Buddha staring at the sun, a photo from Jawa Tengah, Java

Photographer's Note

Borobudur is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments of the world compared only with Ankor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar. It is located in the region of Central Java (the heart of Javanese culture) close to the most active volcano of the island, Mount Merapi and the badly "injured" by the last lethal earthquake, city of Yogyakarta. Borobudur has survived through the ages from the ashes of Merapi and so it did (with minor damages) from the last disaster.
In the walls of the eight levels of the gigantic stupa you can see 1460 richly decorated narrative pannels that that tell us the story of the life of Buddha and another 1212 decorative ones. You can also see 432 statues of Buddha in different positions.

*This photo was taken two days before the earthquake. It was a day with bad weather (lots of rain and heavy clouds) and I thought it was a lost day for photography until the sun appeared just before sunset at the hour that the monument was closing. This photo was take while two men of the security were "chasing" me.

**The day of the earthquake "found" me at 05:55 in the 8th floor of a hotel in Solo (Surakarta) around 80 km from the epicentre. At first i went to the window to see if Merapi had exploaded. After 30-40 seconds i started thinking "Hey man, how long is it going to last?". It lasted around 2 minutes. Given that we Greeks are pretty used to earthquakes, and seing that the Indonesias had remainded calm, i thought it was something very common. After one hour I checked out from the hotel as it was scheduled, went by car to Semarang (escorted by Mr. Adi, chief of tourism for the Central Java government), where i took the plain to Bandung (capital of West Java). There it was (around 6 hours later) that I realized the size of the disaster. I called to Mr. Adi and he told me that his mother's house had collapsed, but she was allright. While he was with me, he showed no sign of alarm.

I would like to express my sympathy to all Indonesians and my condolences to all those who lost their loved ones.

emrah0147, delkoo, craiggc, mornier, DarkoG, veronika, evanrizo, fijiphil, teutza, Xalkida, Maritsa, CRATEOS, thor68, josepmarin, Jribeirosantos, axiotea, vagabondtravels, sayan, hamster, padeg, stefi, Aglaea, ydarias, LeeMeadowcroft, Alyx, kaptan, calimex, Vertigo, edytungkal, Mistral, messenger1, JonteW, simplyoga, bornav heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

AthaPan (0) 2006-06-02 5:32

Magical photo you show us here
Irakli,

The DoF, the PoV, the colours and the sharpness are great.

Poly megali douleia file mou.
Sakis

PS: Bravo jia to thermo kai exseretiko note kai tin symparastasi stous "filous" sou

emrah0147 (611) 2006-06-02 5:36

god colors
TFS
Emrah

johnnyh (639) 2006-06-02 5:39

Wow!!! wonderful photo Hercules, great contrast of colours and great POV regards John.

arnoud1976 (1191) 2006-06-02 5:40

hello!!! what a image...wow! love the colors in sky and on the ground level. Thedampness also adds to the overall feel of the place!
Did you use any filters here???????????

great work. TFS

regards arnoud

daddo (28748) 2006-06-02 5:42

Something timeless here Hercules. Static on one side and transient on the other. The statue seems fixed there since time began while the sunset is about to be swallowed up by the night. Quite a moving theme, and that doesn't even take the technical aspect into consideration.Clever use of the flashlight and exposure. Greetings, Klaudio

marcocig (781) 2006-06-02 5:42

Stunning scene indeed, very well caught.
Amazing colours too, a bit oversaturated, especially the green.

TFS

Marco

jmhullot (0) 2006-06-02 5:42

Well done! The colours are so different. The buddha looking at the sun in this green and orange landscape is great. Congratulations.

craiggc (2509) 2006-06-02 5:44

Hi Hercules,

Great shot and very imformative note.

The colours are wonderful. Personnally I would run unsharp mask on it again and would clone out the floodlight. I've done a workshop.
Cheers!
Craig

[workshop] [compare]

kickflipper (13) 2006-06-02 5:49

great shots, love the colors
Julius

siolaw (38294) 2006-06-02 5:49

Iassou Hercules!
A very nice compo looking at this Buddha looking at the sunset!! DOF is good kkeping all in focus... intense colors and good details to cap a fine photo from you!
Poli orea fotografia
Ta leme
laurent

kai (422) 2006-06-02 5:49

Very very beautiful photo, great colur and composition thanks for shairing : )

rosaline (0) 2006-06-02 5:51

Hi Hercules
Well, what a story. The story's as interesting as the picture. An impressive shot and one that captures the sultry atmosphere well. The sky looks on fire, which is great for drama and impact. A great shot indeed.
Aubrey

Budapestman (82620) 2006-06-02 6:01

Hi Hercules!
Very good composition and colours. Thank you for sharing.
George

DarkoG (8) 2006-06-02 6:10

Like this photo. Great compo and colour. Nice note.
Regards Darko

asanak (1972) 2006-06-02 6:11

dear hercules,
excellent contrast and good quality.
superb fresh picture.
congratulations!
I love it!wish i had taken it!
thanks
asana

delkoo (68) 2006-06-02 6:27

hercules
you have done a great shot again, well composed and clever control of the light.

well done
didier

ChrisCB (14) 2006-06-02 6:33

What a great picture ! The fog coming for the forest really add a mystical atmosphere. You haved been abble to have a well exposed picture using your flash and that's not easy.

barrufeto_77 (28888) 2006-06-02 6:42

Hola Hércules.

