Javanese Wedding Procession

Wedding Procession
The primary purpose of our Indonesian trip was actually attend the wedding of a family friend. It was interesting observing the wedding customs of another country especially when I myself am preparing for my own customary wedding at the end of the year.

At Ceromo Lawang, we chanced upon another wedding of the traditional Javanese sort. Having advance news that a wedding procession would be taking place then, the whole group of us decided to get ready to capture the proceedings. The wedding procession was quite a colourful affair, with the groom dressed in his finest (including make-up and all), and his family joining him in procession. A nicely decorated jeep acted as the matromonial car. With the large group of photographers (almost 20 of us!) there, it must have been the most photographically-covered wedding event the villagers have had in a while 😛

Smoking Zone

Smoking Zone
Traditional slash-and-burn agriculture in Indonesia has been blamed for the haze problems faced by Singapore and Malaysia annually at about this time of the year. Unfortunately, this method of agriculture is very much a part of life for “recycling” the earth. On my trip there, I had the chance to witness some of the slashing-burning first hand. I must say that they provide good photo opportunities despite the terrible pollution they cause!

Luminosity

Luminosity
A wider-angle view of my earlier post… (I’ve got even wider views to post later on :P)

Although there was much more equipment to carry when I brought both my digital SLRs (my older 300D and the current 20D I’m using) to Indonesia, having two camera bodies mounted to two different lenses (17-40 f/4 L and 70-200mm f/4 L) proved to be useful, especially when changing lenses was difficult due to dusty environments, or when there simply isn’t enough time to switch lenses. I am glad I chose to keep my 300D — it is essentially still a camera that produces great images — although at times, I do wish that I had two 20Ds with me (for the faster focusing and higher megapixel count) 🙂

As an aside: I seem to be getting less feedback on my pictures since I started posting this Mount Bromo series. Not everybody’s cup of tea? Do let me know 😛