Images by Josiah Patterson
A decade ago, when Josiah Patterson rediscovered his love for photography after a multi-year hiatus, his hometown of Mākaha proved a convenient muse. Elsewhere on the island, O‘ahu’s oceanside vistas are obscured by endless crowds. Here, Patterson’s wife and daughter—his other muses—are often the only figures in the frame.
![a mountain with a barbed wire fence](https://palm.luxury/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PALM_Issue-18_In-the-Raw_IMG-1-683x1024.jpg)
![a mountain with a barbed wire fence](https://palm.luxury/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PALM_Issue-18_In-the-Raw_IMG-copy-683x1024.jpg)
In the many sprawling scenes of sand and surf he would go on to capture over the years, it’s clear that Patterson sees the west side’s liminal landscapes with a certain reverence—drawn, still, to its churning waves and limitless blue skies, the imposing silhouette of Mount Kaʻala, Oʻahu’s tallest peak, ever-present overhead.
![a rocky cliff with water and mountains in the background](https://palm.luxury/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PALM_Issue-18_In-the-Raw_IMG-1024x683.jpg)
![a black and white photo of a beach with trees](https://palm.luxury/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PALM_Issue-18_In-the-Raw_IMG-copy-2-1024x823.jpg)
![a foggy mountain with trees](https://palm.luxury/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PALM_Issue-18_In-the-Raw_IMG-copy-3-1024x823.jpg)
![a person riding a skateboard on a beach](https://palm.luxury/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PALM_Issue-18_In-the-Raw_IMG-copy-4-1024x683.jpg)
![a wave in the ocean with an overlay image of a person swimming underwater](https://palm.luxury/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PALM_Issue-18_In-the-Raw_IMG-copy-5-1024x683.jpg)