Macro studies of Balinese art

I really should quit being lazy and use my macro lens more. A few months ago I ordered a 100mm f2.8 macro lens from b&h online and had my sister mail it to Cebu. It was specifically to photograph my daughter Cacing. A good buy I say. Nowadays, whenever I travel, I bring it with me but always, I use it mostly for portraiture or as an all around lens.

Seldom have I used it for real 1:1 macro shots that it was designed for. Not a lot of bokeh shots I confess. I have never been a flower person anyway. I just could not drum up enough enthusiasm to experiment on nature shots.

Anyway, one early August morning, and I think it was the day I left Bali, I found myself running out of stuff to shoot. I was in my hotel, the popular Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, and the sunrise bailed out once more on me. Weather was plain downcast. Right then and there, I decided I might as well try macros as the hotel was full of Balinese objets d’art. I had my tripod with me and I was not shy setting it up in the most incongruous of places- the lobby, the elevator landing, the gallery.

For subjects, I chose a Balinese doll, a banten decoration made from dried leaves and wood shavings, a wood carving of Rama and Sita, a traditional painting and a stone relief. Notes are provided.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/2s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV
a doll at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: Against a strong backlight which can blow up the details, use the proper exposure compensation.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/15s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1.0EV
a doll at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: Better still, if it is possible, turn the subject toward the light. A little turn changed the lighting dynamics and allows the details of the face to come out.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/13s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1.0EV
a banten decor at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: Focus on a point that is off center to provide better visual dynamic appeal.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/6s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1.0EV
wood carving of Rama and Sita at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: I set off Sita’s soft features against the masculine profile of Rama for high contrast.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/4s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
part of a painting signed by I Kt Kerus, Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: Keep the plane of field parallel with the canvas when shooting flat surfaces.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/60s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 100
black sandstone relief, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
phototip: In shooting faces, keep the focus on the eyes.

Sunset Moments

This is an accompaniment of my sunrise moment blog. Sunsets remain the ultimate romantic moments, immortalized in many a movie scene, a storyline and a photograph. They remind us not only of day that just came to pass but also of another new one coming just around the bend.

Zamboanga del Norte, October 17, 2007, 5:28PM

The tidal flats of Jose Dalman in Zamboanga del Norte appear nondescript. But slather the rocky coast and the lonely waters with the colors of the sinking sun and you get affirmation that just about anyplace can be deemed romantic.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/30s, f/3.5, 18mm, ISO 200, +1/3EV
Jose Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte, the Philippines


Canggu, Bali, Indonesia, November 11, 2007, 6:26PM

The place is Canggu and the occasion is Banyu Pinaruh. Although this ceremony of ritual bathing is prescribed during sunrise, the beach was still full of people until late in the afternoon as it was Sunday. After six, the sky started to dim and the crowd began to leave for home. The tide was just rushing back to shore and the sealine began to change. The ocean was seeking its own level and the earth can only oblige.

Canon EOS 350D Digital, 5.00s, f/22.0, 24mm, ISO 100, +1.00EV
Tibubeneng Beach, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia


Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, February 3, 2007, 5:38PM

Surabaya is a historic city in East Java, known as a city of heroes. One of the most celebrated battles in Indonesia’s struggle for independence from the Dutch transpired in this city, specifically in Jembatan merah or the “red bridge”. Smack in the center of the old Chinatown district, the bridge remains busy and became a perfect spot for my panning experiments. I remember standing in the island in the middle of the road, cutting a figure in the busy late afternoon, hoping to catch fleeting scenes like the one below.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/10s, f/5.6, 31mm, ISO 800
Jembatan Merah, Surabaya, Indonesia


Singapore, August 17, 2006, 7:06PM

I normally request for a window seat when I travel. I also check the direction of the plane so that if the flight is late in the afternoon, I’d ask for a seat facing west. It even pays to get a seat at the back of the plane to get a clear window view without the obstruction of the plane’s wing. Getting a clear and clean window pane is another matter. Luck always plays a part.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/200s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 400, -2/3EV
over the South China Sea, near Singapore


New York City, December 23, 2005, 4:42PM

New York City does not just qualify as a metropolis, it defines the word. Skyscrapers soar right vertically into the sky, traffic chokes mercilessly the concrete streets and lights flicker sizzlingly all night, all day. Laid on a grid, Manhattan is segmentized to upperside (northside), lowerside (south), westside and eastside. This makes it much easier to traverse on foot and simpler to orient when trying to capture the sun as it is about to set, need I say at the westside.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/20s, f/20, 55mm, ISO 1600
NY, NY, the US


Kutuh, Bali, Indonesia, August 25, 2007, 6:27PM

Business can be mixed with photographic pleasure. It was late in the afternoon when we arrived in the seaweed farms in Kutuh, Bali. Light was fading fast. The farmers have already left home and the boats were already tethered to shore. Empty cultivations lines confirmed the recent seaweed die-off . Replanting was ongoing. Tomorrow would be another day.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 3.20s, f/25, 55mm, ISO 100, +2/3 EV
Kutuh, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia