There’s a saying, “Ubud is a Mood”. If Ubud is a mood, then Pasar Ubud is where all the moods originate.
The typical day at the Pasar starts between 3:30-4:00 am every morning. Pasar Ubud is where everyday life kicks-off. Thus, setting the mood for the day.
Having guest photographer Simon and his daughter Aurora join me in October was a perfect way to celebrate the first full year of the Pasar Ubud Street Photography tour! And, there’s more. The icing on the cake is that Simon recently opened a solo exhibit (24 November) in his home town of Perth. His exhibit featured many of his incredible photographs from the Pasar Ubud tour. Simon is even donating some of the proceeds to our donation partners!
Recently, Simon generously shared many of his images. I am now honoured to host some of his beautiful work on this site for your viewing pleasure.
See Simon’s Bali Street Photographer gallery here.
During the day, there are three distinct moods at the pasar. The early morning is the timeless period. Bali’s unadulterated essence is revealed from 4-8 am. The tourist aimed facades are non-existent. From 8-10 am is transition time. After 10 am belongs to the colourful tourist realm.
If you are in Ubud for a few days, I recommend experiencing all three phases of the pasar.
The photos above is an example of transition time. The local morning shoppers are gone. The canang and produce vendors slowly give way to the oleh-oleh sellers. The light becomes more harsh. The colours begin to fill-in and show off their vibrancy. And, the shadows plays tug-of-war with rays of sunlight.
Transition time might sound boring at first. But, it’s anything but boring for a street photographer.
#chasingharshlight #chasingharshdarkness
“Where are you going?” or “Mau kemana?” in Bali is equivalent to “Hey, what’s up?” And, the common local reply is, “Jalan jalan!”. This roughly means going around without any pre determined destination.
Jalan jalan might not seem useful at first glance. But, give it a try the next time a driver asks you if you want transport when you don’t need a ride.
See the full Jalan Jalan gallery here.
Chasing harsh light is one of my favourite photography rule breakers. I love deep dark tones contrasted with bright highlights. I enjoy seeing the interplay of light & shadow to give form to shape and figure.
The best time to photograph harsh light in Pasar Ubud is on a mostly clear day (not overcast with clouds) between 8am-10am and 2pm-4pm.
This tour was a great way to start off my vacation in Ubud. Mark was very informative and definitely knows his way around a camera. He has a fantastic philosophy and is very easy-going. I would for sure recommend taking the tour, no matter what level of photographer you are.
~Scott Frank from Canada
That’s what I like to hear! I appreciate your sincere and inspiring words, Scott. I hope you bring many warm memories of Bali back to Canada with you. See you next time!
It was a great class and one of the best experiences during my Bali holiday. Mark was a caring guide and you could feel that he loves to share his knowledge and passion. With his guidance it was possible to experience the “true” Ubud. His attitude and the way how he talks with people is inspiring. I can highly recommend the tour with Mark.
~Florian from Germany
Terima kasih banyak, Florian. I was thrilled to share the pasar with you–a fellow keen adventurer and passionate photographer. Lovely meeting you. I hope to see you in Germany some day! 🙂
Please visit Florian on Instagram.
