Photo tip of the week: How I shot Indonesia's Semana Santa festival

By Anthony McKee | 29 March 2018
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I believe faith is essential nowadays if you want to survive as a professional photographer.

In an age where one billion photos are uploaded to the Internet every day, you need some faith just to believe one of your photographs can be unique – to be that one in a billion. And you also need a little faith to keep surviving, particularly on those quiet days when your phone is not ringing.

Some days that faith pays off, like when an editor sends you a message – “Hey Ants, are you free on the 12-18 April? Indonesia?” Australian Photography had been invited to join several other travel writers on a “famil” to Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Larantuka, a small town on the island of Flores some 900 kilometres east of Bali. I didn’t have to think to long about my reply – yes!

Along the seven kilometre course of the procession, residents tended small altars on their front lawns, like this example. I composed the image to include the tired dog in the left of the frame. Nikon D810 with Nikon 35mm f1.8G (FX) lens. Exposure 1/100th at f2.5, 3200 ISO handheld
Along the seven kilometre course of the procession, residents tended small altars on their front lawns, like this example. I composed the image to include the tired dog in the left of the frame. Nikon D810 with Nikon 35mm f1.8G (FX) lens. Exposure 1/100th at f2.5, 3200 ISO handheld

Our small group arrived in Bali on the Wednesday before Easter, and the next morning we flew to Maumere on Flores Island and drove the last 150-kilometres to Larantuka. We arrived in the early evening to discover our accommodation was rudimentary, with no showers and no hot water, but this festival is so popular that most reasonable accommodation was booked months in advance.

After a simple meal we were taken by van to Larantuka Cathedral to discover no one was there; but then a guide walked us to a church several blocks away where we discovered thousands of people standing shoulder to shoulder, waiting to enter the church.

Security was rigid, and with our cameras and notebooks it was obvious we were not pilgrims; we were not invited into the church, but we were allowed to stand at some open windows and watch as a procession of the faithful slowly crawled on their knees towards a holy statue near the altar. A large congregation sat either side of the aisles, praying, singing and mindfully keeping alight hundreds of candles.

Most of us spend our time looking for wide shots that encompass people and place, and yet often the small details can tell a much bigger story. I was struggling to get access into one church to make photos, but after some quiet persistence I was finally allowed to sit in the back of the church next to some women who were praying. I noticed the rosary beads and quietly gestured to the woman if may photograph them; with a gently nod I got the approval I needed to make the image. Nikon D810 with a Nikon 35mm f1.8. Exposure 1/50th at f2.5, 6400 ISO handheld.
Most of us spend our time looking for wide shots that encompass people and place, and yet often the small details can tell a much bigger story. I was struggling to get access into one church to make photos, but after some quiet persistence I was finally allowed to sit in the back of the church next to some women who were praying. I noticed the rosary beads and quietly gestured to the woman if may photograph them; with a gently nod I got the approval I needed to make the image. Nikon D810 with a Nikon 35mm f1.8. Exposure 1/50th at f2.5, 6400 ISO handheld.

Making photos from a window had limitations and so I asked ushers if I could enter the church through a side door. After some discussion I was escorted to a seat with instructions not to roam.

Next to me sat a woman with Rosary beads in her hands and soon I realised the best photo might not be in front of me, but beside me; with her approval I photographed her hands in the dull light and soon I was tapped on the shoulder to rejoin my group. As I walked into the warm night to return to the hotel, well over a thousand people remained on the steps waiting to enter the church.

The next morning I awoke, had a cold bucket shower and then joined the others for a breakfast that looked remarkably like dinner from the night before. It was Good Friday and two guides were joining us for the day, but language barriers and the complexity of the festival made it difficult to know exactly what we might see throughout the day; so while the writers tried to make sense of their notes, I prepared my cameras and hoped to be in some good places at the right moments.

On Good Friday a small wooden outrigger canoe carrying a small stature of Jesus leads a large flotilla of fishing boats along the channel in front of the town. Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8. Exposure 1/500th at f8, 200 ISO handheld.
On Good Friday a small wooden outrigger canoe carrying a small stature of Jesus leads a large flotilla of fishing boats along the channel in front of the town. Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8. Exposure 1/500th at f8, 200 ISO handheld.

