Aloha!  

Click this link: Enjoy the Palms Cliff House Inn! to go on a virtual video tour of our featured property, The Palms Cliff House Inn Bed & Breakfast on the magnificent Hamakua Coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i!

We photographed for our friends at the beautiful Palms Cliff House Inn.  It is definitely a dream property: a fantastic Victorian design home with a separate wing with eight magnificent rooms.  It is currently operated as Hawaii’s #1 Bed and Breakfast!    

Professional interior, exterior, and aerial photography by Paradise Photo and Design will help your property sell faster! We have our own FAA Certified Remote Pilot and we serve the Big Island of Hawaii and Beyond! Our award-winning team of professionals are ready to serve you! Give us a call (808.982.3858) or an email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), today to schedule your appointment.

Raise your hand if you have not heard of a drone.

If you could look around the world, you probably wouldn’t see too many hands up.  Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS, a.k.a. Drones) are everywhere and on almost everyone’s gift list this year.  They’re awesome!  Anyone who has tried flying remote planes, helicopters, etc. can tell you the new quadcopters are easy to fly and fun.  However, they are aircraft and the FAA has set strict guidelines on how they are to be registered and used.

J.D. has been closely following the advancements in the drone industry and the development of the FAA’s Airman Certification Standards.  After training, practice, and intense study, J.D. went to Honolulu to take the FAA sUAS Knowledge Test.  Not only did J.D. pass this difficult exam, he received the highest score that the FAA-approved testing center has seen, and they have administered the exam hundreds of times!  So, J.D. is officially a FAA Certified Remote Pilot!

As a certified remote pilot, J.D. is granted the rights needed to remotely fly commercially for his business, Paradise Photo and Design LLC.  Real estate, vacation rentals, open land, agricultural inspection, industrial research, development and assessment, and scenic photography and videography are just some of the types of projects that he can legally offer to his clients.  With waivers, which are granted only to certified remote pilots, J.D. is allowed to fly in areas that are prohibited to hobbyists (i.e. near airports, military operations areas, and other restricted areas).  FYI: Hobbyists may not fly their drones within five miles of a Class E or larger airport.  Hilo International is a Class D/E Airport and most of Hilo town is within five miles of the airport.

For J.D., his quadcopters are his tools.  They are his “flying cameras”.  He uses them just like he would his traditional professional cameras.  His 34 years of professional photography experience is what makes the difference when using his flying cameras.  His thorough knowledge of light intensity, direction, contrast, and color, plus his expert-level experience in composition are what help him to create powerful images.

In order to pass the knowledge test, J.D. needed to be proficient in the following areas of study: regulations, airspace classification, aviation weather, aircraft loading and performance, emergency procedures, crew resource management, radio communication, physiological effects of drugs and alcohol, aeronautical decision-making, airport operations, and maintenance and preflight inspection procedures.  He will use these skills routinely to assure that he is operating at the optimal level of safety in a variety of conditions.  In order to maintain his certified status, he will be required to recertify every two years.

Someone once said that Paradise Photo and Design’s own J.D. Wacker has “More degrees than a thermometer”!

It is true that J.D. does have a lot of degrees, BUT WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

Here’s a list of J.D.’s degrees and a little about what’s in it for you:

Certified Photographer Degree:  This is a big one!  If you search photographers online, you’ll get a long list of “professionals”, but are they really professionals?  Certification means J.D. did his homework, passed exams, served as an apprentice, and proved his competency by having his work approved by a panel of true professionals.  FYI: J.D. is one of ten Certified Professional Photographers in the state of Hawaii, and his father, Dave is too!

Master of Photography Degree:  Only the elite professionals pursue and obtain the coveted Master of Photography Degree.  J.D. earned his and more.  The degree represents years of study, service, and most important, an excellent level of performance in affiliated competitions.  FYI:  J.D. received the degree when he was only 21 and was (at the time) the youngest to ever complete the degree (the average age was 52).

Master of Electronic Imaging Degree:  As you know, digital imaging is everywhere - even on your phone!  However, in order to receive the Master of Electronic Imaging Degree, J.D. had to take his art to a much higher level and once again, study, do service and have his work selected as excellent in affiliated competition.  FYI: In 1999, J.D.’s electronic image, “Raising Old Glory”, was selected to receive the Kodak Gallery Elite Grand Award.  From tens of thousands of images, J.D.’s won first prize!  It’s a little like winning an Oscar, but there’s only one presented in a year!

Photographic Craftsman Degree:  Sometimes people earn their degrees and then sit back, not J.D.!  The Photographic Craftsman Degree represents his dedication and service to the photographic industry.  He teaches, writes, and speaks at conventions to help grow and improve photography.  FYI: J.D. has taught photography in over 40 states and in 3 countries!

Approved Photographic Instructor and International Juror:  Once J.D. became a Master of Photography, he then earned his position as an Approved Photographic Instructor and as an International Juror.  So, now when a professional group needs a speaker, teacher, or judge, they call J.D., because they know he has the training and experience needed to do the job!

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Marketing Emphasis with Economics and Accounting Minors):  Besides photography, J.D. earned his college degree in business.  He uses his education daily to run his business and to help other businesses grow through smart marketing practises and strategic planning.  FYI: J.D. is involved in several associations, committees, and governing boards in his community.  He wants to help others succeed, because it will help everyone!

So, it’s time to give J.D. a call and set up your appointment!  With all of the degrees and associated experience, he is qualified to make you (in a portrait), your product (in an advertising photo), and your business (on a website or through social media) look your very best!  He knows the techniques and the tools, and he has the ideas needed to create great images.  Most important, as a proven professional, he follows and is accountable to a code of ethics that represents only the highest level of honesty and integrity!