Russell Pike Landscape Photography

After landing on probably the world’s best runway (built in the minds of surfers wanting to check the surf ASAP) that belongs to Bali, the first objective was to cross over to Nusa Lembongan and what now seems our home from home, we just can’t get enough of it. It’s been 8 days now and I’m still trying to find a morning/evening to steal a scene from the seaweed farms of mount Agung. I know the volcanoes show themselves during these hours as I have some shots already. There’s always room for improvement though, especially with the files on my card. The mornings so far have proved difficult as there has been too much cloud cover, likewise in the evenings. This doesn’t mean I haven’t taken any photos at all within being here; I’ve been trying my hand at travel photography which is turning out to be pretty exciting stuff.

Take the scene below which is the road that runs along the shore of where my Mt Agung photo lies. On this morning I arrive to see the same old view, a clump of cloud hanging over the peaks across the Badung strait. In these milky pre-dawn hours it’s starting to resemble Groundhog Day a lot. I’m almost half expecting Bill Murray to smash and throw a flip clock out of the seaweed huts and appear looking a little worst for ware. But then I notice a split in the clouds on the horizon, a different event for this morning, believe me. The sun could possibly rise into the gap sending a blast of warm light over the landscape for a short moment. The search was on for a photo that didn’t need the use of the volcanoes. This is the kind of workflow I myself don’t perform in. I see no plans, no vision, or product of an idea to strive towards. I call it “shooting blind”. Granted thought there is some very lucky moments when everything falls together within a landscape shoot. This was not one of them.

Time was spent wondering up and down the shoreline looking for a simple shot and while my eyes were combing the beach my mind was thinking “I should be composed and running though the checks on the camera to make sure everything is set and ready, not walking around like a blue ass chicken while the light is not far from landing”. As per usual, with the pressure loaded on like that I find nothing on the uninteresting beach. I exit to the road early knowing the photo I want with the right ingredients will come soon enough. While strapping down the tripod on the scooter ready to move on I noticed the road with its avenue of palm trees and quickly realised at this position it will be almost backlit. Travel photography? Why not? So I set up on the 100-400mm and perch it on the tripod with every adjustment lever lose for movement in all directions. I frame up the road and trees, activate Image stabilisation on the big bugger, switch to continuous frames and then do what I do best with my camera. To the untrained eye it would appear I just stand there looking smug (not intended) with my gear but in fact I’m waiting, but not just for the light this time, I’m waiting for the Lembongan local’s to stir and cross into my frame too.

It just shows already right from the start what a useless travel photographer I am as I’ve watched this happen most mornings without the bonus of light, and it’s only occurred to me to shoot it now after 6 days. I could be thinking about landscapes a little too much.

So I’m set ready to strike. Smoke is hanging in the air due to the locals starting there wood burners. A few people stroll across my viewfinder looking rather ghostly in the bluish ambient light, I fire a few frames to test the exposure and just in case that’s all my luck used up. A quick review and they look ok but I stay fixed with my eyes reviewing the outside of the avenue waiting for something better to pass through. An old boy quietly rides down the road towards me, I’m at the other end blasting away unknown to him. He pass’s with a loud and abrupt “hello”. The sun light starts to make an appearance back lighting the avenue. Some kids gather at the far end on bikes, I zoom in to scope out there next move and as quick as a flash a young kid runs out of the trees closer to me filling my frame with arms and legs all over the place. I zoom out to see he’s flying a kite. I take full advantage of the 3.9 frames per second or something my 5D Mrk II is capable of. He then departs never to be seen again on this morning. I knew that was my moment. I take a few more while the light lasts. An old lady walks past me and turns to talk to her friend and then for a few seconds her stare bores into my lens; she has probably seen this many times before. 

The light fades and the moment has gone. I pack up me gear and head back with a different buzz. Shooting these kinds of photos to me is a game of luck, sure you can scout out the scenes like with landscape photography and plan for how it could be lit, but that extra interest could come at any time, form and speed. It certainty makes a change from the slow paced, long exposure orientated, landscape shots. The next morning I returned to see if lady luck was about. The old boy rode past again, this must be his daily route to work. Another young kid rode past going the other way, every now and then he would flip round to make sure he was going straight and flip right back with his curious stare. He did this for the whole length of road. Laughing and shooting him was a challenge by itself.

 Well its back to Bali now after our 10 days in Nusa Lembongan, 7 of which, we spent with an old friend of mine Anthony Dodds and his girlfriend Chloe. It couldn’t have been any better. Reminiscing, eating out, surfing, bike riding, snorkelling, cock fighting etc. It would cost a fortune to do that all at home ha-ha. Now we are off to the north of Bali to get involved with the volcanoes up close and personal along with rice terraces, lake temples blah blah blah. Should be good.