Ayasofia Museum

What I love the most about Istanbul? Its combination of cultures. Being in influence of Islam and Catholic in the past, many of its buildings and other form of arts are so rich of culture marriage. Love it.

I have to admit that my trip was such a touristic visit. That simply means that I acted as a tourist, visited touristic places and spent my money like a tourist (I hope I didn’t shoot as ordinary tourist).

I started with Ayasofia (Haghia Sophia) Museum. Being the largest cathedral in the world until year 1400, it became a mosque until year 1934, before it was opened as a museum. Its dome was just amazing. Too bad a heavy restoration was still in progress during my visit, limiting my shooting.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Just several hundred meters from Ayasofia, I then went to the famous Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque). The design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. Such an awesome architecture. If you go with a tour guide, you must be told to pay attention to its six towers (minarets), which makes it the only one in the world (I didn’t bother trying to shoot all of them in one frame though).

Basilica Cistern

Basilica Cistern is also another beauty you cannot miss. The cistern, located 500 feet (150 m) west of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century. As a dedicated tourist, I and my girlfriend had our touristic photo shoot wearing traditional Turkish costumes. It was so cool, I looked more like a Chinese emperor.

Future king and queen of Istanbul

If you like to shop, go to Taksim Square and walk along the Istiqlal Street, where hundreds of local and international stores are packed with thousands of shoppers. Or go to Grand Bazaar, the first covered market in the world. Yes, it is the world’s first mall. It has more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. Staying there more than two hours was more than enough to make me nearly crazy, as the sellers were trying so hard to offer me so many things.

Grand Bazaar

Go cruising the Bosphorus Strait, the border or Europe and Asia, that divides the city of Istanbul. The cruise will take you go through under two magnificient bridges, Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Bosphorus Bridges.

Bosphorus Strait

View from Galata Tower

Enjoy the whole city of Istanbul from Galata Tower. No worries, it has two elevators that will bring you to the top, where a fine dining restaurant is also open for dinner. The scenic was so pleasant (the only unpleasant thing was our taxi driver who took us there. He cheated us with its lousy meter. Feels like home!).

You must also visit Topkapi Palace and Dolmabahce Palace. Topkapi was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and is a major tourist attraction today, containing the most treasured holy relics of the Muslim world such as the prophet Muhammad’s cloak and sword, and Moses’ stick, not mentioning the unbelievable amount of germs and jeweleries the king possessed. It was hard to believe that King Ottoman was able to collect such items during his life. Another proof of how nice it was to be a king.

Nearby the palace

Last but not least, don’t forget to try these: the famous Turkish kebab, Turkish coffee, which is basically an espresso with lots of sugar in it, and its local beer, Efes. It’s a pilsener with smooth taste. Yummie!

Don't drink and drive

Goodbye diet

Sweet espresso

I’m telling you the truth: Travelers, you need these books. It’s handy, packed with the real info that we actually need and it’s so easy to browse.

The concept is very simple. It shows you top 10 of everything. Let’s take one of the series, Bangkok. It shows 10 ten of what’s cool in Chatuchak weekend market, 10 ten of famous historical events, 10 ten gay bars, 10 ten to visit in old city, etc. So, it’s basically 10 ten of different things that a traveler need to explore, whatever his/her interests are.

It’s published by Penerbit Erlangga in Indonesia, translated from its original published by Dorling Kindersley, London. Check it out!

Nadine Chandrawinata, Jaka Setia and me talking about traveling tips and tricks

We can look scary too

Boo, Misool

Hi wobbegong!

This time, our diving team decided to spend more time in Misool, which is the southern part of Rajaampat county. There were 12 divers, a combination of advanced and beginners. Some had no problem with seasick, some already turned white on our first day. Some couldn’t live with their cameras, some just couldn’t care less. Diversity always makes a trip more colorful.

Nothing beats live aboard

Big camera is painful, but at least you look cool

Misool is more famous for its coral, although I found that the macro was pretty nice too. Its huge sea-fans were way beyond awesome. We were also lucky to have such good visibility, 25-35 m. Some of the famous sites are Jendela and Boo. Jendela is cute. It has too big window-like passages, which lead to nice ‘garden’.

