Tag: indonesia

A Taste of Indonesia: My Adventures as a Photographer in Bali

Posted on February 11, 2018 by Keenan Gilson

Many people woke up to see news about the eruption of Mt. Agung in Indonesia on November 21st, 2017. Following this global news coverage, there was a sudden spotlight shifted to the specific island where this volcano resides, Bali. What is this part of Indonesia like for someone who loves travel and photography? For the most part, the news stations were only sharing doom and gloom photos from the eruption. Due to this, it probably didn’t make it seem too appealing for travels unless you’re a photographer who has always wanted to photograph a volcano eruption.

I had the pleasure of visiting this location last year and actually hiked an active volcano just north-west of the one that exploded. I’d like to share my personal experiences with you all in order to convince you that this is a place that you should definitely visit.

Where to Visit

Most people who end up visiting Bali spend most of their time in the southern part of the Island. There are many beaches, restaurants and it’s convenient because it’s close to the airport. I would strongly advise you to stay far away from this area. I believe the worst thing you can do when traveling to a foreign country is getting caught up in tourist traps with hundreds of people. So many people use their precious vacation time and money to travel to a foreign place and end up getting a very fake, commercial experience.

In order to avoid this, you want to make sure to travel as far north as possible. I would say that the town of Ubud is about the lowest south that you would want to go. The real beauty of this island is found in the almost untouched nature in the far north. Find a place to stay as far north as possible and then spend your time taking in a natural beauty.

I would recommend renting a motorbike. Renting a bike is quite easy and affordable but if you’ve never ridden before I would do so with extreme caution. The roads are extremely narrow and not always in the best condition.

Once you’ve booked a nice place and gotten some transportation it’s time to explore!

Volcanoes

There are 3 main volcanoes on the island. Mt. Batur, Mt. Agung and Mt Rinjani (all of them you can hike). Even though the recent eruption might scare you, serious eruptions like the one in November are rare. The most active one is Mt. Batur but as long as your check prior to doing the hike you should be totally fine.

Mt. Batur is the easiest and quickest one to climb. I woke up at 4 am and reached the summit for sunrise by around 6 am. It’s a pretty strenuous climb especially if you’re carrying your camera gear but if you’re in decent shape you should be able to do it no problem.

The scenery was absolutely stunning. The variety of plants along with the amazing views are something I’ll never forget. Once you reach the top you sit overlooking a serene lake that sits at the base of another massive mountain. You can also see where past eruptions in the past have charred the ground which is something I’ve never seen before in person. I would highly recommend doing this for the amazing experience and great photo opportunities.

Waterfalls

There are many waterfalls on the island of Bali. Of course, you can easily find the ones that will be crowded with people but how can you find those amazing yet secluded places? One way is by using Instagram geotags. My friends and I look through travel photographers Instagram profiles and look at where they pinned their locations. It’s also good to follow Instagram profiles of people who are locals there. You can easily find great locations using this method.

My brothers and I found an amazing location using this method. We borrowed a car from a friend and found ourselves in the middle of nowhere far out in the northern part of the island. Eventually, we came across these barely visible signs and after about 30 mins of hiking, we came across an absolutely stunning location. We had it all to ourselves.

Photographing Locals

As a person who loves street photography, I found this location to be extremely suitable for this type of style. The locals are incredibly kind and easy to interact with. As long as you go up with a smile and are respectful, they are more than happy to let you take their photo. I don’t think I got denied once. One family even thanked me after I took their photo as if it was their privilege!

The location of Bali, especially in the north, is filled with tons of culture and lush scenery. You come across so many foreign looking structure and fascinating temples. The people also seem like they belong straight out of some foreign documentary. This a place where you definitely don’t want to ever be without your camera.

I would highly recommend this as one of the best spots that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting thus far in Asia. If you ever get a chance, take the opportunity to fully explore and take some amazing pictures!

Keep learning and have fun!

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Shooting Angles – What to Look to Click?

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Simran Nanwani

“You may find that the picture you want to do can only be made from a certain place, and you’re not there, so you have to physically go there. And that participation may spur you on to work harder on the thing, because in the physical change of position you start seeing a whole different relationship.” – Jay Maisel

yellow

The quote above by Jay Maisel perfectly expresses how interesting and challenging it can be to capture angles. Through my captures, I have somehow always had the tendency on shooting angles. I can’t recall when it all began but there is just something about it. It could be through looking up at buildings, or an exquisite architecture of a building, or lines and structure, or an alley, or even looking down or just simply whilst capturing macro shots of flowers. Photography is an expression of how we envision moments or things around us. Perspective and angles are a unique way to express the vistas of everything around us creating an impression and imprint in our minds.

