No Matter Where You Go

I finally had the chance on Sunday to spend a few hours with my new camera – a Canon 350D – otherwise known in the States as the Digital Rebel XT. The camera is nothing short of phenomenal. Something with a similar feature set was thousands of dollars only a couple of years ago. I’ll be posting photos from my first shoot in coming posts.

I spent a few hours on foot, walking around south central Jakarta with only my backpack and a smile. The Indonesian children were fast on my heels, shouting “Mister, photo yah?”. I generally bring a bag of candy or some extra cash with me to hand out, but unfortunately forgot. They’re all too quick to pose and point out ‘good’ places to take photos. I find that the best spots are those that most locals take for granted on a regular basis. The vibrant colors of their neighborhood was fascinating enough to catch my eye over and over. I find that simply walking and chatting will provide some of the best photo ops in this country.

People are almost always eager to help in any way possible; that’s something I’ll miss when I do leave this place. You never feel too much of a stranger, no matter where you go.