old balinese hindu woman
the Dean of the village of Desa Tangeb, Bali, Indonesia
the Dean of the village of Desa Tangeb, Bali, Indonesia
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May, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in Bali, last year, during a Ceremony, the very important Ceremony of Melasti. This wonderful woman is the Dude of her village. Melasti is a Ceremony that occurs every 210 days (Balinese calendar) and is done to purify everything from bad Spirits, Gods and Energies. Melasti, also called the Long Walk, as every village has to go down to the Ocean. During this Walk, every road, intersection, crossroad and then the beaches are blessed. Arrived on beaches, Balineses eat, pray, and bring offers to the ocean. The Priests also clean,bless all materials they have been using for all the ceremonies they did. Then they go back to their villages and spend the night watching shows with clowns and traditional dances. All the children and adolescents participate to the shows. the village is Desa Tangeb, it is protected from mass tourism and really Balinese because the Banjar - community place where social and political decisions are made by all the inhabitants and they decided not to be part of our kind of globalization...Time
It was at the beginning of the Ceremony, early in the morning, maybe 8 am. My friends, Ilo and Komang, a couple, came to pick me up at home, already dressed. They helped me to dress myself and we went to the Temple of my village to Pray the Gods. This is where I met this beautiful woman whose name is Ilo too!!! I first talked to her as I am speaking Bahasa Indonesian and a little Balinese. Then she agreed to be taken in picture. I did many of her as she was also taking care of incenses, flowers, offers... before the Priest come to bless everybody and pray. Since I entered in the Temple, I was fascinated by this woman whose age is around 80 or 90, nobody in the village knows, even her. She was so sweet, her movements were so fluid, precise...Lighting
In Bali, early in the morning, light is soft, colors are shining. I usually work always with daylight. I just waited the time she sat for a moment almost in front of the sun.Equipment
I am part of people who can't spend a lot for cameras. As I shoot in RAW and process with Photoshop I don't have too much problems to realize pictures I want. Mine is a Canon EOS 600D, with a 18-55mm and a 55-250mm. I almost never use tripod, except for night pictures or special landscapes to have water or clouds moving.Inspiration
She was looking like my mother, same shape, same thin body, like blessed.Editing
Yes, just a little with the RAW process of Photoshop. Usually I work exposition,vibrancy, light and contrasts when I open my RAW image on Photoshop CS9. Then I use the magic tool to increase or lower light in some part of the image.In my camera bag
I have a special backpack where I can put my Canon and my 2 lenses.Feedback
I believe that photography is like curiosity to learn... You just have to be there from beginning to end of an event. Dare to be, dare to look at people, give them smiles, be true, try to talk their own language, even if you know just a few words... Then, people like you and you love them. Then, they invite you to take pictures of their life as part of the family, cosmos, love. Then you take pictures you didn't even think about...
