From Above, a photo from Jawa Timur, Java

Photographer's Note

Travel is really part of my work and, as you have guessed by now, it is 99.9% done by air. After the long and boring commercial flights to the country capital city and/or any other major town in the country, I always have a free chopper return flight to the offshore site. Of course, it is not all over water and sometimes we have the opportunity to fly quite a long time along land. It was the case when I worked on a well located about 15 minutes off the most eastern side of the Madura Island in Indonesia. The flight itself was one of the longest I ever flew, as it was 1 hour 50 minutes from Surabaya airport. But, just flying over the island was absolutely worthwhile.

Madura is a quiet island off the northeastern coast of Java, near the overpopulated industrial town of Surabaya, in Indonesia. The island is only 30 minutes by ferry from Surabaya and it is well known for its exotic bull races. The traditional bull races competition are conducted annually from August to November. It came into existence long ago as Madurese used the bulls to plough their rice fields.

Most of the Madurese population works in the rice fields and also in sea salt production. The main posting is a small village surrounded by rice fields and salt pans, while the WS1 is a view of the inland rice fields and the WS2 is another view of the coastal salt pans.

The technical quality is not the best, as we do not have the chopper doors open and also the windows are most the time not particularly clean and/or new. By the way, the helicopter used in this particular flight was a 20 years old Super Puma.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did enjoyed taking them.

andante, ViktorVaughn, xkolba, luisafonso, alentejo, triptych2003, Docarmo, riclopes, luiscar, xuaxo, Bluejeans, plimrn, edytungkal, ktanska, siolaw, wgreis, belido, pboehringer, sabyasachi1212, jhm, banyanman, AiresSantos, capthaddock, kevinos, papagolf21, manatee, Matthew-Watt, Angshu, dareco, Zelanda, paura, MLINES ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

andante (7092) 2007-06-25 9:17

A very hard to pull composition, but you have successfully achieve it. The light is very well balanced and distribute. Love the frame proportion in relationship to the image itself.

Great job,
Enrique

ViktorVaughn (1525) 2007-06-25 9:34

Just this past January I visited Indonesia and took some flights. I think you have gotten lucky to get such a crisp photo of this landscape. I really find it interesting, as the tiny, tiny village is surrounded by the rice paddies. The inclusion of the coast shows the location of the village beautifully.

TFS

xkolba (596) 2007-06-25 9:54

Hello Antonio,
You had non typical point of view for this shot. Island with bird's flight looks very interesting, be visible a lot of details. I like natural colors and contrasts, very well framed.
Thanks for useful note.
Regards
Maciek

luisafonso (862) 2007-06-25 11:15

Gosto desta e da dos campos de arroz. O grafismo é excelente e a qualidade - ao contrário do que dizes - é muito boa. Uma fotografia de paisagem nada habitual. Gostei!

rhizomes (15343) 2007-06-25 14:17

Hi Antonio,
Nice aerial view ! THis landscape is interesting and I like lots of details on the picture ! Good colors too...
Christophe

xavshot (69835) 2007-06-25 14:25

Bonsoir Antonio
le POV est superbe et l'harmonie des teintes au sol donnent un bel aspect à la photo. J'aime beaucoup le graphisme que cela amène. Jolie photo.
Xavier

alentejo (1954) 2007-06-25 18:24

Ola Antonio !
Bela foto aerea com inumeros pormenores. O grafismo e realmente interessante. De facto è um trabalho que permite de descobrir muita coisa invulgar.
Eu acho que a nitidez até esta muito boa.
Parabens Antonio.
Um abraço.

triptych2003 (1534) 2007-06-25 20:02

hi antonio

sometimes technically perfect shots can be boring, and while looking good, not teach us anything. this shot is the complete opposite. not the best quality but i can learn alot about the environment just by looking at it. it looks to me like the area has been flooded. but it could be rice fields... that's the beauty of this shot. the clarity is fine, as are the details. thanks a lot for teaching something about the world here!

