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

A fresh look at Chinatown

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.

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

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

COURTESY PHOTO 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.

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

COURTESY PHOTO 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.