Pigmy seahorse was also easy to find. I really hope my strobes didn’t blind them. But in case you haven’t known, please never touch the seahorse and if possible, the sea-fan. In fact, try not to touch anything. It will make them vulnerable to their predators. They have an invisible shield that cover their skin, making them invisible to the predators. Touching them will erase it.

My gear was Canon 5D mark 2 inside Ikelite housing, with 8 inch dome, together with two D160 Ikelite strobes. I used two lenses, Canon EF 16-35mm F2.8 L II and EF 100mm F2.8 L IS USM Macro, both sponsored by Canon (it’s a good time to get more sponsored lenses from them. Hallo Canon, I told you I would make the most of your lenses. I even showed them to the fish).

In my personal opinion, I always have mixed feelings seeing how diving become very popular in Indonesia. It’s nice to see more people love our nature, but it’s also a real threat, if we are not aware to control its social-business development. More divers means more income, more boats, more resorts. We human have much bigger chance to ruin our nature in contrary of preserving it. My only hope is that our love to our underwater world can move us, divers or non-divers, to unleash our true power to stop any abusive threat to the coral reef. I have heard that the government has given permission to a mining company to start their operation in Rajaampat, which I strongly believe will destroy the nature no matter how sweet the company’s public relations tell us). I hope it’s just a cheap rumor.

Cape Kri

Cape Kri

Black Bird

Black Bird

Batu Bungsu

Jendela

Jendela

Boo

Batu Kembar

Detail of a wobbegong at Mioskon

I love this diving too!

Belitung! As most of everyone else in Indonesia, I saw this beautiful island through Laskar Pelangi, a feature film by Riri Riza. I love the movie and after visiting the island, I loved its beaches too.

Belitung is only 45 minutes flight from Jakarta (we flew Batavia Air). It’s a small island, only 244 hectare, which will only take 2 hours to go across it. It’s basically divided into two: North Belitung and East Belitung.

I unfortunately didn’t have much time to really explore the island. So we decided to focus on the northern part of the island, whose highlight was Tanjung Tinggi. We also went to a fishermen kampoeng near Tanjung Pandan and a museum which wasn’t very interesting for me (I usually loved museum ).

We stayed at Lorr Inn, for free, as the whole event was sponsored by HP. You would need to pay approximately 600 thousand – 1,5 million rupiah per night to stay there. It’s nice though.

Talking about the event, it’s a pretty interesting experience. The participants came from really different backgrounds, as they were random winners of HP program ‘Print Your Holiday With Famous Photographer’ (I have no idea who it refers to). A teacher, an IT guy, an aircraft maintenance specialist, an aluminium sales are some to mention. My experience in teaching photography to real newbies is very limited, so I took the event as quite challenging. If I have failed to make them interested in photography, I thought, I would then focus on the durian that we bought on the way to our photo hunting location. Luckily, I got both.

It was my second time in Paris, after my first in 1998. Paris, La Ville-Lumière, The City of Light. The spring was sunny and breezy. And it was full of love, that makes it impossible not to fall for the city.

There are too many beautiful things in Paris. It is nearly impossible to explore even half of its main attractions in a visit. I always prefer to do it in slow motion, feel and memorize the atmosphere, the vibe of the place. But I can suggest and share you some simple things to do in Paris.

Have lunch at unbeatable French bistros, such as Le Comptoir de Relais at Saint Germain. Enjoy the romance on Pont Neuf, the famous bridge crossing Seine River. Pray and feel at peace at Notre Dame cathedral. Just wander and get lost in the Latin quarter and take a nap in one of its little parks. Admire the glorious Eiffel tower from many spots of the city; wait until its thousands of lights start flashing, glittering your dusk. Go to the Louvre, seek Da Vinci’s Monalisa. Shop till you drop on Avenue des Champ Elysées. Watch Moulin Rouge and be amazed. Dress uniquely, as it is the capital of fashion.

Once I asked a favor from a man to take a picture of me on Pont Neuf. He was apparently a poet, whose origin was Peru. Through our little chat, I was told that he had been living in many places in the world just to discover more and more about life. One simple thing he said, to feel joy and happiness, we have to open our hearts to sorrow.

