VISITING Bromo Mountain in East Java with my photography friends has always been a magical and wonderful experience for me. Although I have visited the volcanic mountain twice in the past 10 years, this enchanting place and the allure of its beauty never ceases to amaze me.
After two visits, I know what to expect and how to prepare for that photography moment on this beautiful mountain.
The trip this time was led by renowned Malaysian photographer Nazri Sulaiman, who has been to the mountain, photographing its beauty countless times, and knew the best time to visit it.
Nazri had calculated that the week of May 20 is the time to visit the mountain as this was the dark moon period, meaning there would be no moon in sight during those few days, giving us nights of total darkness.
Why is this important? This is because the stars and the Milkyway can be seen even with the naked eyes without light pollution, and with no clouds, the view up above will be magnificent.
THE JOURNEY
Thanks to the newly built highway from Surabaya to Malang, a district near the foot of the mountain area, the trip time up to the mountain was cut to just 2½ hours compared with about four hours if we were to take the old trunk roads.
After a two-hour journey from Surabaya, we finally arrived in the Mt Bromo district around 11pm.
For those who are not familiar with Mt Bromo, it is an iconic natural landmark situated in East Java, Indonesia. It is part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, a protected area known for its diverse ecosystems and breathtaking landscapes.
It has an elevation of 2,329m and offers much for visitors who seek adventure, tranquility and natural beauty. The mountain itself is part of a larger volcanic complex, which includes the vast Tengger Caldera, which is a volcanic crater measuring approximately 10km in diameter.
THE HIKE
Since Mt Bromo is the star of the area, visitors normally hike the surrounding summits to capture photographs of it. But of course, you can also hike the volcano itself to experience and photograph it.
For the first night, we decided on a viewing point known as Penanjakan 2 to shoot the scene.
Penanjakan 2 was located about 30 minutes from our hotel and to reach the point, we needed to take a 4x4 across the caldera.
It was a thrilling jeep ride through the dark, winding roads. There were no proper roads in the caldera or desert area, but the local jeep drivers know the area by heart.
Once we reached the designated spot, which is halfway up the mountain, we knew we had to hike in the pitch-black night to reach the top viewing point. Armed with our photography gear and a sense of adventure, we embraced the challenge. We've prepared ourselves with jackets, gloves, torchlights and hiking shoes.
As we ascended the trail around 1.30am, we could feel the cool breeze brush against our faces.
It was just a 150m hike, but the cold, wind and darkness made the hike slow, as we needed to be careful not to get hurt.
THE NIGHT VIEW
As soon as we reached the top, the magic of Bromo awaited us. I looked up and saw millions of stars blanketing the clear night sky. It was still a sight to behold, although I've seen it before.
And there, amidst the celestial brilliance, the Milkyway was clearly visible, just above Mt Bromo, captivating anyone who sees it.
We were even fortunate enough to witness shooting stars streaking across the sky that night.
Despite the temperature dropping to a chilly 12°C, my friends and I couldn't seem to be bothered with it since we were engrossed in capturing the magical view.
TECHNIQUES
Photographing the Milkyway requires a unique set of techniques and specialised equipment to do its beauty justice.
My friends and I brought at least two camera bodies for this trip and a few lenses, especially an ultra wide lens.
As we have already decided our viewpoint, we quickly set up our equipment the moment we reached the top.
Although it is possible to capture the Milkyway with crop sensor cameras, a full-frame camera generally produces better results due to its superior low-light performance and higher dynamic range.
For the lens, I used fast 12mm and 20mm ultra wide angle lenses with aperture f2.8 and f1.8 respectively. Lenses with 12mm to 24mm focal length are usually adequate to capture the Milkyway.
The next vital tool for this mission is a sturdy tripod. Since we needed to shoot long exposures in low light conditions, a stable tripod is essential to keep our cameras steady and avoid blurriness.
We set our cameras to manual mode to have full control of the exposure settings and used the widest aperture the lens allows (e.g. f/2.8) to let in as much light as possible. The ISO value was set to between 1000 and 4000 with exposure time varied from 10 seconds to 30 seconds.
Since it's not easy for the cameras to focus in low light, we set the focus point to infinity. And to further minimise camera shake, we used a remote shutter or timer to trigger the camera's shutter. We repeated this process over and over until we got the desired outcome.
Besides that, we also used subjects, backgrounds, et cetera, to compose the image so that it will not be just a picture of the Milkyway.
THE LANDSCAPE
We didn't just go to the viewpoint to capture the Milkyway, but other amazing views of the mountains, such as the sunrise.
We stayed at the viewpoint until morning to see the first rays of dawn break through the horizon, revealing the soft orange glow of the approaching sunrise. The landscape of Bromo Mountain and its surrounding areas revealed themselves in all their splendour. The caldera and the desert expanse were shrouded in a mystical 'carpet' fog, adding an ethereal and dramatic touch to the scenery.
We also experimented with a new technique of night photography using drones to create a different kind of photography.
In short, the combination of the stunning Milkyway, magical sunrise, the magical 'carpet' fog and the rugged mountain terrain created a visual masterpiece that words cannot describe.
It was a spectacle that touched our souls and reminded us of the magic and beauty of nature.
Visit mount Bromo and book a room with additional rebates by claiming Agoda discount code.