41,000 feet in the air
I am not a fan of politics, and I don’t think I will ever be. But my love to shoot human interests has been there since the first time I know how to press the shutter button. Shooting Jusuf Kalla (JK), a.k.a the vice president, a.k.a the presidential candidate, was nothing less but a journey to see the other side of someone who played a big role in shaping our country.
I remember one morning I had to shoot JK at his home after a tiring full day campaign in Medan. The whole campaign team was there waiting for him. The time was 11 a.m. Then there he was. Coming in in a worn-out polo shirt on leisure trousers and his cheap pen with a small notebook in his pocket. That was the way he was, he is and he will always be, I think.
I saw a leader whose humanity was dominant. A decision maker who was never tired. A vice president who always listened and acted accordingly. A candidate who never forgot to smile. Someone who I could honestly admire. Such a memorable journey for a photographer.
You know what I love in making an essay photo? I triggers a different side of my brain which called: Looking-Thinking-Shooting at The Same Time. I usually start my essay shooting with quite light research, nothing too serious. I find thinking and planning too much before the shooting would only give me more nausea and sweaty palm. But doing it with an easy going attitude usually makes it much more interesting. So I don’t actually searching and trying to find an angle of story, but I tend to loose myself and let wherever the flow take me. I just keep shooting and pay as much attention to my surrounding while waiting for the best split-second moment I have to capture.
These pictures are my personal selection. The commercial versions that were displayed during the campaign were mostly in color and/or cropped to fit the layouts.
