Trading in the average job, Ading Attamimi never thought he would become a full time photographer, travel the world and capture the impressive sights stretching out before him. Starting out as a self-taught hobbyist, it was a natural progression to move into professional work. Although he was born in Jakarta - Indonesia, he now resides in Melbourne - Australia, but is never in one place for long.

His work spans across many different subjects, but it is his need to see the world that allows him to capture plenty of the earth in its natural state.

“I love landscape and travel photography, mostly with scenery, my photography is very simple and I try to be as natural as possible.”

Whilst all the images he has taken are held dear to his heart, it is the experience that trumps it all. Drawn to the natural light of the earth, he lets this guide his focus. Although composition and subject is also important, light takes precedence, due its transformative nature.

Being a travel photographer, the key thing of the utmost importance is to be prepared for the unpredictable. Not only can weather stop you in your tracks but it is also lighting which one must be adapt to, in order to get the image you truly desire.

Having light as his focal point, Ading has developed some of his favourite times of day in order to capture the right tone in his imagery, namely, the light during sunrise, sunset and of course, golden hour.

“Natural light for me is essential and very important; I work around natural light with filters to balance it. Ideally, using settings at f/8-18 and ISO 100, the shutter speed often varies, based on the effect I want to create.”

One of his most memorable moments was when he flew in a hot air balloon; high above the Dubai desert, he was presented with a vast field of sand, a blazing horizon, the deep blue rolling clouds, and to top it off, two other hot air balloons floating in the distance. Consequently, the image he captured brings a mix of adrenaline from its great height but also a sense of overwhelming calm, whilst coasting along the clouds, away from earth.

It is moments like these that reinforces to Ading how photography will stick with him for a lifetime. From the wild deserts in Burj Al Arab, to the large non-polar glaciers of Yukon, Canada, he is in constant awe of the world around him and the light that fills it.

Ading uses two full frame cameras, either his go-to Nikon D810, Nikon D4s or Nikon D5. His choice of lenses include the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR, the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f.2.8G ED, the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, as well as his fisheye lens, the AF Fisheye-NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8D.

He makes sure to carry filters and tripod along for every journey, as well as ensuring his shutter release is ready to go. These have become an important part of his checklist before he sets out on his journey. He uses filters in conjunction with wide aperture lens to capture more light. The tripod is used mostly under low light conditions, allowing him to shoot long exposures.

At the end of the day, the most exciting thing is not the end result, but the adventure he had.

About Ading

Ading Attamimi is a professional photographer based in Jakarta - Indonesia and Melbourne - Australia. He started his photographic journey with landscape photography, and because he is never satisfied with specialising only in one form, he has always tries to learn and explore more styles and themes. Ading’s philosophy on photography is simple; for him “photography is an untold story, a beautiful combination between movements, lights and shadows.”