Well, Labor Day has come and gone and with it another Summer. Even though the mercury is still in realm of triple digits here in Phoenix, it is heading downward, as is the sun earlier and earlier each day. Kids are back in school, vacations are now memories and we'll be celebrating the harvest before you know it. O.K. most of us have never harvested food in our lives, but we'll feast and celebrate anyway! At any rate, like it or not, Summer is over and therefore, I thought I finish it off with an "Endless Summer" inspired Photo of the Week. Enjoy! Also, if it helps, refer back in a couple of months when you are freezing and tired of scrapping the ice off of your windshield!
A few years ago I traveled to Bali for a month with the mission of trying to capture on film what it is that makes this relatively small island stand out, despite being one of 17,508 islands in the Indonesian archipelago. I found that it isn't just one thing, but rather the sum of it's unique and exotic culture, stunning vistas imbued with spiritual significance and range of activities that inspire travelers of all types to seek out their own paradise here.
With rumors of long reef breaks and consistent swells, surfers were among the first hardcore travelers to arrive and discover this, "Island of the Gods". Soon thereafter, names like Kuta, Ulu Watu and Dreamland lured the faithful from around the globe. Today, all along the Southern coast, motorbikes are outfitted with surfboard racks and the convenient stores have designated "surfboard parking " areas in an effort to accommodate those who come to conquer these breaks. Wanting to learn more about this subculture of the island, I rented a long board for a week and even enrolled in a weekend surf school. In class I learned about everything from duck-dives to rip-tides, however, the most valuable lessons I learned were the ones that nobody can teach you. I discovered that surfing is equal parts meditation and exertion. Moments of serene contentment followed by vigorous contests against the ocean's perpetual treadmill of waves. Much more than just a sport, it's about being in harmony with nature in her most natural environment.
Inspired by my newfound wisdom, I headed down to Kuta Beach to take on the challenge of capturing this essence in a still frame. I decided the best way to accomplish this would be to isolate a lone surfer set against the ocean and the setting sun. I have always liked working with silhouettes of people because the sense of anonymity lends itself to the feeling of "everyman" or in this case, every surfer. I tracked this local, who seemed to be particularly "in focus" as he came in from the days last set. As I framed him in the viewfinder and waited, the magic of the medium happened. Before turning his back and calling it a day at the beach, he looked back at the ocean for a moment of thanks. I could tell he was paying homage to what surfers refer to as their "source".
Stoked from the knowledge that I had it in the can, I took a moment to pay homage to my source as well, the medium of photography.
Admittedly, this photo doesn't fit my usual style of making photographs that "promote global awareness and cultural understanding". However, being a travel and documentary photographer it does give a nice "sense of place". North Dakota? South of France? No, in this case, that "place" is a kitschy hotel that was formerly a French Colonial Governor's mansion or something like that in Dalat, Vietnam. O.K., I must admit, I don't remember the actual building so much, due to the fact that it was not nearly as impressive as the little pamphlet the ministry of tourism gave me. The garden path that I discovered leaving the mansion however, was worth putting of my afternoon glass of Vietnamese drip coffee for another half hour. Just barely though. I'm telling you, that stuff is sheer ambrosia!