Me encantan los colores de la foto esta y como están compuestos, pasando por el típico color piedra al rojizo cielo pasando por el verde de la selva.

Un saludo, Oscar
PD: Vaya historia en la nota...

PixelTerror (0) 2006-06-02 6:51

Hi Hercules,
I was feeling the 10-22 from the vignette, you caught here a magical moment and gave it a rich foreground. The view gets even more significance reading the fascinating story, let's wish hardly impacted Indonesians a better tomorrow.
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

besnard (59196) 2006-06-02 6:54

Bonjour Hercules
Très belle composition avec de magnifiques couleurs.
Merci de nous faire découvrir cette architecture si particulière.
Amitiés
Nicole

veronika (6058) 2006-06-02 10:21

Hello Hercules,
very nice note (i cant imagine it good cause i´ve never "experienced" an earthquake for real, and im very sorry for those people who did), seems you risked enough to take this picture but it was very worthy, i like it very much!
Nice day for you,
Vero

evanrizo (462) 2006-06-02 10:46

Ωωωω τι πανεμορφη εικονα ειναι αυτή, ο Βουδας εδω συγουρα ειναι πανευτυχής.

anew (582) 2006-06-02 12:17

O Wow, what a classic composition. Only the sky almost looks like a painting. Why is that???
Anu

fijiphil (1355) 2006-06-02 12:26

There have been some great shots of Borobudur on TE recently, but this is the best I have yet seen. Almost everything is perfect; the colours, the steaminess of the jungle, the general composition, and that amazing sky. Shame you couldn't avoid that ugly lighting pole though.

A great note too, makes things like critiquing photos seem a bit trivial.

teutza (10590) 2006-06-02 13:39

waw!this suvh a magnificent photo!amazing!great colours!it's so unreal!good job!

coco (30439) 2006-06-02 13:49

Kalispera Hercules.
Desde Burgos lo primero que voy a hacer ahora es ingresar esta foto en mi lista de favoritas.

¿Hace falta defenderla?
Mi crítica, que será positiva, únicamente puede decir: ¿qué sentiste al ver la foto que hiciste?

Ta leme.

Xalkida (11744) 2006-06-02 20:31

Εξαιρετική φωτογραφία φίλε Ηρακλή.

Το βάθος πεδίου φανταστικό. Τα χρώματα εξωτικά όπως και ο τόπος που πήγες. Ο φωτισμός τέλειος. Εξαιρετικό και το note επίσης.

Amandine (1072) 2006-06-03 0:13

Hi Hercules, it's very well seen, your pic associate successfully natural and human elements, colors are wonderfull, the composition with succession of monument givce depth to the picture. Well done

rabdelnoor (3423) 2006-06-03 0:46

Hi Hercules,
Great capture of this intersting structure and a wonderful sunset background. The colors and light are superb.
I am glad you are OK, and I express my sympathy to all Indonesians at this terrible time.
Regards
Ricardo

s10001in (0) 2006-06-03 9:31

Hercules Milas ,
Wonderful POV.
great mixture of colors.

You are supurb!!!
TFS,
Shailendra

harras2000 (710) 2006-06-03 11:49

Hello Hercules!
A really nice and impressive shot!
Thanks,

Daniel

Maritsa (358) 2006-06-03 14:00

Γειά σου Ηρακλή

Πανέμορφη φωτογραφία με εξαιρετικά χρώματα και φωτισμό.Μου αρέσει το βάθος της.Εξαιρετικό και το note σου.Κρίμα τόσοι άνθρωποι χαμένοι!

Rambo (140) 2006-06-03 15:24

Perfect shot, looks almost like a collage. The colours are amazing, the exposition just perfect. Thanks for sharing your story.
J.