Our first stop for the day was to the north of town where tens of thousands of people were gathered along the water’s edge to witness a sea procession. At a nearby chapel, priests and a small congregation were praying to a small statue wrapped in black cloth, but again we were only able to witness the ceremony from small windows around the building.

I made some photos and began walking back towards the water when I noticed a woman in blue standing in a doorway, waiting to perform her duties. I smiled at her and she beckoned me over. Again, our language barrier prevented discussion but I was allowed through the door to get into some softer light, and I quickly made some portraits.

As I began making photos though, this woman slowly unfurled a scroll in her hands to reveal a portrait of Jesus. It was an amazing moment but within seconds another more elderly woman walked into frame and ordered my subject outside to begin her singing duties.

A simple portrait of this woman in blue gathered more intensity when she slowly unfurled this portrait of Jesus. Moments later we were interrupted by another woman who moved my subject back onto her duties at hand. Later that night this same woman was singing the most haunting, plaintive lament at every station of the cross. Nikon D810 with a Tokina 17-35mm f4 lens. Exposure 1/80th at f4, 400 ISO handheld.
A simple portrait of this woman in blue gathered more intensity when she slowly unfurled this portrait of Jesus. Moments later we were interrupted by another woman who moved my subject back onto her duties at hand. Later that night this same woman was singing the most haunting, plaintive lament at every station of the cross. Nikon D810 with a Tokina 17-35mm f4 lens. Exposure 1/80th at f4, 400 ISO handheld.

Back at the water’s edge the crowd waited in the morning heat ‘til eventually the priests emerged to place the statue on a small canoe for its journey by sea to the Palace of the King. As the canoe moved away, a large flotilla of boats began to follow in its quiet wake, and we joined our van again to get ahead of them.

At the other end of town even more people waited for the canoe to arrive, with priests waiting at the shore to carry this small sacred black box on procession past the dozens of churches that lined a seven-kilometre course through the town.

Catholicism was introduced to the people of Larantuka in the 1600’s by Portuguese missionaries, and the solemn traditions and ceremonies of Semana Santa have remained largely unchanged for 400 years.

A woman in the canoe prays over a small statue, hidden beneath the black clothe while about her, dozens of volunteers swim about the small craft to help usher it ashore. Using RAW mode, I was able to lighten the shaded areas within the boat to balance the exposure with the sunlit swimmers. Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8. Exposure 1/320th at f11, 400 ISO handheld.
A woman in the canoe prays over a small statue, hidden beneath the black clothe while about her, dozens of volunteers swim about the small craft to help usher it ashore. Using RAW mode, I was able to lighten the shaded areas within the boat to balance the exposure with the sunlit swimmers. Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8. Exposure 1/320th at f11, 400 ISO handheld.

What is remarkable though is that despite its scale, there were hardly any other European people at the festival aside from our small group and one lone British photographer, a staffer at the British embassy with a passion for photographing religious festivals around the world.

We returned to our hotel for lunch and later in the afternoon we again visited Larantuka Cathedral. This time we were allowed inside to watch the proceedings, but after a while my instinct to explore kicked in. I walked up a street and past some gates to find myself in a cemetery awash with people and light.

At every grave and tomb, families were gathered with lit candles to pray that their loved ones might rise again. The warm glow of candles contrasted beautifully against the cold blue light of dusk, but soon I realised I needed elevation to get some perspective on the scene. I mounted my camera and a 20mm lens onto my monopod, held it high above my head and made photos using a cable release. A little faith and curiosity resulted in photographs others might have missed.

In a cemetery near Larantuka Cathedral, thousands of locals gather on Good Friday to pray at the graves of deceased family. I mounted my Nikon D810 with a Nikon 20mm f1.8 lens on a monopod and held it high above my head to add some perspective to the scene. Nikon D810, 20mm f1.7 lens, 1/40s @ f2.8, ISO 1600, handheld. 
In a cemetery near Larantuka Cathedral, thousands of locals gather on Good Friday to pray at the graves of deceased family. I mounted my Nikon D810 with a Nikon 20mm f1.8 lens on a monopod and held it high above my head to add some perspective to the scene. Nikon D810, 20mm f1.7 lens, 1/40s @ f2.8, ISO 1600, handheld. 

