Chasing the Light in Indonesia

If you are heading to Indonesia for a trip of South East Asian experiences and for a time full of photography and filming, then I would say you are heading to the right place! Indonesia has some of the most spectacular nature I have ever seen, and I would recommend it to everyone, ESPECIALLY those who are fond of a bit of camera fun! One thing in particular that I would point out, is that a lot locations have gorgeous displays of light when approached with the right knowledge! Most of this is based on the Balinese destinations as that is what I have experienced the most so far!

Tegalalang Light Rays

Bali has hosted some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen, and I recommend to go for the sunset mission you had planned even if a sunset isn’t looking likely - as some of the best ones I have seen exploded out of nowhere! Sunrises are the same and I will go ahead and say they are even more empowering and unique than the sunsets are - for several reasons!

this is a raw entirely untuched photo!

Typically chasing the sunrises will grant you with more space and freedom for shooting, as there are always less people than you will come across at sunset - the early bird gets the worm! Of course you might be let down after a 1 or 2 hour scooter ride in the dark and show up to a perfect sunrise spot with no sunrise and just clouds, but you gotta risk it to get the biscuit! In all honesty, sunrises tend to be my favorite part of the day in Bali as I have never seen anything quite like it!

Balinese mornings in the cooler and greener northern bali

Bali is such a lively island, and watching the day unfold with a gorgeous display of beautiful light covering the island really is the best way to get the day started! There are so many places in Bali where you can find geographical or agricultural settings that have an impact on the view or output of the sunrises, that you simply can’t experience anywhere else. Including the Tegalalang rice terraces, hosting literally unbelievable light rays from a good sunrise as the dew evaporates from the rice fields - or at Pinggan view point or mount Batur, where the climate and fast changing atmospherical settings seem to have an impact on the colors every morning!

Pinggan views of morning light with clouds, volcanic sights and wild colours

Another thing you need to take into consideration is the season you are going in! At tegalalang for example, getting a lucky morning towards the end of rain season is probably the best conditions you will find because of the suns placement, the amount of water likely to be on the plantation! This coupled with a near-harvest rice field, will get you the best views you could ever imagine! Another thing that could impact your photos is the farming in the area, as a lot of farmers will burn off the remains of the processed harvest as soon as they wake up, which can also create a beautiful display of light rays when seen from the right place!

Kelingking beach is another example of a place where light can be a lot of fun to play with especially at sunset! If you are willing to stay down at the beach until sunset and the waves are quite big and heavy, there should be a lot of seaspray in the air which will make for some beautiful soft light for photos as the sun gets lower and nears the horizon! There are so many ways to play with light in photo and video, and heading to Indonesia can be a great place to learn about it, or to satisfy your needs for some great light to work with!

Kelingking at Golden Hour

Best of luck to you all with finding that perfect light! Have fun dear friends!