Yesterday was Nyepi here in Bali. The darkest night of the year in which no lighting of any kind is used until 6am.
You are punished with hefty fines by the local council police known as The Banjar if you are caught out of your home or using lights after dark. That's how seriously they take it.
Check my previous post if you interested to learn more about Nyepi:
https://steemit.com/blog/@samstonehill/today-is-nyepi-the-day-of-silence-in-bali
So, this morning I got up at 3am and illuminating my way with a lighter I ventured only as far as my garden, to see if there were any clouds, for a potentially awesome star time-lapse, as there is also no moon at the moment. And wouldn't you know it, the night sky was perfect! So I set up my camera and left it rolling.
Hope you enjoy the results here. The film was shot using 25 second exposures at intervals of 30 seconds, on a Canon 5Dmkiii, with 24mm f1.4 lens ISO 2000. A little enhancement in After Effects and that's it!
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Wow... that is amazing! I can't recall having seen a sky like that since we lived in a pretty remote part of Tobago in 1975... beautiful!
1975 would be before I was born :) You have been adventuring for a long time!
To be fair, the sky didn't actually look like this to the naked eye. I was shooting 25 second exposures, increasing the light intensity of each pic. But it was still the best night of the year without question :)
Wow. Haven't seen a sky like that since the safari in South Africa.
Yes, I remember it being rather spectacular from South Africa too. I spent 6 months travelling there and Zambia. Fell in love with Plettenberg Bay and stayed a while longer than I intended. Nice memories.
Thanks for the comment :)
That is amazing, I wish my vote was worth so much more. WOW WOW WOW
Many thanks for your enthusiasm :)
Easy, your posts are great and Bali is on the top 5 list of my favorite places i have visited.
My friend, I can not believe you. I'm very impressed! Hahaha I wish in my country there would be at least one day when we would do the same... Upvoted!!
Thank you my friend. Appreciate the comment & upvote. It is a beautiful tradition and if only the whole world would do it! We would save a load of electricity and people everywhere would look up in wonder at the night sky :)
yeah...but you must prepare food and water, because at that period there is not store nor market open.... :)
That is true. But not hard to do :)
@happyphoenix I don't think it is something so difficult haha in my country we have been a full day without electricity and it was not necessarily for some ecological act. But what if we agree is that it would be something wonderful for both our eyes and our planet ;D
I am currently working with a very advanced solar company here in Indonesia and when I see how much the price has come down and the efficiency gone up....I ask myself how it is that more of us have not adopted this most simple way of having our own personal power at our fingertips...for 25 years without having to spend any more money!
One day not using electricity generated from burning fossil fuels is a great start but there is a total revolution in thinking (and decentralisation) which must happen now.
I totally agree with you, my friend. Something so simple and still many don't see it... :S It's time for a change and we have to try to be part of it!
Beautiful
Thank you :)
Am lucky to live where I do.
Short and nice. Wonder if anyone really ever get arrested for using light.
A friend told me he was fined $70 for walking into the local village yesterday, trying to buy cigarettes! I am sure plenty of people have been fined for having lights after dark. Perhaps not arrested. Unless they were having a full-on party ;)
THAT is an expensive pack of cigarettes. Perhaps, he'll consider quitting after that.
haha! I doubt it :)