It isn’t something that can be planned as it requires observation and experimenting as well. As always, letting it come naturally to you is the best way to capture angles. There may be times when nothing motivates you to do an angled shot and that is completely okay. The moment will instantaneously present itself to you and all you will need to do is “click”.

structure

This outward structure of the National Stadium spoke to me. I began by looking up, clicking and experimenting the numerous aspects of the building. Experimenting would be by pointing and shifting your camera in various directions to frame the shot. It took a number of clicks to get the above results. To frame this shot, I wanted it to also have a minimalist touch so as to not completely focus on only the structure but leaving the blank space as well.

flower macro

Nature and flowers are one of the easiest ways to try out various angles. This lovely pink half budding rose fascinated me. I wanted to try to get a specific viewpoint to portray as if the rose was looking at you. Balancing between getting close to the rose, composing the image properly and getting the right proportion was as interesting as much as a challenge.

curves of Stadium

“As people, we love pattern. But interrupted pattern is more interesting.” – Jay Maisel

Jay Maisel nailed it again with the above quote to describe the way I felt when capturing the image above. Standing in front of the National Stadium seeing all these patterns, lines, colours and structure was spectacular. It’s like all these elements came together for me to venture and shoot.

Check – Mate

Street photography can also be a perfect place to try and play out various outlooks. On a walking tour, I found two men playing chess and it intrigued me to explore a particular angle to capture the shot. So, I tried the side way peeking approach for a change, to focus more on the people and the chess board as a whole.

crowd

This particular mall has a unique architecture giving one a nostalgic feeling transporting you back in time. Whilst looking down, I wanted to capture the curved aspect with the lamps and lines in frame. Thus, a combination of colours, people and structure into one framed picture.

look

And here is the instantaneous moment that nature presents itself to you. Sitting at the restaurant, I randomly looked down, played with my iPhone by framing angles and hit the shutter. The whole scene filled with pretty wood interiors and layout was quite delightful to build into a moment.

crisp

Looking up through the details of a building has never been more fun if you can capture it in a completely distinct way. The idea behind this capture was to have the symmetrical shape on top, which is part of the top portion of the building I was in, look like it forms a cover of the other building. I tilted my phone so this captured moment directs your eyes upwards.

stand tall

Awed by the architecture of this airport in Kuala Lumpur, I wanted to snap this whole scene but focusing more on the lines and architecture. Yet, another spontaneous shot.

alley

Something about this exhibition and the rows making it seem like an alley, motivated me to point and shoot. Just to have a glimpse of what the exhibition was about and have a sort of symmetry was my main aim when framing the shot.

open

Lastly, standing inside the building I casually looked out and noticed the door ajar in the middle and the lovely blue on the outside. It definitely was a moment not to miss capturing. Angling from a few places and with a few clicks, voila this moment was created.

pink bud

Every angled shot makes you think outside the box bringing the image a new flavor. Playing with perspectives has allowed me to explore a new side and style to photography. It is like allowing nature to speak to you and at the same time being creative to make an image stand out. There are no set rules to achieve it but simply being alert and listening to the moment. Let’s continue to enjoy the various points of view and keep clicking!

A Walk with @Instastreetid – Street Photographers Community

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Simran Nanwani

Street photography

is one genre in photography that can be simple yet complicated due to the details and the unlimited scope it provides in exploring photography. Although, the main trick to the capturing street is spontaneous, just go shoot. There are many ways to approach this style some say, it’s more like stealing moments as you often capture people at random. This genre has taken over the world and many people have created various groups or hubs on a number of social media platforms based on it. As an Indonesian, I have only recently come across this extremely creative and passionate hub called @instastreetid. Amazed by their initiative and a huge community, I decided to approach them to share with us their story and journey.

by @boyjeconiah_blackwhite

Let’s take a look at what Yasin (Muhamad Yasin Zubaidi) @kangyasin and Adela (Adela Pradikta) @adelafxpradikta have to say about the community:

What is @instastreetid ? How did it start?

It is a street photography community that was formed in 2015 as a forum and means for lovers of street photography to be able to share stories, experiences, and knowledge, as well as the aspiration and appreciation using a social media platform – Instagram.

Instastreetid initially formed because of common interests on Instagram often called igers on street photography. Based on similar interest a photo hunting event sparked and was held jointly as “1 Day Instameet Street”. The event took place on Sunday, May 17, 2015, and was held simultaneously together in six cities, namely Jakarta, Palembang, Batam, Riau, Balikpapan, and Bandung. With the success of the hunting event, the street photography enthusiasts did not want it to just finish by being together for one day. After an interval of one month, the following group evolved together into a community of street photography enthusiasts.

by @ijoel_terbang

How many regional accounts do you have and how has the community grown so far?

