There’s no denying that Bali is an absolutely stunning island. Known for its warm weather, blue skies, and mouth-watering dishes, not only is this Indonesian province a must-visit, but when you are actually visiting, it feels almost too good to be true, too beautiful to be real, and you’re left wondering how such a place could truly exist.
When I think about Bali and the images I’m used to seeing, my mind goes to luscious forests, sacred temples and gorgeous beaches. So as I was preparing for my trip and thinking about the photos and mood I wanted to shoot, I had no clue. However as the holiday went on, I found myself drawn to the array of flowers adorning the paths, walls, hedges and beaches. Now I know what you’re thinking: florals for spring…ground-breaking heck, I get it, there’s nothing inherently special or different about flowers – I even distinctly remember telling my sister how “cliché” it was that everywhere we went was covered in flowers, but trust me when I say there was something about them that made want to capture them in all their glory.
In this photo set, these flowers represent the beauty of Bali we’ve all come to know and love through pictures and films. They also signify how simple, almost mundane things that you see every day can still stand out to be the star of the show. And that sometimes life isn’t about “reinventing the wheel” or making a brand new discovery, but sometimes life is about capturing what’s already here and admiring it.
But then true to form, (and these photos wouldn’t be “alice photos” otherwise) the shots go deeper. Most of these flowers are hidden or partially hidden in some way. Whether it’s a petal tucked behind a leaf or a string of colourful fronds peeking through a jungle of foliage there’s a sense that though beautiful and available to be seen and admired, the nature here is solely for that reason and not to be touched. As if you can only view these for a short time before you must move on – similar to how when travelling to Bali, you cannot stay for longer than 30 days (unless you have a longer term visa). Even the shots where the flowers are not hidden per se, I played around with distance to create an untouchable, out of reach feel that still captures the notion of “you can look but can’t touch”, and that no matter how immersed and in love you fall with Bali, you’ll never quite be able to have it, own it, or truly be one with it because we are all passing through. That all we’ll ever really be able to do is capture the beauty and admire it.