BALI: Capturing the Essence of a Holiday with a Vacation Photographer

Our first trip out of Singapore after three years of COVID Pandemic had us zeroed-in to laid-back Bali.  We booked an 11-day Balinese retreat for the family! A week in the forest and the rest of the holiday at the beach. 

My vacation perspective has definitely shifted. Where I used to jam-pack our travel itineraries in PDF files with routes and timestamps, I just couldn’t bring myself to this time. I imagined all the long local commutes from famous temples to queuing up hours at end to get that smartphone-atop-mirror-shot at Gates of Heaven exhausted me mentally. I really wanted a hideaway more than to tick off items on the bucket list. 

Besides, this family needed a serious time-out from the pandemic stress. No rush; just rest. 

Waking up to the day and decide how we should spend it at that moment. 

With that, I placed us in a forest surround by padi fields and the symphony of nature for the first week. If it rained, we shall celebrate the storm. If it shone, we shall soak in the rays. 

That was my ideal; an idea.

Then I thought about how I could do that yet capture shots of our first long trip? Oh the thought of constant photography to capture every moment made me sulk in weariness. I love to take pictures and yet, I felt stressed thinking about it. 

It was then I decided to hire a local photographer, Rumah Zoe, for this getaway in Bali. 

Once on Day Four and another on the 10th day. 

Why Hire A Local Photographer?

There are many reasons but the one I was really looking at is, "Mom Is Actually There On The Family Holiday Because The Pictures Finally Say So!" Tell me you understand what I'm trying to get here?

If you have a husband who enjoys documenting you and your children on your trips, lucky you. For most of us, mommies do the job. Sometimes, we forget that we were on the holiday too because we aren't in the pictures!  

Also, it allows you to Bring Home Frame-Worthy Photographs for memory, for the wall, for the mommy. As I am critical about the photographs I shoot, sometimes I put stress on myself to get the right angles. With a pro, this stress is totally taken off my shoulders! This time, I really just want to enjoy the being in the moment.

Being in the hands of someone who Speaks The Local Language and Insider Knowledge is definitely a win to end up with some unique shots you would never have gotten on your own as they inquire from the locals in their own language. 

And of course, we are not models. We would not know how to make a photograph natural and candid. But with Guidance from a Vacation Photographer, you'd be surprised to find how flowy and unposed the photographs would turn out to be! We were told where to place ourselves, play, tell a joke, dance, sing, tickle or jump and the rest was history. 

The best photographs are those that are guided and yet children-led. 

Last but not least, it is definitely more Affordable than hiring a photographer from your own country and flying him/her to your destination!

Day Four, Sebatu [Forest]

Captures by Debora of Rumah Zoe

This series of photographs were shot at our eco-resort, Sebatu Sanctuary. 

Bright and early at 0700hrs. 

The sun rises at 0530hrs in Bali and my children never fail to wake when the sun touches their skin. A 0700hrs call time was not a problem at all. In fact, that's the perfect time to catch the happiest moods because the children would be well-rested and eager!

As a mother herself, she knows the when and how. She could tell when to stop or go. I like the mutual understanding and I love it that Debora improvises as we go along.

Day Ten, Nusa Dua [Beach] 

Captures by Gian of Rumah Zoe

This series of photographs were shot at our beach resort, Amarterra Villas. 

Hot and sticky at 1400hrs.

It was a postponement from the evening before when it rained incessantly. We planned an hour aside for horse-riding at the beach but that got dampened. The 1400hrs call time was the only availability we had that week and we took it. 

The children were however irritable by the scorching sun. Before long, they ran off and put up a strike.

"NO PHOTOS!"

I totally get them. This spoilt Singaporean children who cannot even tahan the sun *haha* Well, of course they can if they were doing things they enjoy doing! Not just following directions given by the photographer? 

Gian told them to run along and do whatever they want.

So when you hire a Vacation Photographer, please let them know if you'd like it directed or for them to work in the background while you bond as a family. There is no right nor wrong; just how you like it.

 

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