Spirit of Aloha | Features | May/June 2007

Linda Ching
The Vision

Often I’m asked what I do for pleasure in my spare time. Perhaps it is noticed that my work is a very large part of my life. Or perhaps it is thought that, as a photographer, I get so much pleasure from my work. After all, how many people get paid for focusing on beautiful things? One of my favorite things is to load my car with camera bags and, with no particular place to go, hit the road. Do­ing this, I’ve seen a good part of Ha­wai‘i, and it is always a vivid experience. Frankly, no matter how many treks I take, it still takes my breath away to turn a corner and discover an amazing vista—even though I may have photo­graphed it many times. Or to be awe­struck —again and again—as the ex­quisite morning light, the field of sky, stretches across the pali and washes across the valley below. Each moment, each day, is a surprise. It is also a source of endless inspiration.

The Photographer

Linda Ching is a photographer and author whose work encompasses illustrating and interpreting mythic lore. She has created and published award-winning books: Hawaiian Goddesses, ‘Ano Lani: The Hawaiian Mon­archy Years, Powerstsone and Waimea: Big Is­land Treasures. Her Hawaiian Goddesses col­lection was exhibited at a Congres­sional showing at the Cannon House Rotunda in Wash­ington, D.C. Her ac­claimed book Story of the Stone (Ten Speed Press) is a visual in­ter­pre­tation of Dream of the Red Chamber, by Cao Xueqin. She is the first artist from the United States to have been invited to exhibit her photography in a solo show at the China Na­tional Museum of Fine Arts, Beijing.

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