Rainy sunset, a photo from Jawa Tengah, Java

Photographer's Note

This photo is taken just a couple of minutes before my other photo "Bhuddha staring at the sun". I hope that you don't mind if I copy the note written on 2?6?2006:

"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, inside or outside of stone "bells" or small stupas like the ones in the photo.

*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.

**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.

efigesta, daddo, marianita, catalina, humanist, delkoo, pasternak, mdetay, bibs69, Xalkida, evanrizo, cengiz, Deepforest, josepmarin, Angelillo, Jeppe, syd1946, balatrek, veronika, cunejo200, siolaw, ndb1958, Dragonheart, axiotea, teutza, elmec, njmv79, vincz, Henryk_Bilor, yogi32, Bruno40 heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

jontevanessen (0) 2006-08-24 5:15

Wow. Amazing shot, the dark tones combined with the red glow create an amazing dark and smoky effect.

Don_Gusti (0) 2006-08-24 5:22 [Comment]

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humanist (695) 2006-08-24 5:24

Great composition. The sun is well framed and I am led there be the implied lines of the three monuments. Very intersting.

efigesta (12188) 2006-08-24 5:24

Hello Hercules

wow, great shot here, fantastic colors and a great pov
regards
manuel

arnoud1976 (1191) 2006-08-24 5:28

nice work, i enjoy the image! nice levels despite the sun right in your lens. well captured for sure! tfs arnoud

daddo (28748) 2006-08-24 5:32

Hi Hercules.Great richness in the tones. Probably because of the rain the stone has a darker look.Very effective composition with the small stupas appearing as if they are descending the steps. Rich in detail and rich in atmosphere. Well done. Regards. Klaudio

marianita (3455) 2006-08-24 5:36

Hercules
wow!looks like a painting! beautiful colours!informative note!
just great!
marianna

catalina (799) 2006-08-24 5:39

Hi Hercules,
What a legendary name you have :)
Sunset looks so different from the sunsets we get round here...like an apocaliptic image.
Nice worm colors of a place that had a hard time this year.
Cati

delkoo (68) 2006-08-24 6:01

hi hercules
great shot again, composition and colours are perfect, i like the form of stupas looking like bell.
well done
didier

pasternak (15185) 2006-08-24 6:09

Very beautiful shot, Hercules, I like this soft light on the stupas combined with the beautiful sky and the deep perspective of the hills. I am amazed at the expo control, the stupas seem to be quite well illuminated from the side opposite to the sun...

Cheers
Alexander

mdetay (4929) 2006-08-24 6:22

Hi Hercules,
Nice picture of the famous Borobudur. Well done, nice colors, POV and DOF. Cheers.
Michel

behcet (479) 2006-08-24 7:27

Very well captured, nice POV and beautiful colors. Thanks for sharing!

Xalkida (11744) 2006-08-24 7:33

Έξοχη δημιουργία πλαισιωμένη με απαλά χρώματα και ανατολίτικο μυστικιστικό φωτισμό! Έξοχη!

evanrizo (462) 2006-08-24 8:36

Γειά σου Ηρακλή, πολύ ωραία λήψη και αυτή, με παρα πολύ καλό βαθος και φωτισμό, μας κανεις να ταξιδεύουμε.

cengiz (3593) 2006-08-24 8:48

wow amazing colors my friend
greetings
cengiz

Deepforest (9260) 2006-08-24 9:19

Hi Hercules,
nice, amazing shot. Interesting composition and beautiful colours. The sky looks really unearthly.
Best regards,
Andrzej

sergio1 (12152) 2006-08-24 10:03

Hi Hercules

Fantastic pov. I like very much the diagonal compo to the pagodas combined with the sunset.
Perfect lights and sharp.
Good shot my friend
Sergio

josepmarin (59385) 2006-08-24 12:08

Hola Hercules,
éste es un encuadre muy bonito de estas stupas en forma de campana, formando una elegante diagonal. Me gusta mucho el fondo de la imagen con las montañas entre brumas y nieblas, dando una gama de grises muy interesante, y el magnífico cielo del atardecer con unos tonos y colores espléndidos.
Es muy impresionante saber por tu nota que la foto la hiciste dos días antes del terremoto, y que éste te cogió allí. Estremece sólo el pensarlo.
Buena foto.
Un saludo,
Josep

Angelillo (9374) 2006-08-24 12:56

Hola Hercules,

Un creativo atardecer, en el que el sol no es el protagonista absoluto. Me gusta mucho la perspectiva lograda con estas estupas. La luz es muy buena y la perspectiva lograda no sólo con las líneas, sino también con el aire que va difuminando las líneas montañosas soberbia. Un bellísimo cielo hace el resto. Muy buena foto, Hercules. Gracias por ella.

Angel.