We have been in the community for approximately 1(one)year, and it has been growing very rapidly with the rise of street photography in Indonesia. We cannot deny that every community has it’s ups and downs, but until now, our community has flourished and we exist in several regions namely:

a. @instastreetid as a central account.
b. @instastreetid_jbdtb to represent the Greater Jakarta area.
c. @instastreetid_smg to represent the Semarang area, vicinity.
d. @instastreetid_mks to represent the Makassar area, vicinity.
e. @instastreetid_sby to represent the Surabaya area, vicinity.
f. @instastreetid_pdg to represent the Padang area, vicinity.
g. @instastreetid_jgj to represent the Yogyakarta area, vicinity.
h. @instastreetid_mdo to represent the Manado area, vicinity.

by @yousufkurniawan

How did you join instastreetid? How many of you are involved in the community?

As the founder and manager of the main Instastreetid community, I Kang Yasin @kangyasin (an article on street photography by Yasin can be read here) along with five other colleagues, namely:

Adela Pradikta – @adelafxpradikta
Rachmad Ravael – @kangpael_
Baskara Puraga – @agareds
Agung R.U – @a.m.theater
Arifan Sudaryanto – @arifansdr

by @gilangbrajaHow can we become members of your community? Do you have specific criteria?

Our community regularly opens the opportunity for Instagrammers out there to be able to join. Periodically, we conduct open membership which we normally share on our Instagram.

The requirements to become a member of Instastreetid community essentially is by going through a brief interview to determine their motivation and knowledge about street photography, as well as the reason for choosing our community. As an illustration of applicable procedures, prospective members can go through the process to join and interview online via Line Messenger as then, our discussion forums till date uses online media on Line Group.

During the interview process, we ask prospective members to send us some pictures of their work. From there we can begin the process of debriefing by measuring the extent of their knowledge of street photography.

Our community is open to anyone who is interested in learning street photography therefore, the interview is at the same time an initial process where we provide information to prospective members who do not understand what street photography is, so that, they know what they will gain as a member of Instastreetid.

by @widodoadiprasetyo

Do you organize meetups? If yes, how often and how is the turnout?

We as the regional board participate in Jabodetabek region because we are stationed mainly in Jakarta and the nearby areas. Thus, we regularly conduct meetings in the form of hunting together, meetup sharing session which is often held on the weekends, which is Saturday / Sunday. We do not hold meetups on national holidays unless we have events then we will hold a gathering.

For other regional-regions, we have the admin as union leaders in each region. They will organize their community accordingly in each region based on the central committee.
Based on the experience and community development, every meetup that we hold, the participants who come keep growing especially during our public events that are published on social media.

by @nuryhanu_belajar_photo

How has the community gained exposure locally through media?

Instastreetid is currently only for those passionate about street photography in Indonesia and we feature a photo of the day, namely to give appreciation and motivate street photography activists who use our hashtags by displaying the best photos of the day. With this, it will attract the interest of other street photographers in Indonesia to our community, but in future, we will do our features of photos from other countries as well.

We have also connected to a HUB called GramHUB ID, it is an event where some members of the community can support each other and share information about the world of photography. Some regions are already working together and have been reported in the local media.

by @kangyasin

We hear of communities having exhibitions of their artist’s works, has instastreetid been involved in exhibitions locally or internationally?

As for exhibitions, we have held several regional exhibitions in Surabaya and Semarang, but not yet internationally.

by @mtaufikbw

Have you collaborated with International communities through events or meetups?

Currently, we haven’t had collaboration with communities outside Indonesia, may be in future if possible we would be very happy to work with countries other than Indonesia.

Do you consider your community an active community? How do you see yourself in comparison to other communities on Instagram?

The Community of Instastreetid is the first community-based street photography in Indonesia on Instagram so, it’s supposed to be an active community to develop the potential of street photography enthusiasts in Indonesia. Instastreetid as one of the photography community in Instagram has a special interest in street photography and our community is more focused and specific to develop this stream of photography.

by @windapratiwi14

As part of the community, how has your experience been so far?

We as the organizer and founder of Instastreetid continue to develop ourselves for the development of our community. Our self-enrichment is done through workshops and photography classes to help us cultivate the community. The presence and involvement of various members from different cities have provided us with more knowledge of the developments of street photography.

by @adelafxpradikta

What are your future hopes and plans?

As our community has grown, many plans and improvements need to be made. Refining the system of organization has become one of our main priorities as we keep growing and the number of members we have is not small. Our hope is that this community serves not only as an ordinary photo community but as a vessel for street photography enthusiasts to find a place where they can start to learn and share their knowledge. In other words, we would like this community to evolve into something bigger like a street photography organization in future.

by @y05f

Any message to motivate and inspire us to join your community?

