and within us all as a part of this crazy universe. I used to do experiments where I would think something would come true and then it would and I really thought everyone had this magic and just didn’t know. I used to get teased and it’s funny that now its a normal thing to believe in such things😂

One of my favorite things at weddings is to see the special people in a couples lives and watch the way they connect and hold a couple, and how the couple holds and connects with them… the way they honor each other. It’s so beautiful

Playing and falling in love with a new film cam this wā kupulau with @penina.vai 🫶🏽

Sessions I leave grinning all the way home 🫶🏽

One of the best things about sessions are that it’s a blocked off time for you to be all in with your 💗💗 something a lot of us don’t do or make time for regularly, staring at each other and trying to make each other laugh. One of my favorite things is watching people unravel from busy life and just be all in with each other Do you stare into your partner or your kids eyes? Over many years of shooting I’ve learned that it’s uncomfortable for most people. It’s been something I really try to do daily… whether they’re just talking to me or just to stare and see them in a moment. It has definitely changed me… capturing people and seeing what I could be doing regularly, how I can express and appreciate my family in constant easy ways and slow down even amidst the chaos 🫶🏽 If you and your partner have 5 minutes of peace and quiet (sounds easy but we all know it’s not), an amazing ❤️ practice is sitting knee to knee or just straddle if you want to 😏, arms and hands on each other in some way connecting and stare into each others eyes. Speaking with your eyes, with whatever words come up, laughing, crying, learning the lines on their face and the way their eyes receive YOU. Try try! If you do it lmk how it goes 💗💗💗

Love > And this ohana says it all 🫶🏽

What makes sunrise and sunset light so magical and alluring? I think about it too much and have a million answers lol. Why do you think? For a few years after we went through the blur that was cancer for my oldest daughter, I had to watch sunrises and sunsets every single day. EVERY DAY. It was an unhealthy obsesssion. I dragged my kids around, they mostly loved it… we planned our life around it…but if I missed it, sometimes it would turn my mood super dark. Later I realized it was how I healed, but also escaped, felt alive, was reminded of the magic of life, how you never knew what it would be like till you were there, letting go of expectation and giving yourself to convergence between the dark and the light, the way that bridge between pō and ao cast some of the most brilliant colors…. It reflected what was inside of me and made me feel seen, but also reminded me how connected we all are, to each other, to this place and to the broader expanse beyond our skies.

We were watching the movie Next Goal Wins and there was a part in the movie where when asked about the non-binary character they related them to a flower, and said if we had no flowers here it would be such a dull world. It really stuck with me. Throughout many cultures they’ve been the magic weavers, the bridges for people and the universe. Hearing the story about Nex, a fluid 16yo teen from Oklahoma, really gets to me and as a photographer, the only way I can advocate is to capture. So I am giving away sessions to families of non-binary teens, with emphasis on them. I will be fitting them in as my schedule allows. There are a lot of people I want to support but rn as this story hits my heart, I’m compelled to do this. Pls message me or send to any ohana who you think might be interested. Photography sessions can be so much more than just pictures….they are unveiling, liberating and heart opening for so many of my clients and that is the feeling I want to offer.

Celebrating 50 years together and the ohana that you’ve created is such an amazing thing to be able to capture. These two were too cute together. What type of kupuna are you gonna be

4 years of loving this ohana 🫶🏽

Sending out sneak peeks is always my favorite feeling. Mahalo yo everyone who makes sure your photographer knows how much you love your photos, it’s what feeds my creative soul!

🫰

BOOK a session

be the aloha you wish to see in the world

〰️

be the aloha you wish to see in the world 〰️