Magic Island

Magic Island is a manmade peninsula jutting into the ocean at the edge of Ala Moana Beach Park, offering some of Honolulu's best unobstructed views of Diamond Head, the Waikiki skyline, and the open Pacific. The wide concrete seawalls give you a stable platform to shoot from, and the curved shoreline lets you compose leading lines that draw the eye toward the crater or the city depending on which direction you face. Sunset is the prime time to be here, when warm light catches the water and silhouettes the palm trees against an often vivid sky. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before sunset to scout your spot, as the seawall fills up with locals. A wide angle lens works well for sweeping compositions, while a short telephoto helps you isolate Diamond Head against the horizon. Parking is available inside the beach park. (Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, United States)