Docarmo (9767) 2007-06-25 22:18

Olá António,
Aqui temos um conjunto de fotos TE!
TE aqui na minha exclamação é um "superlativo absoluto sintético" de beleza e informação.
Thanks for sharing.
Maria do Carmo

luiscar (3286) 2007-06-26 12:36

Hola Antonio, es una gran foto aerea de esta ciudad industrial, una gran suerte poder disfrutar de estas imagenes.
gran trabajo
un saludo.

xuaxo (6854) 2007-06-26 13:53

Olá António,
Magnífico! Espectacular! Venham mais destas. Qualquer das três merecia o destaque de foto principal do post.
Esses Super Pumas serão os mesmos usados (antes?) pela Força Aérea Portuguesa?
Um abraço,
Francisco

Bluejeans (64251) 2007-06-26 14:31

Ola Antonio muito bonitas estas tres fotos tuas , tambem achei muito interessante a Rice Fields , gostei muito da disposições dos campos de arroz tem varias cores , muito legal as casas rodeadas de agua, nao sabia que havia produção de arroz em agua salgada o arroz tem o mesmo sabor do que plantado em agua doce?
E verdade faltava estas tuas fotos para quem anda tanto de avião deves ter muitas e muito boas.
Tavas a escondelas :)

Um abraço Gonçalo

plimrn (21344) 2007-06-27 0:56

Ola Antonio,
I like this unique POV a lot; the light and shadow play, the ripples of sand and ther curving lines of roofs make a compositon the reminds me of a patchwork quilt. SAA, Pat

edytungkal (4551) 2007-06-27 2:27

Hello Antonio,
Very well to capture it from above and interesting landscape of east java. good note too, thanks for share it.

greetings
daniel

riclopes (35577) 2007-06-27 3:30

Hahhh, cá estão elas. Já estranhava a falta destas imagens vistas do ar, António. O mundo visto cá de cima é espectacular, mas se calhar já estás farto de tanta fartura...Até me ofereceram o livro do Yann Arthus-Bertrand (terra vista do ar - 365dias). Enfim, gosto de todas as imagens com especial destaque para o belo grafismo dos campos de arroz, se bem que esta também é fantástica. Gosto muito!
Ricardo

ktanska (44446) 2007-06-27 7:43

Hi Antonio,
Excellent quality aerial shot. I guess it's thanks to the fact that helicopters don't fly as high as planes. Sandbanks look interesting and rice fields are clearly wet. A rare view on this forum.
Kari

siolaw (38294) 2007-06-27 10:11

Hi Antonio,
A great aerial view with strong graphical impact of the fields patterns and different colors... good sgharpness and clarity for an uneasy job
Laurent

wgreis (8267) 2007-06-27 20:56

Olá Antônio,
a composição lembra pequenos ladrilhos com um beleza que justifica procurar cada detalhe e tentar interpretar.
Parabéns,
Wagner.

barrufeto_77 (28888) 2007-06-28 1:12

Hi Antonio.

Nice, nice POV. I like how you used the beach as a "Frontier" with the rice fields.

Well done!

Rgs, Oscar

belido (19934) 2007-06-28 9:20

Olá Antônio,

bela vista aérea vc capturou aqui. Incrível que mesmo distante, consegue-se ver os detalhes dos telhados vermelhos das casas assim como a divisão das terras. É sempre bom e diferente se ter uma visão aérea de um lugar que se tenha conhecido por terra. Claro que o fato de estar dentro de um avião cujo controle não é nosso, força-nos a ter de aproveitar os poucos instantes para uma bela foto e imagino que esses instantes sejam quando o avião faz uma curva e se tem o tema num ponto de vista mais de cima para baixo. Percebe-se que você soube aproveitar esse momento. Uma tomada bem interessante.
Abraço,
Carlos

pboehringer (770) 2007-06-28 13:29

A wonderful overview look over the shore landscape. I love to see the different patterns of nature contrating with the man made forms and colors.
What a lucky man you're having the opportunity to have these free helicopter flights.

ninaL (21348) 2007-06-28 16:23

Hi, Antonio.
Beautiful and impressive aerian composition.
Maybe not the best quality, but is good enough.
Best regards. Grazyna.

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2007-06-29 5:43

Hi Antonio,
Thanks to your constant travels we get to see these fantastic photos. Not often do we see areial views. Excellent POV, nice details too.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

jhm (211734) 2007-06-29 6:00

Hello Antonio,

I found this picture between the a lot images, this is a very good panorama view with the seashore together with the beach and the small parts beneath, very well done.

I wish you a nice weekend,
John.

banyanman (7797) 2007-07-01 2:56

Hi Antonio. The technical quality of this is quite good for a photograph shot through a helicopter window and sharpness is good too (as you would know often vibration is as much a problem as the dirty or scratched perspex). It's also very well composed and shows us a part of the East Java coastline that few of us have the opportunity to see. Cheers . . . David

AiresSantos (56155) 2007-07-02 1:03

Ola Antonio,
Eu aprecio muito este tipo de trabalhos, porque nem sempre é facil fotografar a partir do aviao.
Esta esta excelente ! Muito boas definicao, cores e nitidez.
Um abraco e boa semana
Aires

lucasgalodoido (27698) 2007-07-02 16:10

Olá Antônio!
Bonita essa foto aérea, nem da pra perceber a sujeira da janela.
Parace que a região foi toda alagada!
Parabéns e Abraço!

