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The images here were captured over several years during multiple visits to Bali, Indonesia. This island is rich in rituals and tradition. It is the only sizable island in that country where the prevailing religion is Hinduism. The beauty of the island is not only characterized by its rugged natural landscape and the presence of uniquely placed temples/palaces but it is also accentuated greatly by the beautiful Balinese people. Their dedication to the religion is simply amazing and they really take their time to pray and to bring offering to their gods at more than just a single shrine. And yes, most of them do that on a daily basis.
Cock fighting is a part of the rituals done at temples. We can argue back and forth about the merit of this. Ultimately, it is not much different, if any, than killing a lamb and use the animal as offering done in many religions. Of course, there are some negative aspects related to that tradition but who am I to judge? I witnessed a real cockfight and I debated back and forth whether to include any images. And at the end, I decided to choose this one so since it was not a fight to death. Actually, it was more a competition rather than a fight. It lasted only for approximately a minute and no blood was shed.
Thank you for stopping by and please feel free to leave any feedback,
Joshua
Joshua, very beautiful images!
I especially like the 1st and 2nd, very beautiful with powerful compositions.
Yes, sometimes when we travel it's difficult to witness traditions that are contrary to our own way of thinking. Yes I see that in those cockfight scenes they are not wearing spurs, I guess the equivalent of catch & release!
All of the shots are very nice with vibrant colors!
John
JohnSil wrote:
Joshua, very beautiful images!
I especially like the 1st and 2nd, very beautiful with powerful compositions.
Yes, sometimes when we travel it's difficult to witness traditions that are contrary to our own way of thinking. Yes I see that in those cockfight scenes they are not wearing spurs, I guess the equivalent of catch & release!
All of the shots are very nice with vibrant colors!
John
John, thank you very much for stopping by and for your kind words!
Thank you for a wonderful cultural lesson Joshua! That is what I like when viewing images from a "distant land and culture". It makes me feel, not only a visual pleasure, but also I learned something I did not really know!
I love the images ALL!!! Tremendous!!! The women are tremendous in all aspects of composition!
Dan
What a wonderful view into the unique cultures here Joshua. All images are outstanding a give me the feeling of being right there. Top notch as always.
Danpbphoto wrote:
Thank you for a wonderful cultural lesson Joshua! That is what I like when viewing images from a "distant land and culture". It makes me feel, not only a visual pleasure, but also I learned something I did not really know!
I love the images ALL!!! Tremendous!!! The women are tremendous in all aspects of composition!
Dan
Dan, thank you for your kind words! I am glad you like the images.
chez wrote:
What a wonderful view into the unique cultures here Joshua. All images are outstanding a give me the feeling of being right there. Top notch as always.
Harry
Harry, I truly appreciate your kind words. Bali is indeed a unique island like nowhere else in the world.
monkey007 wrote:
Great set. Love the storytelling and the execution. Was the first one backlit by a flash? The light really elevates the mood.
Thank you very much! Yes, I placed a small flash that was remotely triggered inside the hut to the right and aimed it at the man. The light from the front was pretty soft and it was just available light under the hut’s canopy.
Joshua, technically very well executed again, but as I said about 7 months ago in your other thread about Bali already: I wish you would show us some "real life" images from the island instead of these mostly staged (except #5) ones. The above is a beautiful travel catalog version of Bali.
