INDONESIA PHOTO TOUR, 2013
PHOTO TOUR TO EXOTIC INDONESIA:
Bali and Beyond
July, 2013. Dates to be announced (this tour is timed to coincide with the Jember fashion
festival, and they won’t announce the dates of the 2013 festival until July, 2012)
TOUR POLICIES: Please click here to read the tour policies.
Some people leave their hearts in San Francisco; I left mine in Indonesia. I’ve been there 20 times, and my wife is from the largest Indonesian island, Java. We will be leading a photo tour to this island country, and it will include the beautiful and exotic island of Bali, the Yogyakarta area which includes the 1000 year old Buddhist ruins of Borobudur and the ornately carved Hindu ruins of Prambanan, as well as two stunning active volcanic areas. I don’t know why most photo tour operators choose not to offer trips to Indonesia because the color, the beauty, the culture, and the history make it one of the most exciting of all photo destinations. We stay in four and five star hotels, and this trip will be a highlight of your travels.
For those of you who like to shop, my wife’s negotiating skills can only be described as brutal! She will help you get the best prices on anything you want to buy. For those of you who are all about getting the most exciting and dynamic pictures possible, you definitely won’t be disappointed on this trip. Check out the photo gallery with the link above to see the types of images that you’ll be taking.
Itinerary:
DAY 1, 2: Depart from the U.S. and cross the International dateline.
DAY 3: Arrive in Denpasar, Bali
We arrive in Bali and transfer to the hotel in Ubud, the center of artistic expression on the island. We will rest a bit after the long flight, and then in the afternoon we will visit the Monkey Forest where we will have close encounters with wild long tailed macaques. This is a good opportunity to use fill-flash due to the dim jungle environment, and you’ll be able to get frame-filling shots of the monkeys. Following dinner, we will enjoy a performance of exotic Balinese dancing and be able to photograph the performers in their beautiful attire and stunning makeup. Overnight Kamandalu Resort & Spa.
DAY 4: Bali.
Our first full day in Bali is packed with great subjects to shoot. We first visit the Elephant Cave, a small natural cave with a dramatically carved stone entrance. Then we proceed to Klungkung, a city on Bali with a long and colorful history. We photograph the remarkable paintings in the Kerta Gosa, a place where traditional justice was administered. The paintings show what hellish punishments await evil-doers and what pleasures are theirs in heaven. A short drive east we come to Goa Lawah, a bat cave used as a sacred temple by the Balinese. We can photograph the thousands of bats that cling to the ceiling of the cave with a medium telephoto lens right from the opening of the cave.
After lunch, we return to the Monkey Forest and photograph Balinese dancer models that Jim has arranged. There is a beautiful and ancient temple ruins in the jungle, and it makes a stunning backdrop for the exotic young dancers. Overnight Kamandalu Resort & Spa.
DAY 5: Bali.
This morning we visit two of Bali’s animal parks to photograph brilliantly colored birds and unusual reptiles. You will be able to take frame-filling close-ups of these incredible creatures that are virtually impossible to shoot in nature because they are so well hidden in the jungle canopy and in the underbrush.
In the afternoon, we explore some of Bali’s mountainous areas in search of sculpted rice terraces that make beautiful graphic patterns in shades of green. The unique landscapes took hundreds of years to create, and we will photograph them from different perspectives. At sunset we will photograph the famous Tanah Lot temple on Bali’s south coast. Overnight Kamandalu Resort & Spa.
DAY 6: Bali.
Jim has arranged to photograph some of Bali’s famous dances. You will get incredible travel photographs of the stunning costumes, masks, and makeup that comprise the dances. The dancers are there just for our group so photography will be both easy and a visual and cultural treat.
There will be free time today for shopping because Bali has some of the best handicrafts in the world, including masks, batik, gold and silver jewelry, paintings, clothing, dolls, and rock carving. Overnight Kamandalu Resort & Spa.
DAY 7: Bali to Java.
Today we travel west across Bali to Gilimanuk where we board a car ferry for a 30 minute ride to the eastern tip of Java. Enroute, we will visit an area known for its sculpted rice terraces that make classic photographic subjects because of the wonderful graphic designs seen at any time of the planting and harvesting cycle. Once we cross to Java, we transfer to our stunning hotel at the foot of the Ijen Crater, one of Indonesia’s 129 active volcanoes. Overnight Ijen Resort and Villa.
DAY 8: Ijen Crater.
