Below - Underwater photography in Alor, Indonesia
With some of the most pristine and untouched reefs I've ever seen, it's no wonder Alor has me going back year after year. As some of you are aware, about six months ago I finally picked up a housing for the camera after years of mental gymnastics on why I wasn’t going to do just that. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Creating and shooting while diving has been a such a good overlap of the venn diagram. I’m here for it and I reckon eating those words has been less than bitter.
The boys at Air Dive come with the same macro nerd energy I’ve come to embrace while diving, so the hunt was on for the small, the weird, the bizarre. High fives were had and scientific names thrown about. While Alor is known for its currents and big topography, it’s macro life is world class. From Rhinopias to rare symbiotic relationships to all the alien-like nudibranches, i’m never not awe inspired at what the ocean has just beneath the surface.
Travel Diary: Quick stopover in Amed
I headed back to Alor recently and had a couple days on the way back in Bali. So I popped up to Amed to see some friends and a couple of dives just to nerd out on the little critters. Between me being a bit new at this whole underwater photography thing and the general nature of shooting underwater, the keeper rate is usually a bit lower than what I shoot on land. That being said, back to back dives on Batuniti up in Tulamben delivered in spades. I didn’t think I’d have enough to fill a blog post, but between the Mt. Agung sunsets and all the little aliens coming out to say hello under the surface, I couldn’t help but show you.
Travel Diary: Lombok, Indonesia
Another trip to Indonesia for diving took me to south Lombok and during the brief stints in between being underwater, I grabbed the trusty Fuji x100v and snapped a few frames along the way. While just a short jaunt from Bali, Lombok feels different in so many ways. Rugged landscapes, much quieter beaches, and just a different vibe altogether. That being said, the last time I was in Kuta, Lombok was 12 years ago and it’s nearly unrecognisable now. It was a very, very quiet fishing village and now there are matcha lattes flying around and avocado toast dotting more than a few menus. It’s not to the point of no return like much of southern Bali, but I’m a bit concerned it’s on its way. There’s still lots to love, though and the diving in Belongas Bay was incredible. Places like Mawun and Selong Belanak still offer relatively chilled out beaches and thankfully there’s not one of those god awful beach clubs Bali has unfortunately embraced. Hopefully that won’t change. In the mean time Lombok, and specifically southern Lombok where I was this time around, is at a point where it can go the overdeveloped route, or retain the charm that brought people there in the first place.
Travel Diary: Alor Archipelago, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia: Part 2
This is part 2 in the Alor series, so if you haven’t had a chance to look at those images, head here to check out part 1. Not that this is chronological, but go have a look there for more. In any event, Alor just kept delivering in not only photo opportunities, but just as an incredible place for me to be alive. Life seems to slow down for me whenever I’m here. The sounds of the ocean, the handshakes of the people I’ve met, the food… life becomes fairly uncomplicated and being present is the default rather than something I need to consciously tell myself to appreciate. It started to feel like a flow state, and I guess that’s all I can ever ask for…
Travel Diary: Alor Archipelago, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia: Part 1
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’d know how special this place is for me. Alor sits to the far east of Indonesia and while I first started going here for diving (and still do, really) three years ago, I’ve come to appreciate everything above water maybe just as much as the incredible underwater vistas that initially drew me to this awe inspiring place. I only had maybe 30-40 minutes to shoot before hopping on the dive boat each day, but that allowed for morning strolls right when the light was getting good. I ventured out on some afternoons right at golden hour to see what I could find and had a couple of surface intervals on little local islands that provided for some amazing opportunities to meet some incredible craftspeople. That said, shooting wasnt my priority on this trip
Travel Diary : Alor Archipelago, Indonesia
It’s hard to really convey into words about how special some places in the world are. That said, if there was a list, Alor is currently sitting at the top. These images have been waiting to get published for around a month. During that time, I’ve been staring at the screen trying to figure out how to say how incredible this place is and I don’t think it’s possible to really convey with words, my photos, or even the mix of the two. These images are from the small time I spent above water in between diving and seeing all the incredible creatures of the ocean. Time seems to stand still. I know I’ve spoken about how time seems to slow down in some places, but somehow in Alor it feels like the world just stops and you’re in that place you’re supposed to be. At least it is for me. I can’t get enough of it.
Travel Diary: Amed, Indonesia
Right off the heels of my Hanoi trip for work and what has seemed like a whirlwind since the Tet break, I headed back to Amed on the northern coast of Bali for a bit of a disconnect and some diving. If you’re in the area, check out Dream Divers Bali, they’re tops. I haven’t yet taken up underwater photography - diving, for me at least, is about completely not thinking about anything but whats in front of me. I’m afraid if take a camera underwater, it’s going to start turning into work. With the thousands of dollars that I’d likely spend on strobes, housings, ports, etc etc, I think there would be a nagging feeling in the back of my head that I need to recoup those costs. And I really don’t want diving to turn into work. It’s my zen place…. but maybe I should just let go of the idea that I need to get a return on investment….I’m not there quite yet, so no underwater photography shenanigans.
Travel Diary : Komodo and Nusa Penida, Indonesia
It’s been crazy busy lately, so I’ve had a backlog of images from some travel earlier this year and I’m just now able to get to these. Over the summer, Komodo was calling and I definitely answered. The small town of Labuan Bajo was a dusty little town the last time I was there and while its still a small town, it’s definitely not dusty anymore.