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Cindy Aona's close-up of fish on ice is a Chinatown open market mainstay.

A fresh look at Chinatown

By Joleen Oshiro / joshiro@starbulletin.com

Last week, Milton Hee sang the praises of Kaimuki adult education teacher Ed Yee's photography class. It seems teaching aspiring shutterbugs is a labor of love for Yee, who leads weekend treks all around the island for his lucky students.

A visit recently to the Downtown district proved a source of boundless inspiration for more than a few of the students. The images on this page offer some interesting perspectives on the area, already a colorful neighborhood with the engaging open-air market venues and oldtime character of Chinatown, as well as the slick, modern high rises of its bustling business district. Through the lenses of five students -- Willy Aona, Cindy Aona, Patricia Beekman, Sheree Nakashima and Mia LeLonde -- familiar sites take on a fresh, artsy feel.

Our hats go off to Yee and his crew.

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Maunakea Marketplace's clock tower looms against a gorgeous blue sky in the shot above by Sheree Nakashima.

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Mia LaLonde captures the interesting angles and crowded landscape of Downtown Honolulu.

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Perhaps nothing says "Chinatown" more than the roast pork and roast duck hanging in windows, present in every Chinatown in the country. Sheree Nakashima took this glowing shot.

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Patricia Beekman takes a literal peek through the trees at Iolani Palace.

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Willy Aona's artsy shot of pipes and poles on the streets of downtown is an everyday image to be sure, yet it offers a unique, microcosmic perspective.



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