CRATEOS (7278) 2006-06-04 2:34

mia fotografia piges na travixis ke eides ti egine...!!!giayto sou leo prosexe ti travas.....siga me tin mixani...pote den xeris ti ginete...eine oi moira ton poly kalon fotografon!!!!!xeretizo without shake it!!! Phocas

magdaj (1111) 2006-06-04 8:32

Hello Hercules :)
Lovely view.
Very interesting.
Good colors and composition.
Regards & smile:)
Magda

svo555 (1028) 2006-06-05 8:52

Hola Hercules!
Impresionante juego de colores y luces! Un cielo brutal que contrasta genial con el verde intenso.
Una composición muy lograda.
Un saludo
Sergi

thor68 (5586) 2006-06-05 11:58

wow, amazing shot, amazing story!
glad you made it well out of the desaster.
the buddha gazing at the marvellous sunset
and the fresh green fields and trees is so beautiful - good the security didn´t catch you.
very well seen & captured, thor.

josepmarin (59385) 2006-06-05 15:01

Hola Hercules,
Qué terrible experiencia te ha tocado vivir, amigo, un terremoto que ha costado tantas vidas. Me alegro que estés bien, pero me entristece pensar en tanta gente que ha muerto o ha perdido familiares y su propio hogar.
Sobre la foto, fantástico el efecto de color del cielo, en contraste con la neblina en la jungla y el monumento budista, con esta estatua que parece que se asome por una chimenea.
Impresionante imagen.
Un abrazo,
Josep

sebinho342 (19329) 2006-06-06 4:43

What a shot Hercules !!
I'm sure this buddha is happy to have been posterized like this :) Really it's a great shot but you already know that ;)
Brilliant (except this green lighter)
I'll be back :)

Jribeirosantos (1924) 2006-06-06 7:32

Hi Hercules ..
another great shot ..
as you can see .. even when we think it's not a good day for photos we can be surpised ...

I'm glad nothig happaned to you! Unfortunatly some of the were not that lucky :(

Filakia

Joana

TomekWalkiewicz (233) 2006-06-06 10:42

emazing !
really great shoot

axiotea (21651) 2006-06-06 15:49

Iassou Hercules,
Fantastic photo with that Buddha sitting front of the sun..good details and wonderful colors.. POV is perfect too...an interesting and very sad note...i feel very sorry for the people who lost their loved one...TFS...
All the best,
Marilyn

vagabondtravels (6511) 2006-06-08 1:24

Great DOF and POV. Amazing colors and very sharp. Beatuiful image!

Well done.
Ben

sayan (2617) 2006-06-09 9:37

Wow.. wonderful Hercules! It is beautiful. What I like most is the colour and the fading mountains in the background! It is really beautiful. Hope to catch up with your other uploads very soon. I am a little bit busy and outside India . Hopefully will be regular on TE from 18th.
Best regards,
Sayan

hamster (104) 2006-06-10 7:46

Nice shot. I think the colors and nice landcape at the background makes this photo interesting.

Thanx also for sharing the info about the earthquake. I going to Indonesia in few days, but I hope I won't have to experience anouther quake.

Best regards,
Grzegorz

gulliver (1648) 2006-06-12 1:38

Can easily remember how the place looks like. We were just there around last october. Seems to me you were in fact very lucky, both for having the last sun colors and leaving then at the right moment. When we went to Java for tourism. We had a trip there on the theme of volcanos..and we climbed the Merapi to the very top sleeping the previous night in the volcano observatory very close to the volcano!! Reading the news about what happened to Jogyakarta on one hand, and the Merapi on the other hand make us feel that having a good luck appears not necessary when we expect it, but most of the time whithout realising it at the precise moment when it appears making our trip safe....I join you to express mine and Caroline's condolences for all poeple in pain today.

stefi (1230) 2006-07-27 17:07

Hi Hercules, a great shot!I really admire the great exposure, the composition based on a "figure of three" and the solemnity of the moment.
Thank you for this shot,
Stefano

Aglaea (59) 2006-08-24 8:20

Loved this photo!you've really captured the colours, with the orange sky and the green landskape.and I really appreciated your note.
-Kathrine

hizbul (171) 2006-08-25 3:50

You have to admit that Indonesia is one of the most beatifull country in the world Hercules, and you are on the edge presenting it's beauty, thanks for sharing,

Regards,

Hizbullah

vbl (1421) 2006-09-20 10:54

que foto más espectacular!!!! Me gusta mucho las tres capas de colores: piedra, arboles y cielo.

ydarias (679) 2006-09-25 5:33

Hello Hercules. Very good landscape. I like very much the fog over the trees. And the light is superb. Good exposition with this intense sky and a very good saturated colors on the ground. Good work.

Yeray

rui_seabra (205) 2006-11-23 8:21

Hi Hercules,

Much, if not all, has been said about this photo so I will just say that I like it very much, specially the colors.