We returned to the hotel, this time for dinner and at 8pm we again drove to the festival; as we arrived though, it was obvious proceedings had started again without us. As I approached the bamboo fence around the seven-kilometre procession course, I noticed a group of woman wailing beneath a black cloth, and in front of them, countless choirs were in a long procession. I climbed through the fence and began making photos; every chorister was carrying a candle, and each choir was singing their own hymns.

As I walked past each group, one hymn would fade into another as if I was slowly tuning an old radio dial across Christian radio stations.

Two metres of added height can dramatically change the perspective of a scene, and when a ladder is not handy, a monopod can be useful instead. To make this photo I manually focused the 70-200mm lens on the distant statues then lofted the camera into the air on a monopod and triggered the camera with a wired remote. The exposure time was 1/40th of a second, but the lens’ vibration reduction managed to isolate most of the movement from the handheld monopod. Nikon D810, 70-200mm f2.8 VRII lens @ 200mm, 1/40s @ f2.8, ISO 6400, monopod and remote release.
Two metres of added height can dramatically change the perspective of a scene, and when a ladder is not handy, a monopod can be useful instead. To make this photo I manually focused the 70-200mm lens on the distant statues then lofted the camera into the air on a monopod and triggered the camera with a wired remote. The exposure time was 1/40th of a second, but the lens’ vibration reduction managed to isolate most of the movement from the handheld monopod. Nikon D810, 70-200mm f2.8 VRII lens @ 200mm, 1/40s @ f2.8, ISO 6400, monopod and remote release.

Trying to capture the scale of this event was difficult; the choirs covered at least four kilometres of the course, and with no high points to work from I relied on my monopod technique a second time to elevate my view.

This time it was my 70-200mm lens that I held high above my head, having manually focused the lens on some distant statues. I made the photo at 1/40th of a second at f2.8 and 6400 ISO, and put faith in the vibration reduction motor to smooth out any movement.

At the focal point of the five kilometre long procession were these four men, dressed anonymously in white, carrying sacred relics in a black box the most people never get to see inside. At each Station of the Cross the procession paused for a series of prayers and chants. Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VRII lens. Exposure 1/30th at f2.8, 6400 ISO with monopod.
At the focal point of the five kilometre long procession were these four men, dressed anonymously in white, carrying sacred relics in a black box the most people never get to see inside. At each Station of the Cross the procession paused for a series of prayers and chants. Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VRII lens. Exposure 1/30th at f2.8, 6400 ISO with monopod.

After more than an hour I eventually arrived at the front of the procession where I found drummers leading a group of children who were each carrying lanterns and numerous symbols of the crucifixion, including a crown of thorns, nails and a cross. I photographed the children by the light of their lanterns and then slowly worked my way back through the procession.

Almost an hour later I was back near the wailing women, and as I passed them I noticed an increase in security. Police and soldiers joined dozens of ushers to protect the central focus of the ceremony – four men wrapped anonymously in white robes were carrying a box of sacred relics that few people ever get to see.

At the front leading the very long procession I found a group of children carrying lanterns. Without interrupt their concentration, I moved in and made this portrait using the light of the lantern. Nikon D810 with a Nikon 35mm f1.8. Exposure 1/50th at f2, 6400 ISO handheld.
At the front leading the very long procession I found a group of children carrying lanterns. Without interrupt their concentration, I moved in and made this portrait using the light of the lantern. Nikon D810 with a Nikon 35mm f1.8. Exposure 1/50th at f2, 6400 ISO handheld.

These men carried these relics to each Station of the Cross and then they paused for 15 minutes of prayer before moving onto the next stop. I wanted to get close to make photos, but it was obvious this was not going to happen. The closer I moved the twitchier the security seemed to be, and at one point a soldier gave me a jab in the back. Without moving closer I made a series of photos with my 70-200mm lens, and then I was tapped on the shoulder yet again.

This time it was my minders who had found me. The time was well after midnight and they were keen to get to the hotel, and their beds. The procession continued on for another three hours, but sometimes you have to be fair to the other people you are travelling with.

