Sometimes an image works out because you planned it that way. Perhaps you set out to go somewhere particular to take a specific image that you had pre-visualised, and you knew in advance pretty much just what the finished picture would look like. You’d chosen the lens and the focal length, knew just what aperture you’d need for the desired depth-of-field, and even had a plan drawn up for the precise lighting gear and light modifiers you’d need. And when it works out just as you planned it, you get a nice warm feeling.
But for me that’s actually quite unusual… and many – perhaps most – of my favourite images have come from a spur-of-the-moment situation, a quick or casual capture of a scene, even an accidental image. And often I have no idea at the time that I have managed to record some compelling image until I look at afterwards in post-processing. I wish I could say that every decent image was planned, but it’s just not true. Often as not it’s serendipity that’s responsible.
This image is an example of that. We’d been invited by a friend to attend a family cremation ceremony in a village just near Bangli, Bali. The Balinese put great effort into every aspect of cremation, because they believe that this is when the soul is liberated from the confines of the physical body, and it’s got to be done right or the soul may not be properly released, with all sorts of potential consequences. It can be hugely expensive too, with poor people borrowing large sums of money to pay for the ceremonies, even mortgaging their houses to fund it all. Consequently it’s common for villages to pool their resources and hold a mass cremation, with the bodies being buried for a time until several families can share the costs, or until a wealthy family is holding a cremation.
When we arrived on our little motorbike and had changed into ‘appropriate’ clothing for the occasion, we found that about eight bodies were to be cremated, including one of a highly respected (and wealthy) village elder. We were the only non-Balinese there, but we were made very welcome, and encouraged to take photos (as many of the locals were doing also). After a deal of ceremony, preparation and presentation offerings, gamelan music and wayang kulit shadow puppetry, there is a countdown and then all of the cremation fires are lit simultaneously, and there is a great flurry of confused activity, smoke, heat and noise.
As a photographer it was hard to know how to try and capture such a scene, as there was so much happening at once – and the flames and smoke presented a challenge to getting a well-exposed image. I had been concentrating on photographing the large bull sarcophagus in which the village elder was being cremated, when this lady ran over to one of the smaller biers to throw some special small offerings into the flames. The photo was taken as she returned to rejoin the other onlookers. 1/320 second exposure? Aperture at f/7.1? Just an accident, it’s lucky that it’s even sort-of in focus!
One thing that I find interesting about the image, and which most viewers misinterpret when they see it, is the strained, even distraught, look on the lady’s face. It is not a face of grief as it may appear. Cremations in Bali are usually joyous occasions, where the liberation of the soul is celebrated. She was not in the throes of mourning – she was just wincing because of the smoke…
You can see more images from this ceremony here, or a selection of other Indonesian photos here.