Portrait of A Train Dispatcher

Portrait of Mr. Purboyanto, a train dispatcher serving at the Sengon Station, East Java. Train dispatcher is vital for the train traffic. The safety and punctuality of the train depends on their work.

Step by Step

I tried a different object on the rail. This time I saw a farmer walking and took the lowest angle. This is the result.

Parked Against The Wall

I was walking near Singosari Market, Malang and saw a bike parked against an old wall of a shop. I was attracted by the texture of the wall and the unique combination of the wall and the bike. I took it using color mode, but I thought it would be more interesting if I turned it into black and white. I used layers and gradient map provided by Photoshop CS-3.

Young Railfans

A lot of kids love trains and they use stations or trainyards as their playgrounds. I met them one day and asked these kids to stand in line for a photo.

Perfect Supermoon

This photo was taken by ISO 200,  300 mm Nikkor VR, shade white-balance, 1/1600 shutter speed and no tripod. I pick this out because this photo nearly represents how the moon looked like when it reached its closest point to the earth (perigee).

Supermoon

Moon reaches its closest position to the earth at 2.10 am on March 20, 2011 which is approximately 356.577 kilometers away (www.kompas.com, March 19, 2011). This phenomenon is known as "perigee' or "supermoon". In fact, the size of the moon looks the same from places located along the equator like Indonesia. However, the intensity of light is stronger because the moon lightens up the sky more than usual and consequently prevails over the stars.This phenomenon is taken in different white balances with 300 mm Nikkor VR, 1/1600. ISO 200 and no tripod. Minimum correction of sharpness and contrast are applied.

On one school day

Yogyakarta was very hot that afternoon. I was on the way from Prawirotaman area to the Yogyakarta Sultan Palace. When I was walking along Ahmad Dahlan street, I saw four students waiting for their parents to pick them up. They were sitting at the front of a shop. I took this photo from the other side of the street. Of course, I needed to use my 70 - 300 tele. The problem at that time was that the street was crowded and I had to push the shutter as soon as I saw unobstructed view.

Daylight Sleeper

When I bought credits for my mobile phone, I saw this cat sleeping and tempted me to use my Casio Exilim G1. Then I positioned myself to create a certain photography angle. It is actually a colour photo, but I modify it into black and white by using layers provided in Adobe Photoshop CS-3.

Thinking Over

When I go out for hunting photos, I am usually ready to press the shutter of the camera anytime. I therefore install  my 18-55 mm lens or 70-300 mm on my camera. Once, I saw this man at a bus stop and his expression encouraged me to press the shutter. I used my 70-300 mm Nikkor VR at this time.

B e a t e n

It was warm in one afternoon of May 2010. A man was waiting for the Penataran Train in Blimbing Station, Malang, East Java. The delayed train and the tiredness have beaten this man. He fell asleep.

Little Cockatoo

One natural attraction in Sydney during the summer is the migration of young cockatoos. I took this photo in March 2008 when a flock of young cockatoos (hundreds of them) stayed in the Victoria Park which is located at the front of the Sydney University's Main Quadrangle. They chose this park as the transit habitat before continuing their migration.

City Dog

When I was walking along the center of the Solo City, Central Java in one nice afternoon, I found this dog tied to a hydrant fountain while the owner was sitting nearby.

The Spirit of The Poor

Some poor fellows are lazy to work and begging on the street instead. This gentleman thinks that working is better than begging on street. Being a scavenger is the best thing he can do and he makes some money to buy something to eat.

Lonely Tree

Wild buffaloes are commonly found at the Baluran Reserve, Banyuwangi, East Java. But its wide savanna provides various natural attractions. This lonely tree is one of them.

Deep Sadness

Australian War Memorial in Canberra is one of the best museums in the world. I visited this museum in October 2007 and found this statue. It describes  physical and emotional condition of a medic soldier at the beach of Gallipoli during the event of Gallipoli landing in 1915.

No Retreat

Most senior citizens prefer working less than they used to, but Mr and Mrs. Thoyib sell fried and boiled peanut to make a living. Being members of the ordinary class in Indonesia is not always easy for individuals like them. This is also a portrait of true love between an old couple.

The Message

During the APEC Summit 2007 in Sydney, Australia, there were some groups opposing the event. Protests took place. One day, a protester spotted carrying a poster  saying a message directed against the police who guarded the event as well as the protests.

Three Friends

Bicycles are popular means of transport for students in Indonesia. This photo is taken at Ampeldento, Malang, East Java. They are high school students in scout uniform. Some schools in Indonesia oblige their students to wear scout uniform once or twice a week during school days.

Chasing a ball

Soccer is the most popular sport in Indonesia. Kids just need any kind of ball as well as a field to kick and rush. These kids live in the city of Batu. They will throw, kick, and chase the ball wherever they find an open field. As the photo shows, one kid wears his school uniform while others have varieties of T-Shirts. The only similarity is that they wear no shoes.

Inside Flinders

When I was waiting for a train to Clayton at Flinders Station, Melbourne in one evening of January 2008, I was amazed at the atmosphere of the platform as well as its classic look. Therefore, I took out my Nikon D 40 with its 18-55 mm kit. I pushed the shutter several times and this is the best result.

The Hero

Mr. Dul Basir is a hero for his family. He lives at an area near the dormant Mount Kawi of Malang (East Java) and works as the pedlar of vermented cassava (Indonesian: "tape"). Bicycle is his best friend and he has to ride it for kilometers everyday with two baskets of vermented cassava on the back.His business seems menial, but selling the vermented cassava has enabled him to support his family and send his kids to school.

The Cleaner

 A portrait of Harry, the cleaning service crew of Malang Kotalama Train Station, East Java, Indonesia.
Malang Kota Lama is ranked as one of the cleanest train station in Indonesia. The contribution of Harry for the status is valuable. He is just a rank and file in the station, but his contribution is valuable.

Moment of Decision

One often has to face the fact that there is a decision to make out of many options. One should choose an option that suits their conscience. This photo is the abstract representation of that reality.
However, the real story of this photo is about a boy caught by my camera when he was playing on the rail.