Each place has a soul.
To do the kind of photography I enjoy, I have to get to the soul of the place. The spirit of place, if you must.
That is what I do when I arrive in a new country or place. No camera. Just me. Walking, talking, eating and mixing amongst the crowd. To get a feel. To hear the vibes.
What is it that the people hold dear. That which governs their everyday life. Their very being. In many instances, I found it was commerce. Money. In other cities, it was the mining culture. While some others lived for sport.
I had read all I could about Bali. On the internet. Books. Seen the photos on various sites. I had researched the place. Knew its geography, regions, culture, economics, parts of its history, its religion.
But nowhere, I knew, would I find Bali's soul. I had to be there. To experience it. I have gotten pretty adept at doing this. In the first two days, I knew what moved Bali's people. I knew Bali's soul.
So from the Soul of Bali, in the heart of Ubud..