Bali Workshop - Feb. 26–Mar. 5, 2010

Bali: Beyond the Snapshot

Are you ready to grab your camera and spend a week on the magical island of Bali? For our photo adventure we will settle in the small village of Amed on the east coast. This is real life in rural Bali, tiny settlements of poor but happy people who live off the land and sea. Every activity that the Balinese people engage in is infused with artistic expression, so inspiration will surround us every moment of the day.

As a group we will have the opportunity to see and photograph verdant rice paddies, enchanted temples, bustling markets. There is also plenty to discover just a few steps from our villas. On one of my walks I observed a family going about their chores outside their bamboo hut. The smiling mother welcomed me in, excited to show off her tiny, windowless, dirt-floor kitchen. This kind of experience is our reward for staying off the beaten path.

The week is tailored to every level of expertise. We will have discussions on how to take better photos, and demonstrations of how to process the photos in Photoshop. There are group activities and plenty of opportunity to venture out on your own.

You'll return home knowing how to elevate your pictures to fine art status. Your portfolios - as well as your mind and your heart - will be filled with colorful impressions of this magnificent place.

To whet your appetite, here are a few of the places we'll see:

• The market at Amlapura is where the locals go for food and clothing. You can shop for exotic fruit, grains, sarong material, temple decorations, even fish heads. It's an intense experience for sure, and for those who can't stand the heat (literally) there is plenty of action on the street as well.

• Lush Tirtaganga Water Palace. Such a treasure trove of photo opportunities here, in addition to simply being a very refreshing place to spend some time. There is a tiny little village nearby also worthy of photographing.

• The Temple of A Thousand Steps. Because it is such a strenuous climb, we won't be negotiating the thousand steps, but the temple at it's base is beautiful. On a clear day, you can see across the valley to the commanding volcanoes hovering over the land.

• My personal favorite: On one evening, we'll be driven up a hill and then have a leisurely walk down. There are incredible views of rice terraces, more quaint settlements (look closely or you'll miss them!) and lots of curious villagers who are happy to pose.

Arcangelo Productions is hosting this workshop, and we will stay at their incomparable Apa Kabar villas. Although this information will not be posted to their website for another few weeks, you can contact them directly to register for the workshop and to take a peek at the villas. The cost of the workshop is $2750 and includes accommodations, food and the workshop fees. It does not cover the cost of your flight to Indonesia.

If you have any questions by all means ask me!

This was taken on the walk down the hill:




Just outside the gates of our villas I saw this fisherboy:




Rice paddies up the hill:

Shooting, not shopping

While traveling in other countries it's the people, the culture and the landscape that capture my attention. It's more fulfilling for me to meet the villagers, learn a few words of their language, ask questions, take notes and shoot with wild abandon.

There are places to shop, little businesses that sell local crafts, and I always have the intent to investigate but I rarely follow through. Only later, when I look at some of the photographs in the comfort of my own office do I wish I had made the time.

Of course I do end up picking up a piece here and there - (and I've been known to literally pick things off the street - friends Michael deMeng, Stacey Mattraw and the gang from Cortona...you know what I'm talking about!) - but to spend time shopping means less time shooting.

Now that I've shot these images, now I want to shop these images!

In Bali, the markets have a colorful array of ceremonial supplies. I really wanted to know what each piece was used for, watch how they are made, etc.






I don't recall what was in this shop...never got past the window!




Fabric! So tactile!




Sure, those are postcards. But shooting the feathers in the foreground (intentionally using shallow depth of field) was more interesting:




An antique store in Singapore:




There's always time for a cold drink on a hot day in Bali:

Running With Scissors

By nature, parents are protective of their children. We don't want them to be hurt by a person or circumstance, or to get hurt by sharp things, things that fall or doors that slam.

In my travels, I have seen small children using tools that my parents would never have allowed me to touch. In Oaxaca, Mexico, a little boy was pounding away at a piece of wood with a knife that was larger than his head. His father, who carves exquisitely shaped animals out of wood, looked on with pride. In Bali I met little Wayan, pictured here, while he chopped shallots with his uncle. That sickle was awfully sharp! To borrow a phrase from my mom, he "sure as shootin'" cut his finger in the process.

His mother kissed the wound and I could see that, although there was some blood, he wasn't seriously hurt. He kept his attention on the camera as I documented his tears while mom looked on, unfazed by the accident. All in a day's work for the Balinese who work hard in the field just to get by. We saw a lot of villagers while we were there and I never saw someone without a digit.

Perhaps it's not a good idea to run with scissors, but I am up for taking risks now and then. Especially emotional risks and risks that challenge how I think, even what I think. If we don't push ourselves outside our comfort zone, how can we learn? If we shed a few tears in the process, then we're doing it right.

Faces of Bunutan, Bali

My brother Jim and I used to leaf through National Geographic magazine and fixate on images of people with rings around their necks, women baring their breasts, tribes who paint their faces, etc. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself coming face to face with someone so culturally different. And although it was never my goal to do so, getting off my complacent butt and seeing the world for myself was a natural progression of my growing curiosity and eagerness to challenge my comfort zone.

Here are but a few of the wonderful characters that I came upon during my walks up and down the river road in the tiny village of Bunutan.