We depart the hotel very early and drive to the ranger station at the foot of the Ijen Crater. In the cool morning air, we walk up a well-worn dirt trail 1.8 miles to gain the vista of one of the most beautiful crater lakes in the world. It is approximately a 90 minute walk. At the top, the view is unbelievable. The color of the water is an otherworldly aquamarine that is so intense you can’t believe it’s real. The sulfur rocks that have formed on one side of the lake are bright yellow, and from one portion of the shore they are smoking continuously. This is one of the great landscape shots you’ll ever see.
We will also be able to photograph the workers who carry about 200 pounds of sulfur in woven baskets suspended from a pole on either side of their neck up from the lake to the rim of the crater and then down the mountain. Some do this in bare feet while others wear thin rubber boots. After our decent and drive back to the hotel, the rest of the afternoon is at leisure to swim, have a message, or work on your photos. Overnight Ijen Resort and Villa.
DAY 9: Ijen Crater to Jember.
We depart this morning going north to Jember. This is where the spectacular fashion festival takes place, and this evening we are invited (because of our VIP press passes) to a ‘media only’ preview of some of the costumes. This will wet your appetite for tomorrows big event. Overnight Jember Hotel.
DAY 10: Jember Fashion Carnival.
This is a day you won’t forget. Hundreds of young people (including small children as young as six) are adorned in the most outlandish costumes. The colors are brilliant, the designs are wild and often huge, and the painted and bejeweled faces of the girls (and sometimes the guys) are amazing. You’ll burn up flash cards like never before. Because of the VIP press pass you’ll have, you can go anywhere to get the pictures that will make all your friends back home extremely envious. Overnight Jember Hotel.
DAY 11: Jember to Bromo
Today we leave early in the morning and drive to another one of Indonesia’s active volcanic areas, the Tengger Calder. Mt. Bromo is located here, but towering above Bromo is Mt. Semeru which frequently emits plumes of smoke hundreds of feet in the air. We will go to bed early in preparation for a sunrise shot of the caldera. Overnight Bromo Cottages Hotel.
DAY 12: Mt. Bromo to Blitar.
This morning we get up before sunrise and drive the short distance to a viewpoint to photograph the sunrise on Mt. Semeru and the Tengger Caldera. The landscape is rugged, and in the early morning light it is truly spectacular. The eroded cinder cones are side lit, and the pink/orange colors of sunrise make the scene magical. After breakfast at the hotel, we head east toward Yogyakarta. Enroute we stop and overnight in Blitar to photograph a Javanese bride. The unique and exotic attire girls wear when they marry vary region to region on Java, and each one is stunning. This is a classic portrait session that you’ll love. Jim will discuss lighting, posing, shadows, etc. to help you take the best pictures possible. Overnight: Hotel to be announced.
DAY 13: Blitar to Yogyakarta.
We drive west to Yogyakarta today, and it is here that two of the oldest monuments in Indonesia can be found — Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world, and Prambanan, a 9th century Hindu monument. Both are fantastic to shoot and they are worth the long drive to Yogya. Overnight Overnight Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa.
DAY 14: Yogyakarta.
Very early in the morning we depart from the hotel to position ourselves on Borobudur for the sunrise. It’s a special thing to see, and with the ancient stonework as foreground elements, the pictures are dramatic. After the sunrise, you can use off-camera flash to shoot the temple reliefs — Jim will explain how to do that to emphasize the ancient texture and beautiful subject matter.
The rest of the day is at leisure to shop, download pictures, or swim. This evening Jim will hold a critique session at the hotel. Overnight Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa.
DAY 15: Yogyakarta.
Jim has arranged to photograph a Javanese dancer at the ruins of Prambanan today, and in the afternoon we travel to the ruins which provide a dramatic background to our model. Low angled sunlight beautiful illuminates the ancient architecture, and just as the site closes lights come on which further add drama to the scene. Overnight Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa.
DAY 16: Yogyakartar to Denpasar, Bali.
We transfer to the airport this morning for a flight back to Denpasar, Bali. The rest of the day at leisure for more photography, shopping, or relaxation at the beach. In the evening, Jim will do a critique of your images with the group. Overnight Ayana Resort and Spa.
DAY 17: Denpasar to home.
We say goodbye to Indonesia and depart for our journey home, knowing that we’ve had one of the most amazing photo tours ever.
Tour cost: $5875
Single supplement: $1050
INCLUDES: All lodging in 4 and 5 star hotels (except one night at Bromo), internal flight from Yogyakarta to Denpasar, all ground transportation, all breakfasts, two dinners, ferry ticket, fees for photo models, entrance fees, and photo instruction.
DOES NOT INCLUDES: International airfare, visa fee, alcoholic beverages, tips, and items of a personal nature.