FirstLook: Soaring off Ambon Island
- Arts
- Photography
Reading time:1min
Photo by Hengki Koentjoro
I love the sport of diving, especially in my country Indonesia, the largest archipelago nation in the world—with more than 17,000 islands extending more than 5,100 kilometers from east to west.
This photo was taken off Ambon Island, East Indonesia, in 2010. It is one of my favorites, illustrating the free-spirited nature of the children in the rural archipelago. While some children in the big cities may stay inside and play computer games, the children in Ambon with easy access to the water see the ocean surrounding their village as their playground.
To create the picture, I dove under the water and gestured to some children nearby to get close to me. I did not direct them at all. They acted naturally. I can tell they really enjoyed the moment because they have probably never seen a diver taking photographs while they played under the water.
To me, black-and-white photography evokes strong emotions. It allows you to explore the borderlines of light and shadow, the yin and yang. Celebrating complexity in the minimalist. Diving into the spiritual in the physical. This silhouette conveys to me the very spirit of minimalism and simplicity.
You may also be interested in...
Reflections on Journeys
Arts
History
Part 2 of our series celebrating AramcoWorld’s 75th anniversary this year highlights “visual vagabonding”—the magazine’s expanded use of vibrant images over the decades to fulfill the mission of cultural connection..jpg?cx=0.5&cy=0.5&cw=480&ch=360)
FirstLook: A Market’s Port of Call
History
Arts
After the war in 1991, Kuwait faced a demand for consumer goods. In response, a popular market sprang up, selling merchandise transported by traditional wooden ships. Eager to replace household items that had been looted, people flocked to the new market and found everything from flowerpots, kitchen items and electronics to furniture, dry goods and fresh produce.
Savoring Egypt
Arts
Rather than just telling travelers where to go, the guidebook Egypt: Inside Out by Trevor Naylor offers an inside-out perspective that evokes the experience of being there, inviting readers to embrace an almost meditative travel discipline of slowing down to take in the details and complexities of Egypt, moment by moment.