Pacific Heart in Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawaii
In our opinion Melanie Tjoeng is living the dream, splitting her time between two amazing cities: NYC and Honolulu. We love her inspirational feed that captures the magic and essence of the real Hawaii. Beautiful, bohemian and timeless, this is a feed you won’t want to miss! Follow along @meltjoeng.
Place you live: Honolulu and New York. I split my time but my heart is always in Hawai’i.
Occupation: Photographer
Preoccupation: Being in and around the ocean and the mountains
Place your Instagrams were taken? Across the Hawaiian Islands.
Can you sum up Honolulu? Magical, beautiful, green, blue, home, loving, the place where I move well.
What is a perfect day in Honolulu? I would say waking up and going for a run around Diamond Head and then eating a yummy breakfast; an Acai bowl or Smoothie from Diamond Head Cove Health Bar and then heading to the beach. There are so many beautiful beaches on O’ahu all over the island so there are lots to choose from and then having a much needed nap and eating Vietnamese for dinner from Green Papaya on Keeaumoku. That’s my perfect day.
If Honolulu was a person or character who would it be and why? That’s a really hard question because Honolulu and Hawaii are so unique. A goddess/badass of some description. I know, Honolulu would be Frida Kahlo. Strong, beautiful, individual, talented, warm, bruised and honest.
How long have you been using Instagram? Good question. About four and a half years.
Do you shoot with your phone or other cameras or both? Both
What is your editing process? I shoot as much as I can or as I see fit and then I go through all the photos, pick my favorite ones and edit them and then I’ll do another edit of the edits and pick my favorite one I want to post.
Has Instagram/phoneography affected how you shoot? I think it makes me shoot more often actually because I love sharing my work and what I see inspires me to get out there and make photos.
Can you give a couple tips to aspiring Instagram photographers? Shoot from the heart, shoot what you like and the things that make you feel something. In terms of your instagram profile, curate it in a way that reflects your mind and your heart.
Who are your three favorite Instagrammers? @americaisdead is amazing and shoots desolate suburban landscapes across the US. One of my dear friends is @mahinaalexander. I love her instagram because I love who she is, the photos she takes and the way she shows Hawaii to the world. The third instagrammer I love is @jeremysnell. He’s a friend of mine from Hawaii and he takes beautiful photos all over the world.
Want more Instagram tips and inspiration? Check out all of our Best of Instagram features and learn from the masters.
Want to be featured on our best of Instagram series and bask in the glory? Follow Global Yodel on Instagram and tag your best local shots with #GlobalYodel!
Name:Melanie Tjoeng
City:Honolulu
Best place to eat:
Helena’s for real Hawaiian food!
Best place to drink:
Best outdoor activity:
Ocean activities.
Must do:
Go to Kauai and see the Na Pali Coast. It will change your life.
Local tip:
Always be respectful to the local Hawaiian culture and the land.