Jeppe (18654) 2006-08-24 15:58

Hi Hercules
A very fine moment you captured here - I like the combination of interesting foreground and dramatic sunset - very rare combination - my compliment.

syd1946 (1167) 2006-08-24 16:52

Εξοχη συνθεση φιλε Ηρακλή,μετατρεπεις ενα ωραιο ηλιοβασιλεμα σε ενα εργο τεχνης.Φοβερα χρωματα και καταπληκτικος φωτισμος.Εισαι πολυ τυχερος που μπορεις να αντακρισεις ενα τετοιο θεαμα και ταυτχρονα να το φωτογραφησεις τοσο πετυχημενα.Πολυ καλη Ηρακλή,
Τα λεμε,Θωμάς

balatrek (7455) 2006-08-24 18:02

Hola Hercules,

Fantástica fotografia amigo, has logrado un perfecto equilibrio de luces y los colores son de ensueño, la imagen es de gran originalidad y de una técnica inmejorable, enhorabuena.

Saludos

José

peter1892 (1681) 2006-08-24 18:05

Those colours are really impressive, not just the sunset but the colours of the buildings & the trees. The composition & framing using the stupa to fill the right side of the shot is very effective.

barrufeto_77 (28888) 2006-08-24 18:53

Hola Hercules.

Vaya colores madre mia. Hay gente (como tu) afortunada que tienen suerte de poder ver este tipo de vistas.

Claro esta, la profundidad también está muy bien.

Un saludo, Oscar

Graal (103040) 2006-08-25 2:06

Hi Hercules,
very pleasant view and composition. Interesting note. Nice warm colours. Good work. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

veronika (6058) 2006-08-25 5:48

Hi Hercules.
wonderful colours here and perfectly composed same as the previous picture of this kind, and as for the note, "repetitio est mater studiorum" :))
Very good!
Vero

cunejo200 (7281) 2006-08-25 7:21

Hi Hercules,
A bravo shot. What else can be said of this magnificent image. Best wishes.
Danilo

Burberry1 (6041) 2006-08-25 7:50

another excellent and very creative photo!!!
U are the real master Hercules.
It's nice to learn from You!!!

Warm regards,
A g n i e s z k a

siolaw (38294) 2006-08-25 10:10

Iassou Hercules
Nice compo and POV starting with stupa cropped to exact half, nice layers of hills and forest great colors... good PP
Well done
Laurent

ndb1958 (9289) 2006-08-25 10:15

What a wonderful image. Such a beautiful perspective. The composition is superb. Exellent colours.
Seeing this image I would love to go there and to see it with my own eyes.
Nino

rosaline (0) 2006-08-27 3:34

Hi Hercules
This is a great shot. The composition is good and the inclusion of the three stupas is adds a great symmetry. Nice warm sunlight and great colouring. A magic shot.
Aubrey

Dragonheart (8434) 2006-08-27 4:18

Hi Hercules,
Wow! what a lovely shot, excellent composition, majestic colours, the background is awsome.
Well done
Thanks for sharing
Best regards
Vivek

axiotea (21651) 2006-08-27 4:53

Iassou Hercules,
A well composed image with these beautiful stupas in front, the sillhoueted hills and that nice sunset which gives good colors to the sky.
All the best,
Marilyn

Angshu (56760) 2006-08-28 4:58

Spectacular shot Hercules of this amazing place. The colours surrounding the setting sun is pure pastel. The three stupas in one line with diminishing sizes are perfectly placed...amazing exposure control to bring us this stupendous shot
Regards
Angshu

teutza (10590) 2006-08-31 4:50

Hello Hercules,
i loved that image and i'm loving this one too:)
it's just amasing how the light, colours, pov, arhitecture..are all perfect in this shot!:)
TFS!
teo

CRATEOS (7278) 2006-09-03 15:37

mithiki foto file...se paei makria ..tromeri diaxirisi toy fotos..poliepipedi ke xromatika exesia axia sinxaritirion xeretizo Nikiforos

elmec (12210) 2006-09-04 16:17

Hello Hercules!
Wow! Such an irreal composition!
I like the colours on the sky and mystic hills in the back!
Great done!
Best regards!

njmv79 (611) 2006-09-08 2:08

Hi Hercules,
Great shot, everything looks perfect to me, good perspective, PoV colors, well done,
TFS,
Nelson

leo61 (0) 2006-09-10 2:42

Hi Hercules!
Wonderful shot and excellent composition.The row of stupas leading the eyes to the nice landscape and this fantastic sunset looks great.Good sharpness and nice details.Verry nice sunset colors and nice misty background.
Regards,Leo

vincz (19113) 2006-09-11 9:13

Just browsing more through your collection I found this gem! After Bagan and Angkor this year i was planning to go to Borobudur before the end of the year. Such a great picture will just push me there even faster. Thanks for sharing.

Henryk_Bilor (20803) 2006-09-15 13:39

Hi Hercules
Excellent capture. Lovely mood of ancient times, or maybe it reminds me a scene from Time Machine... Marvelous colours and composition.

Wanda1 (15142) 2006-09-21 14:14

Hi Hercules,
This is an amazing shot of an amazing place. I loved it here and you have captured it really nicely. I love the colours and your composition. Your photo has a great atmosphere.
Regards
Wanda

rozy975 (3047) 2006-09-28 8:10

Sun coming between stupas.
Great shot.
Well done!

Bruno40 (6662) 2008-01-10 3:05

como tu otra foto de este mismo lugar, esta te resulto muy buena. Es increible el color del cielo y la exposicion de las stupas.
Muy buena composicion vertical, y dejando la mitad cubierta por la stupas y la otra abierta al cielo.
Genial
saludos
Jorge