I love the sport of diving, especially in my country Indonesia, the largest archipelago nation in the world—with more than 17,000 islands extending more than 5,100 kilometers from east to west.
This photo was taken off Ambon Island, East Indonesia, in 2010. It is one of my favorites, illustrating the free-spirited nature of the children in the rural archipelago. While some children in the big cities may stay inside and play computer games, the children in Ambon with easy access to the water see the ocean surrounding their village as their playground.
To create the picture, I dove under the water and gestured to some children nearby to get close to me. I did not direct them at all. They acted naturally. I can tell they really enjoyed the moment because they have probably never seen a diver taking photographs while they played under the water.
To me, black-and-white photography evokes strong emotions. It allows you to explore the borderlines of light and shadow, the yin and yang. Celebrating complexity in the minimalist. Diving into the spiritual in the physical. This silhouette conveys to me the very spirit of minimalism and simplicity.
You may also be interested in...
FirstLook: Zillij in Fez
Arts
In patterns and refractions, the old city of Fez, Morocco, comes to life through the geometric tile works known as zillij. In 2001, AramcoWorld commissioned photographer Peter Sanders to tell the story of a family who for five generations has added new dimensions to art and architecture..jpg?cx=0.5&cy=0.5&cw=480&ch=360)
FirstLook: A Market’s Port of Call
History
Arts
After the war in 1991, Kuwait faced a demand for consumer goods. In response, a popular market sprang up, selling merchandise transported by traditional wooden ships. Eager to replace household items that had been looted, people flocked to the new market and found everything from flowerpots, kitchen items and electronics to furniture, dry goods and fresh produce.
FirstLook: The Beauty of the Streets
Arts
This photo series began unexpectedly when I found that photographing people behind windows and maintaining a distance made me, and the people I photographed, feel more comfortable. I purposefully frame myself in the reflection of the window to see into the space I’m photographing. I feel every window tells a different story.