TFS
Rui Seabra
Portugal

rbcy1974 (20758) 2006-11-23 8:28

Hola Hercules
Its really beautiful, the contrast the colours, thes ky the clarity....
Really magical scene.
Very well done
Regards
Daniel

Alyx (770) 2006-11-26 8:10

Bonjour Hercule!
Cette photo est magique, complètement irréaliste.
La luminosité et les couleurs sont magnifiques! Le cagrage est peut-être 2cm trop à gauche, mais sur l'ensemble ca ne se voit même pas. C'est très réussit, j'adore! Merci de nous la faire partager. Amicalement, Elise.

zizzer77 (721) 2006-12-11 7:06

this shoot is beautiful,

i like this composition!

kaptan (1444) 2006-12-20 16:10

beatiful,wonderful,very nice.ı like that one a lot.nezih

Robpulp (917) 2007-01-10 12:30

awsome photograph, great lighting and good POV an PP. i really like it. Goin gin my favouates! Rob

fariischee (584) 2007-01-26 3:19

CONGRATS on this shot well done..

franciru (112) 2007-01-26 3:48 [Comment]

Show Comment

calimex (151) 2007-01-26 3:54

Hercules,

Once again, you have a fascinating shot, and a very good note that gives me so much to think about. You truly represent the mission of this site.

The redness of the sky, the mist in the background, and the creative framing with the back of the Buddha, all create a wonderful effect.

Thanks, Hercules.

Best,
José

anes_lc (14968) 2007-07-12 2:40

magical atmosphere .great composition,the colors in the sky are absolutely fantastic
thanks for share
anes

Vertigo (758) 2007-07-22 12:38

καταπληκτικη φωτο με ομορφο θέμα
ωραια χρωματα με πολλη καλή αντίθεση μεταξύ τους

fergieboymk1 (408) 2007-08-31 6:55

I'm a bit curious at how this is possible with the technical info given. How did you manage to keep focus from front to back of picture given youre f stop was only f8 and how did you manage to keep an amazing amount of detail in foreground whilst keeping all detail in a sunset sky?
The foreground actually looks like it was taken on an overcast cloudy daytime and then photoshoped to a sunset - surely with that kind of sky everything would be bathed in a nice orange glow.
Even with heavy graduated filtering (which you havent used)it is impossible to get the tonal range you have achieved.And I doubt you're fill flash reached the hotel at the bottom of the Stupa!
This might have a lot of smiles but sorry mate I just dont buy it!

edytungkal (4551) 2007-10-25 0:23

Hello Hercules,
I think this shot is one of your best picture, excellent combination from this historic man-made structures against the beautiful nature. I like alot this shot Hercules and thanks for your informative and very nice note.

daniel

Mistral (15416) 2007-10-28 0:38

Kalimera Hercules,
You caught a stunnig atmosphere this is a lesson to have always camera handy when travelling in search of lights...
Great shot and story!
A smile
Luca

Bruno40 (6662) 2007-11-22 0:30

Hercules
Como me gustaria que mi foto de Burubudur fuera la mitad de bonita que la tuya!!
Que hermosa foto!!
saludos
Jorge

ag1993 (634) 2008-02-10 11:43

Hello,
Great photo with great colours and details.
Regards
Andrea Gatt

messenger1 (1033) 2008-02-10 11:48 [Comment]

Show Comment

JonteW (190) 2009-10-16 4:07

Magnificent POV and good composition. But the colors aren't quite real, are they? At least the green is a bit too bright for my liking. And that makes me doubt the sky also. The pole also changes colors a bit unexpectedly.

It would be nice with what PP was done in the photographer's note.

Regardless of my rant, this image is an eye catcher!

ricardomattos (17460) 2010-01-31 6:41

Great shot and colors.Wonderful sky!
Regards
Ricardo

resat1972 (7586) 2010-01-31 6:58

excellent...

pennerc (79) 2010-01-31 7:08

Great shot, The composition and colors are excellent.

simplyoga (6506) 2010-08-20 20:29

Dear Hercules,
Thank you for this picture of Borobudur..
Magnificient view of sunrise in Borobudur!
It makes me wanna go home (my hometown is about 2 hours from this place. Now I live in Bali).

Thanks for sharing!

Cheers,
Yoga

javierphoto (168) 2010-08-23 7:12

Good colors, good POV and good light.
Well done!

bornav (486) 2012-06-17 20:33

Hello Hercules,
We're delighted to know that you escaped the earthquake miraculously, or else, we wouldn't have been fortunate to see this wonderful photo. The background is as interesting as the detailed foreground.

The site of Borobudur and its was inspired from a lesser known Buddhist heritage site called Sangharamam caves (sangha-monastery, aramam-rest house) and these stupas resemble the ones at Lingalametta in southern India.

ManishaJain (524) 2021-05-19 23:02

Hello Hercules

This is an excellent shot with an interesting description. A myriad of colours with excellent contrast and sharpness. Dof is appreciable though pov could be a little better as the front structure is a bit cut on the right bottom. These bell shaped structures are really unique and mesmerising...especially the one containing Buddha in it.

Regards
Manisha