jinju (14265) 2007-07-02 22:22

First I thought it was an airplane. Thats quite high for a chopper. Its a good shot. a nice sprawling view below, interesting details in how the land is divided...looks like some flooding too.

capthaddock (28790) 2007-07-03 10:02

The terrain may be flat, but that is a very complicated landscape Antonio, and it would not be appreciated at sea level. The technical quality is also good, I see no trace of dirty windows.

kevinos (7517) 2007-07-03 11:23

An amazing patchwork of houses and rice paddies creates a strong pattern, Antonio. it has strong graphic qualities and well as documentary strength. regards kevin

utamaputranto (186) 2007-07-03 21:55

hi antonio

i'm an arial photographer as well.. but mostly because it's a family business.. it might be good to have the doors open.. but i guess many regulation prohibit u to do that.. cause ur a passenger u might ask the pilot is it okay or not (cause if u open the door. they have to reduce speed).. a black jacket would be my best advice.. to cover the glass from glare or even reflection.. also it help to clean the windows before flight.. if u have the time...

for me i never get the right shot in jakarta.. the pollution is soo bad.. the fog is very thin.. i have to wait for a rain but then the sky wouldn't be blue...

if u wanted to rent a chopper to go around jakarta give me a call... ym utamaputranto

papagolf21 (152605) 2007-07-04 1:24

Bonjour, mon ami Antonio,
Comment joindre l'utile à l'agréable ! C'est vrai que les transports aériens ne sont pas une sinécure, mais, parfois, il existe des moments privilégiés nous permettant d'admirer la terre vue du ciel. Magnifique prise de vue une fois encore.
Félicitations pour la photo et la note.
Amitiés.
Philippe

manatee (4668) 2007-07-04 12:20

I get impress with your three pictures, I like it all, the rice fields always are amzing, and this view wow is brethless, you cna post as a series each one is wonderful.

Elias

Matthew-Watt (5934) 2007-07-04 21:46

Hello Antonio,

This surely is a magnificent aerial view of this coastal village. It has been said, but I particularly like the ripple formations in the sand, this is the highlight for me. I may have cropped of the top fifth of the image perhaps as I think this part has the lowest quality overall, and greatest imbalance in lighting. The little fields and allotments show up well in this image due to the presence of the water covering it. The white frame was a wise choice, it compliments the complexities in its simplicity, but I ma sure you know this as most of your images feature such frames now. Good clarity considering what you have detailed in your note. I hope you enjoy these chopper flights, I have only been in one in central Australia for an hour or so and it remains one of my favourite flights. Well done, keep them coming.

Matt

guillaumejm (0) 2007-07-08 0:35

Hello antonio,
A nice air view. I specially like the mosaic created by the fields contrasting with see part.
Best regards
JMarc

prumod (8300) 2007-07-08 6:55

hi antonio...
nice bird's eye view... i like the waves more here... how beautiful drawings they are making on the shore...
greetings...

chrisnet (23062) 2007-07-12 11:59

Hello Antonio,
Good view from the plane, the earth is nice when I can see her from the sky, well done.
Regards
Christian

Angshu (56760) 2007-07-12 20:51

Hello Antonio
When you show us views like this, from the air & places we rarely have a chance to see from this perspective, how can we not like it? I like most the geometry & the patterns...of the paddy fields, dry & water filled, of the houses in between & the crescent shaped sandbanks on the sea shore. Surely it would not have been possible to show this complex landscape from groundlevel..thanks for sharing this wonderful view!
Regards
Angshu

dareco (17136) 2007-07-25 16:19

I really like this!

Zelanda (5692) 2007-08-08 8:49

Hola Antonio,
Magnífica panorámica con estupendos detalles y color.
Una gran vista aérea.
Excelente POV.
Saludos cordiales
Ros

tomi1 (2200) 2008-02-27 17:02

Oeiras, 28-2-2008
António Ribeiro
São imensas as parcelas de terrenos de cultivo e bem ao centro fica o povoado. Faço idéia de como será com inundações, fica tudo submerso. Cumprimentos. Domingos

paura (25802) 2008-05-31 6:26

António,
Uma fotografia assaz interessante, apresentando formas absolutamente incomuns. Belo trabalho.

Abraço

Paulo

MLINES (12516) 2008-09-04 18:36

Hi Antonio, I find this is a very good POV showing Madura. Having been to Surabaya several times visiting the various mines and ceramics & paper industries around there. Madura is said to have some special attributes. Good clarity and ideal for TE. TFS. Murray.