At the focal point of the five kilometre long procession were these four men, dressed anonymously in white, carrying sacred relics in a black box the most people never get to see inside. At each Station of the Cross the procession paused for a series of prayers and chants. Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VRII lens. Exposure 1/30th at f2.8, 6400 ISO with monopod.
At the focal point of the five kilometre long procession were these four men, dressed anonymously in white, carrying sacred relics in a black box the most people never get to see inside. At each Station of the Cross the procession paused for a series of prayers and chants. Nikon D810 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VRII lens. Exposure 1/30th at f2.8, 6400 ISO with monopod.

The following day was a recovery day for us and the thousands of pilgrims; and while our small group got to explore the markets of Larantuka, the locals set about scraping wax from the streets that would then be recycled into candles for next year’s Holy Week.

Getting to see the scale of Semana Santa, and witness the devotion of its participants was both amazing and humbling. Every year, countless religious festivals of different faiths occur all over the world, and while you don’t have to be a believer, the opportunity to witness the faithful at these events can give you a healthy and deeper insight into their communities, and of your own beliefs. Grab your camera, have a little faith and discover where all this might take you. ❂

The tips

1 Go the extra mile

Regardless of where you travel, try looking beyond the tourist traps to discover more about a country and its culture. Most Australians only know Indonesia through the lens of Bali, and yet beyond Kuta and Seminyak are another 17,000 islands, countless beaches and even more culture. For the sake of one extra flight along the archipelago you can find yourself away from the Aussie crowds and among new landscapes and some amazing cultural experiences.

2 Travel light

Too much camera gear can hinder the creative process, and so for this trip I opted to take a rather compact Think Tank Streetwalker backpack as carry-on. The bag is not deep but it can fit a Nikon D810 (sans grip) with a 70-200mm f2.8 attached, a second D810 with a 50mm attached and two prime wide-angle lenses. This bag has no laptop pocket, but given the tight schedule it was better to leave a laptop at home and take more memory instead. I also took a belt pack and depending on the day’s objectives I could leave the backpack at the hotel and carry just one camera, lenses, a battery, memory and some water in the belt pack. Keeping gear to a minimum helps you walk further in hot conditions while at the same time keeping you moderately unobtrusive in a crowd.

3 Take a prime lens

Zoom lenses are useful, but they have their limitations; some zooms are “slow” (the f4-5.6 varieties), others are heavy and some simply intimidate your subjects. This is why prime lens are useful; some photographers use fast f1.4 primes but I prefer f1.8 lenses because they are smaller, easier to carry and more affordable to replace. A 35mm f1.8 prime is a versatile lens for almost any novice while a 24mm f1.8 is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys street photography.

4 Break loose

Most of us travel with family or friends, or in this instance a few travel writers, but if you want to make great photos it is worth making time to explore by yourself. Where possible, give your companions a reasonable idea of where you will be and have a solid plan for meeting up again in the evening. In fairness to everyone, try and respect these plans.

5 Be inquisitive

We all enjoy a little respect, even the people in foreign lands who we like to visit with our cameras. With that in mind, some basic courtesy can go a long way towards providing special opportunities. Be respectful, be patient and smile, and doors
will open to opportunities others might miss. Two photos in this story, the Rosary beads and the woman in blue, are examples of simple courtesy resulting in special moments.

6 Anticipate photos

The best photographers don’t just “see” photos; they anticipate them. Learn to keep looking around, see how the various elements might work together or create a juxtaposition then determine where you need to be (and when) to get the best photos.

7 Don’t chimp

A mistake many photographers make is to review photos after every press of the shutter. This breaks the flow and tires out your battery sooner. While you’re looking at the back of the camera, you are probably missing photos in front of you so stay focused and you will be rewarded.

8 Keep the faith

You will make great photos when you believe in yourself and the opportunities you are given. Keep the faith, keep exploring and you will make photos that make you happy.

Anthony McKee is a Melbourne-based writer and social documentary photographer. In 2014 he was named AIPP 2014 Australian Documentary Photographer of the Year. He has also won awards for his landscape photography.

He has judged professional and amateur photography awards on both sides of the Tasman and in 2013 was made an Honorary Fellow of the NZIPP for his services to photography. You can see more of his work at anthonymckee.com.au

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