This night on Java, Indonesia was a very memorable one. After experiencing the mega crowds on Penanjakan earlier that morning, I just decided to stay one more night to hopefully take something home I will remember. At around 18:50 I left Cemoro Lawang at the back of an Ojek ( Motorcycle) knowing that a waning gibbous moon would rise in 40 minutes. Speeding through the dusty, primal volcanic landscape, the lights of the village well behind us, the heavens opened up with a super vivid Milky Way overhead.The adrenaline was really pumping at this point. A potent cocktail of speed, a barren volcanic wasteland, and the feeling that I am about to capture something truly special, was one of the best travel experiences I have ever had! I arrived at Penanjakan about 20 minutes before the moon rose and that gave me some time to play around with some compositions in very cold and windy conditions. I headed down a small hiking path and finally settled at a position I was comfortable with and that had enough protection from the wind for the longer exposures required. In the image above you can see a smouldering Bromo and Semeru being lit up by the moon rising in the east. At this point the moonlight was washing away many of the stars and Milky Way, but I feel a good balance was achieved with the foreground being lit as well. Enjoy!
Taken outside of Bridgeport, December 2016