In the city of love, wisdom comes in many wonderful ways. Paris oh Paris…

Chateau de Chambord

It was a lovely spring in Loire Valley, the Garden of France, the Cradle of the French Language, Vallée de la Loire…

Never really like French car

My trip started at Avis rent-a-car in Paris (Rent a car! It’s the best way to explore Loire). Driving on the right lane of the road was quite frightening, as I hadn’t done it for years. After 2 hours trying-not-to-kill-ourselves driving, I and my girlfriend reached Loire Valley and checked in at a beautiful small châteaux, Chateau de la Villaine, for 120 euro per night. It is owned by a retired Dutch couple, Joke and Adrian (She’s not a joke, call her Yo-ke). What you get is worth every euro you spend. Good hospitality, nice room, beautiful chateau, huge surrounding land, plus delicious cookies with your afternoon tea. Life is good in Loire.

Nice house to have!

If you wish to add 35 euro per person, you then can have dinner at the chateau. Joke is an excellent cook. And the food is of course French. We decided to have it once, together with another two guests from South Africa. It was such a nice dinner and Adrian never stopped pouring the wine.

Loire Valley is famous for its wine. You will find many wineries along the way, and feel free to stop by and taste the wine. I tried it once in Touraine, and found its rosé exceptional. I am not a wine expert, but I love having my every meal with wine, especially whenever I travel to Europe. But remember not to drink and drive, unless you are willing to drive 35 km/hr along the country road.

The main attraction is the châteaux. Numbering more than 300 in the area, there are several unbelievably big ones that you have to see. I decided to go to Chateau d’Azay le Rideau, Chambord, Chenonceau, Ussé, and Amboise. I like Chateau de Amboise the most. It is up on the hill with amazing view to its surrounding town. I also learned that Leonardo da Vinci lived, worked and was buried here, under the Chapel of Saint-Hubert, adjoining the Château, which had been built in 1491–96. His house, which is located in the nearby Clos Lucé (it’s a lovely house! I wish a photographer like me can afford it), connected to the château by an underground passage.

It must have been nice to be a French nobles, I thought, as some of the châteaux (with hundreds of rooms) were even only for summer holidays, or a gift for their wives (as long as you have a hundred servants to take care of you and your property).

Street Market in Loches

I would also suggest you to go to the small towns in the area, like Loches, to feel its local atmosphere. Go to the street markets, town squares or just walk exploring the city.

Last but not least, the food (I love eating and I can talk about food for hours. But since it is a photo/design blog, I’m sure it’s not your best interest ). For food lovers, French might be the best. For food lovers who also love arts, French is definitely the best. It will satisfy not only your tongue, but also your eyes (and ears, as the waiters/waitresses sound very sexy). Bon appétit!

Amboise

Amboise

Chenonceaux

Boats at Chambord

Raigny Ussé

Wild flowers

Pines

Strawberry sold in street market

You can see I was busy taking photos

41,000 feet in the air

I am not a fan of politics, and I don’t think I will ever be. But my love to shoot human interests has been there since the first time I know how to press the shutter button. Shooting Jusuf Kalla (JK), a.k.a the vice president, a.k.a the presidential candidate, was nothing less but a journey to see the other side of someone who played a big role in shaping our country.

I remember one morning I had to shoot JK at his home after a tiring full day campaign in Medan. The whole campaign team was there waiting for him. The time was 11 a.m. Then there he was. Coming in in a worn-out polo shirt on leisure trousers and his cheap pen with a small notebook in his pocket. That was the way he was, he is and he will always be, I think.

I saw a leader whose humanity was dominant. A decision maker who was never tired. A vice president who always listened and acted accordingly. A candidate who never forgot to smile. Someone who I could honestly admire. Such a memorable journey for a photographer.

You know what I love in making an essay photo? I triggers a different side of my brain which called: Looking-Thinking-Shooting at The Same Time. I usually start my essay shooting with quite light research, nothing too serious. I find thinking and planning too much before the shooting would only give me more nausea and sweaty palm. But doing it with an easy going attitude usually makes it much more interesting. So I don’t actually searching and trying to find an angle of story, but I tend to loose myself and let wherever the flow take me. I just keep shooting and pay as much attention to my surrounding while waiting for the best split-second moment I have to capture.

These pictures are my personal selection. The commercial versions that were displayed during the campaign were mostly in color and/or cropped to fit the layouts.

