News from Lava Light Galleries, Inc., C.J.Kale, Don or Linda Hurzeler

July 2023: Summer 2023 Update

All is well here in Hawaii.  Couple of things I need to clarify...

Our current operating hours are 10am to 8pm seven days a week.

Yes, we did close the Alii Drive gallery at the beginning of the pandemic and we have no plans to reopen that location.  At the same time, our Waikoloa location is having its best year ever...thanks to you.

No lava can be seen in the caldera nor running on the surface at the moment.  I will update you immediately when it ramps up again.  

Just to remind you in case you were wondering...if you came into the gallery recently you were (hopefully) greeted by CJ Kale, Don or Linda Hurzeler or our highly valued Sales Associates, Phil Waller or Ted Silverberg.  I will be adding photos of Phil and Ted shortly.  They are a major part of our success this year.

Aloha...hope to see you soon

Don Hurzeler for Lava Light Galleries, Inc.

December 11, 2022: C.J. Hits The National News...Shows World What a Lava Junkie Looks like

Follow the link to see CJ on CNN National News...view the glamour behind our lava photography!

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/09...

9-22-2020: For the Folks Who Came in Today Looking for CJs Aurora photos

The massive collection can be found in the the Images From Around the World Gallery and then look for Aurora Borealis.  Call me at 808 9388383 or email me at djhzz@aol.com for best price.  Thanks for coming in...hope you find a shot you love.   Don Hurzeler

March 25, 2020: Closed for Corona Virus

We have shut down the gallery during the Corona Virus lockdown here in Hawaii.  Still open from this website and you can contact us here.  We will re-open with enthusiasm when the ban is lifted.  Hoping you and yours are safe and stay that way.  Aloha...CJ, Linda and Don...Lava Light Galleries, Invc.

September 4, 2019: Don Hurzeler Wins the Prestigious Windland Smith Rice Award

Nature's Best Photography magazine has announced the winners of the 2019 Windland Smith Rice International Awards for photography and Don Hurzeler is the winner of the Small World category.  C.J. Kale has been a category winner in past years and his photos then hung in the Smithsonian Museum.  Starting this year, the venue for the awards ceremony and year long exhibit has been moved and an announcement on that new venue is pending.  Don's winning photo is of a Jackson's Chameleon in the coffee growing area of Buddha's Cup Coffee here on the Big Island of Hawaii.

June1, 2019: Focusing On Our Waikoloa Gallery

Now that we closed our Alii gallery, all of our focus is on making our Waikoloa gallery the best it has ever been.  Come see us when you can...we think you will love it.  Aloha.

May 1, 2019: Our Alii Drive Location

We have outgrown our small gallery on Alii Drive.  Much as we love that spot and hate to make changes...we need to find another...larger...gallery site downtown Kona.  All is well at our Waikoloa location and online...we very much appreciate your support.  In fact, we just signed another five year lease with Queens Market Place Waikoloa.  

We are offering 50% off on any image you buy off the wall during May 2019 at our Alii Drive gallery. On May 31, 2019, we will close that gallery down and shed a few tears.  And when we find a more suitable location in Kona we will let you know.  Thanks for helping us make that tiny gallery a  success and a great starting grounds for our now thriving gallery business.  Aloha.

July 7, 2018: Status of the Eruption

The lava from the eruption that has devastated Puna...including Leilani Estates, Kapoho, Green Lake, the Champaign Pool, the Tide Pools...continues as a furious pace.  There were new breakouts today that threaten more of the coastline.  Although the Kona side of the island is unaffected (except for some air quality issues), things are not normal at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kalapana (although they re-opened the road to Kalapana recently...complete with heavy metal covers over the road cracks) and the rest of Puna.  The big warm pool on the Red Road is still standing...but you can not get to it...much of the Red Road is under new lava.  The launch for Lava Ocean Tours is now in Hilo Harbor...since it is very difficult, if not impossible,  to get to the Pohoiki launch ramp from Pahoa.  Pahoa town is open for business.  The Halema'uma' crater continues to fall in on itself and the National Park is closed so you can not get in to see it.  It is very difficult to get into the active lava area...about 100 people arrested thus far as they tried to get a close up view.  You can see the glow from half way up Mauna Kea Access Road, from parts of the Saddle Road, easily from anywhere near Pahoa...lights up the whole sky.  Just can't easily see the flowing lava...EXCEPT by helicopter or boat...and those are currently great views.  No way to hike out to it like we did prior to this eruption...those old flows...like the 61G...have ceased and morphed into the current fissure eruption.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no visible lava in either of the two big craters, none on the pali, none on the coastal plain...except in the Puna area.  And should you foolishly sneak into the Puna eruption area, take this as a proper warning...I was in there helping a friend evacuate his homes and boat yard...we decided to check out how close the lava was getting to the property in the middle of the night...had on the best of gear, including reflector vests, safety helmets and professional gas masks...and still came much closer to dying from being enveloped in gas/smoke/steam than I would care to admit.  And...there is a perched lake of lava that is HUGE...should it give way and if you are downhill from it...you will be toast.  One last thought...the earthquakes every two minutes or so over there and the one 5.0 or bigger each day (biggest so far was 6.9) give you an idea that things are dynamic right under your feet in Puna.  Stay safe.  Come see us in the gallery...we have lots of photographs of the action to share with you...and we can give you advice on what you can do to help the people of Puna.  Aloha. 

July 7, 2018: Lava Light Galleries New Website...starting it up on July 9, 2018

Welcome to the online galleries of Lava Light Galleries. We hope you enjoy it.

July 7, 2018: A Big Positive Change for The Lava Light Galleries

 Thank you for being a customer of Lava Light Galleries…we consider you Ohana…our extended family.

Change has come for us at Lava Light Galleries.  Nick Selway has opened the Nick Selway Gallery in  Breckenridge, Colorado, leaving us behind to suffer here in Kona.   We miss him and wish him well.  His gallery is beautiful and we wish him every success.  Thanks Nick for being such a great partner all these years.

Since Nick was one of the two owners of Lava Light Galleries, along with myself, this will bring about quite a change for us.  Don and Linda Hurzeler have been investors in our galleries since we opened our second location in Waikoloa Queens Market Place some five years ago.  They have also been featured photographers at both of our locations since about 2013.  Don and Linda will be taking over Nick’s ownership piece of the gallery and Lava Light Galleries will continue in fine form.

Lava Light Galleries has recently added a number of new images to the Waikoloa gallery and there are more to come.  This website is entirely new…and we are pretty proud of it.  Along with that new website, we will be making some special offers to our Ohana customers.  I think you will be surprised and pleased with what we have in the works.

And the best is yet to come at Lava Light Galleries.  Thank you for your continuing support.


C.J. Kale 

Lava Light Galleries, Inc.

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