We won’t deny that street photography can not be understood by everyone. But, street photography is filled with moments and surprises and all of which can be seen in an online gallery @instastreetid. Thank you.

by @bmntr

This inspiring interview has shown us how many street photographers are there in Indonesia. Through the street photos above, you can travel to different cities around Indonesia by seeing the various aspects and moments beautifully portrayed. There are many communities on Instagram that have various goals but this community @instastreetid seem to have a clear focus and objective. We hope they can achieve their aspirations and encourage all of us to capture street photos without hesitation.

Travel Photography: The Perfect Combo of Capturing & Exploring

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Simran Nanwani

Every city has its own flair and specialty. When we travel to any country and explore different cities we enjoy and discover something new. A trip to a new place makes us feel our holiday was well spent. Being a tourist means “a person who travels to explore a place for pleasure”, this means we can be a tourist anywhere even in our own city. Having lived in Jakarta, I wouldn’t have thought of discovering my city as a tourist. Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia and Indonesia is known to be the World’s Largest Archipelago. A city that is vibrant filled with cheerful people willing to help and guide you anytime, anywhere. Each city has their specific landmarks that is a must visit. In Jakarta, there are not many places to visit but some give a completely new outlook on what our city is all about.

There are many ways to see your city like a tourist, you can have a group of like-minded friends and go together or join a group of explorers who do tours to various parts of the city. I chose to do the latter and have found many new things about my city. By seeing new things, learning more about my culture has helped me to grow through photography.

Capturing is about Perspective or Vista, a way we see everything around us. Thus, taking pictures through exploring helps to motivate the photographer to gain perspective and have an outlook. Through my trips, I saw my city in a new way and tried to click as many photos as I could to treasure the moments. Whilst clicking, I was able to experiment with my camera to understand the principles of Photography. I learned the meaning of ISO, Aperture, Exposure, Focus, and White Balance and how to use them during my captures. Through the process, I realized once you understood how to balance the light with ISO and Aperture the rest goes with how we feel during the moment. Although, I am not even close to mastering these main features but the mystery behind the balance allows me to keep sharpening my skills.

Through the photos below, I shall share my experiences when taking them.

Jatinegara

This shot was taken last year, during our Jatinegara walk as we stopped by a Buddhist Temple in the area. Inside the temple, I was taking a couple of shots and trying to find the correct point of view to get the right lighting. The top portion with the Chinese writing and lanterns plus how the doors were opened peeking towards the opposite direction was quite fascinating. This helped me frame the top and capture the shot.

Trying to achieve the “Bokeh” effect. This was quite a spontaneous shot whilst at the Temple.

When crossing the bridge, from a distance, this particular scene had formed a sort of symmetry in my mind. The lines, curve, and shadow gave this moment a more crisp look. These aspects tempted me to click.

Taking photos with different views and colors has always intrigued me. What better way to try it out whilst looking down. The row of colorful books with passers-by was an opportunity not to be missed.

This smiling lady with her baby sitting at her small hijab stall caught my attention instantaneously.

MONAS and MOSQUE

Monas our National Monument is a crucial landmark in Jakarta with its famous history and scenic top view of Jakarta. Whilst climbing up the monument, the steps and a portion of the monument formed a specific frame in my shot.

Upon reaching the peak of Monas, we were able to have a view of Jakarta from all angles. It was quite interesting to take a couple of shots and see the city from the top.

The exterior view of the Mosque (Masjid Istiqlal) can be seen in the previous photo. This is known to be the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and here, you can see the interior of the mosque. The architecture of this building is intricate and captivating yet, it can be tricky to try to shoot every aspect of it.

SUNDA KELAPA

A reflection of the two buildings and an old traditional house was hard to ignore as we were exploring the slum area in Sunda Kelapa. The Sunda Kelapa is another important landmark as it is the Old port of Jakarta.

TAMAN SUROPATI (MENTENG)

The greenery and serene atmosphere around this lovely park in Menteng area (the first residential area in Jakarta) felt like a perfect moment to shoot. An alley filled with tall trees in the morning hours completed the setting.

Getting to our National Stadium was quite a challenge as it was a rainy day. The experience of being in this huge empty stadium with the sound of rain inspired me to feel the moment and then click.

This second photo of the Stadium was a shot where I was trying to attempt to get a minimalist touch and a semi-circle shape within it.

The photos above have a variety of different photography styles that I have tried to achieve. Certain aspects and styles of photography by some renowned photographers have encouraged me to try different styles.

Did exploring make me enjoy taking photos more? Yes, it, in fact, made me want to take more photos not because I had to but because when seeing a place, there are so many wonders around that can be clicked from various angles. Capture and explore can be a perfect combo for those of you who would like to grow through photography. The journey to keep taking photos carries on and we need to find ways to keep the passion of photography alive within us. Seeing your city from a new perspective like a tourist would can broaden your imagination and creativity as a photographer.