We stayed at Tasik Ria Resort, approximately 1 hour from the airport (although we made it in 40 minutes when we were late heading back to fly to Jakarta ). This time we dove with Tasik Divers, as Ecodiver wasn’t the operator anymore (although all the people looked like the same). It was a pretty good deal that I got, Rp 3 million for 4 night and 3 days diving in Bunaken. Plus additional Rp 450 thousand for our Lembeh trip. Quite a bargain.

I always loved diving in Menado. It has good infrastructure, nice hotel (much better than Gorontalo and Palu), good dive operators, and most of all, nice dive sites. Well, if you are a food lover, count it in too. My buddy Ronny Rengkung has a restaurant downtown, Ayam Kalasan it’s called, although I am not sure where it was. It served many Menado food too. Simply said: awesome! I mean it. We also tried Ria Rio Restaurant. Another yummy experience. I sometimes can’t make up my mind, which one is better, the food or the diving.

In my experience, Menado always provides easy dives. That’s why many of the new students get certified there, while enjoying their vacation. But it was pretty quiet. Good. It was perfect to try my new underwater housing, this time with Canon 5D mark 2 in it.

Talking about camera, I was not very happy with the operator though. My buddy Denada rented a pocket camera, a Sea&Sea, 7 mega pixel. After the second dive, I saw the ‘low battery’ warning. She took it back, but they convinced her it was fine. So she dove again, but only to find the camera could only shoot another 3 frames. She then brought it back again, get the operator open the underwater case, and apparently the lens could not retract. They said they could have asked her to pay $500 although they preferred not too. This was a situation where a decision was about to made based on poor knowledge. First of all, the whole camera would only cost half of the amount mentioned. Secondly, how could a diver harm the camera while it’s securely operated in its housing and it didn’t even leak a bit? Thirdly, if the lens mechanism failed, it’s really an easy job to fix by a basic camera shop. I would rather make them pay her $500 for refusing to check it although the low battery warning already blinked and made her losing her opportunity to shoot great moments.

Special thanks to Noldy and Benny, our dear guides. And also to Ronny for the lovely food.

Kensington Garden

Natural History Museum

View from Millenium Bridge

View from Kings Road

Millenium Bridge

Yaaay, diving again! Tanjung Karang is a village in Donggala County, approximately one hour from Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi. It is not as famous as many other diving destinations in Indonesia such as Rajaampat, Komodo or Bali. But I believe there are many, many beautiful spots that are yet to be discovered (probably it’s better be this way. Indonesia is renowned to spoil its originally beautiful and pristine natural sites).

So, we flew to Palu via Balikpapan with Sriwijaya Air. If you haven’t heard about the airline, have no worries. We survived. The dive operator company called Prince John (www.princejohndiveresort) arranged three cars with drivers to pick us up at the airport. The bosses, Alex and Gaby (both Germans), which we later met at the resort, ran the dive center since 12 years ago.

I found Palu very clean and, well, empty. But it was as expected. That’s what you will find going to non-touristic destinations in Indonesia.

The humble resort where we stayed wasn’t so bad though. Prince John resort was right next to its beautiful beach. The trip was affordable too. We spent around Rp 6.7 million for 5 nights and air tickets. It’s PADI-certified dive centre also had good guides and the staff were very nice! They liked to laugh and were never out of jokes. So were we! There were 8 of us: Rina Tambunan, Jeffrey and Regina Wirianta, Meta Rostiawati, Adrijani Lim, Joseph Liemonta, Ayodhya Glenardi (Glen) and myself. Many thanks to Rina and Adri who arranged most of the things for us.

You know what is the best thing about a diving trip? Meal times! The food served by the resort was reasonable, but nothing really tickled my refined taste buds . I always feel tremendously hungry after diving, and always find the food good enough even though we maybe on a rocky boat and the others are throwing up.

I will tell you my overall impression about our Tanjung Karang trip. The diving was ok. Nothing spectacular, but I still recommend it. The resort was ok too, but expect nothing fancy, and be prepared with your mosquito repellent. The bugs and mosquitoes were quite a challenge for me. I loved the local people. They were fun! So I suggest you go there with your best buddies, as you can’t do anything after diving but to have beers, share jokes and eat snacks (which you have to bring from home).

I will let the photos continue the story.