Above is a photo of a couple in a nearby village further up the road. I kept thinking how nice it would be if my brother were able experience this with me now that we're adults!

Here is a fisherman walking home with his catch:

Loved this woman. She stopped to pose for me but made sure her mouth was covered:

This man was trying to sell Dick some picture postcards earlier and now he has become our own:

Another wonderful woman, feeding oranges to the pigs:

There are endless opportunities to photograph children:

This little boy's mother was so proud of her son and her home. She waved me into her kitchen, which was a tiny windowless room with dirt floors and bamboo walls. It was tidy and wonderful and I was so overwhelmed it didn't even occur to me to photograph it! Doh!

Last but not least, here is a "faceless portrait" of a little fisherboy. This was taken in front of Apa Kabar, where we stayed.

The Roadkill Bra - Grab One Now! (Plus a secret revealed)

Sifting through the Bali photos, I came across a few lighthearted snapshots and thought I would feature them today. There are always images that present themselves that I am compelled to take but really have no use for other than to chuckle about them later. Maybe I should call it "Low Art" - thanks to the suggestion above.

On the river road in Bunutan I found the sexiest road kill ever:

A shop window in Amlapura. Yeah, I want to fly with this airline:

Talk about being torn!

An image from Chinatown in Singapore. Looks like someone got grabbed, all right!

Tomorrow I'll feature some of the locals I had the honor to meet in Bali, including "Honda Woman" and "Fisherboy." With that in mind, I am going to reveal something very personal that few people know.

When I come home from a trip and settle down to process photos, there always comes a singular moment when I become overwhelmed with emotion. That moment blindsides me, and always happens when I'm looking at a portrait. The memory of the connection made with one of the locals and how profound it is to share a simple smile with someone who is literally and figuratively worlds away, brings me to tears.

So there you have it. I cry. My hands pull back from the keyboard, I sit back in my chair, and take a minute offer thanks. First I thank the person whose image sparked that reaction and then I thank this magnificent universe for diversity and opportunity.

"Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads...eat them up, yum"*

* "Fish Heads" by Barnes and Barnes, 1978.

The market at Amlapura in Bali is not like any farmer's market we see here in the States. This is where the locals go to do their shopping for: very freshly killed chickens (do I want to know what the chicken feet are for?), fish heads (eat them up, yum), neon pink and orange sweets, ceremony supplies (great gifts for friends!), a dizzying array of sarong material, rows of udeng (hats that men wear for ceremonies)...

We went on a day so crowded that our bodies were pushed up and down the narrow walkways by the throngs of local shoppers. Sweat was pouring out of me and at times the smell of fish reeked but this was real Bali. My only frustration was that it wasn't easy to take photos because there was no place to stand without being in the way. I wished I had my flash, although then I would have been too intrusive. I'll have to consider how to approach this particular photo destination next time. First thought: go when it's not as crowded. That day, it turns out, people were preparing for yet another ceremony.

Selling the freshly prepared chickens:



A sacred offering nestled in the bananas (moments later someone through money on it and it didn't look quite as sacred...):



Rows of udeng:
(I asked a local dude if they wore this head gear any other time than during ceremony, and he replied "No. If they did they would look crazy."



Ceremony trims:




Stay tuned...tomorrow I'm going to post some goofy photos that really have no other outlet than here.

Balinese New Year (or, Happy Nyepi from an American in Bali)

The last two weeks have been a delicious adventure in Bali, thanks to our hosts Rob and Stacey from Arcangelo Productions. "Hosts" is too formal of a word; they have become family and part of our bonding occurred on the Balinese New Year called Nyepi (pronounced Nippy). This is the day when Bali shuts down - even the airport! - and all are confined to their homes where quiet prevails and no lights are permitted. 

There were many ceremonies leading up to this day, and one of them is Melasti or Mekiyis. For this occasion there is a long procession to the sea, populated by a gamelin orchestra and members of nearby villages who carry their temple accessories. Once they get to the beach, there is some playful running with the shrines before prayers are offered to the sea. Because we are used to saying "Happy New Year" or "Merry Christmas" we asked locals what they say to each other on that day. They would laugh, not quite sure why that was so important to us. They don't share our need to acknowledge a special day with a special greeting. So we took it upon ourselves to say "Happy Nyepi" to each other and jokingly wonder what gifts were under our non-existent Nyepi Tree. 

Here are a few photos from this event. I am grateful to the Balinese for not feeling threatened or imposed upon by cameras on this sacred day.

Bali-bound, and an homage to travel in the 50s

Today begins another adventure in travel, a photographic expedition to Bali. On the way, we have overnight stops in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur with enough time to explore a neighborhood or two in each place. I've packed my camera gear many times for trips such as this, but each time I do I start the process from scratch. How many photo cards should I bring? How many photos, realistically, will I take? What lenses do I really need? Should I take my tripod?

Can never have too many

Thousands

Wide angle, zoom and macro

Yes

We will be visiting our friends Stacey and Rob from Arcangelo Productions. It's always an adventure spending time with Stacey. Although Ive only known her for a couple of years, she could easily have been that grade school friend who made me laugh uncontrollably in church and hiked her uniform skirt up an inch when the nuns weren't looking.

Today I'm going to post some photos that I stumbled across yesterday. These were taken near Pie Town in New Mexico, and are an homage to a very different era of travel.