The floating lantern ceremony David Hume Kennerly captured on film last year was a far cry from the war images that earned him a Pulitzer Prize during the Vietnam War.

During an interview about the annual Memorial Day event at Ala Moana Beach Park's Magic Island, Kennerly recalled being at the Ambassador Hotel the day Robert Kennedy was assassinated.

"Those are the things, the kind of violence, this organization is trying to prevent," he said, referring to the Shinnyo-en Buddhists who hired him to photograph the stunning tribute to deceased loved ones. "They have a whole different view of the world."

This year marks the 10th Annual Lantern Floating Hawai'i ceremony. In connection with the milestone event, more than 25 of Kennerly's photographs, along with video and lanterns, are on display at Honolulu Hale.

"It was extraordinarily visual," Kennerly said. "I really liked it, and I lazed around in the water and took pictures as people let those little flaming boats go."

The exhibit offers a preview of the ceremony itself — from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 26 at Magic Island — when about 1,500 candlelit boats will be set afloat on the ocean to remember those who died in war and to pray for peace. Entertainment precedes the ceremony, from 1 to 6 p.m.

The ceremony is a Buddhist rite that originated in Japan to pay respect to ancestors and comfort the deceased.

The Na Lei Aloha Foundation, which sponsors the O'ahu event, says the candlelit lanterns ferry spirits "from the sea of delusion to the shore of salvation."

This year 700 wooden lanterns will be released from seven canoes, while up to 800 paper and foam lanterns will be released from the shore. All the lanterns will then be retrieved and recycled.

Last year about 34,000 people attended the event, and more watched it via satellite television.

"I think it's a fantastic yearly event for Honolulu and they get more people every year to watch it," Kennerly said.