Monday, October 7, 2013

The Photographic Sense Travels: Maldivian Gypsy


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Wonders, Grace, and All Of The Glory You Can Imagine, all of them wrapped in a middle-eastern elixir of beauty. Wonders only you can imagine deep in your mind of resort. Maldives is a resort, yet it is the art of living on the edge of the shore. It holds the aura bringing individuals together, a certainty of love, a statement of passion, a statement of just, the ocean roaming wild, bringing you the watersong every time you slumber late at 3 a.m.

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Honestly, I didn’t expect to be visiting this island AT ALL, like I thought I’d visit China again, which I honestly have a bit of loathe onto, but when my father asked whether I wanted to visit China or the Maldives, then later with my mother proposing for Australia, It was an easy choice for every one of us(my siblings included).
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There’s this certainty of magic in the Maldives, like, you just feel like It’s paradise’s best form. Like as if the trees are telling you stories and the ocean is a synth-pop personification, and there are bats roaming the island with flight so passionate the elder and ancient must’ve thought to be magic. It’s a formulae of mother nature, embellished by beautiful water villas, and pools and the best feast and shelter. But in the end of the day, what makes Maldives the Maldives we know is the wonders of Mother Nature, the wonders of God.I feel like it’s a summer home to me, like Summer 2013 will be the Summer I’ll always miss, private jets that appear to not be that private in the end of the day, sending me and my skater style denim-wrapped waist and the whole family towards the island, ferries, dolphins, and baby sharks with manta rays, they’re all a pleasant, daily view for the week.
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Supernatural, that will be the feeling I would describe feeling on my late night reads, in a good way, though. I can feel the island taking my whole emotion to a whole new level, it’s undescribable, it’s gypsy-craft nature, it’s so beautifully carved that the craft is a mood lasting, it’s a mood that never wants to leave, it’s reckless and young, and it makes everyone rewind the peaceful remedy. As I could see the stars blind down the night, stripping the island onto a whole beautiful ocean of freedom. One thing I learnt about the Maldives is that I felt infinite there, I felt like my mindset has set me to achieve higher, to dream more, to fall in love deeper, all of them wrapped onto a bouquet of seashells.

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I’ve never understood how Ke$ha wrote her album, Warrior, about magic as she travelled to beautiful islands on her hiatus, now I do understand how all of these “magic-themed techno music” surfaced from islands, I can just feel sharks and manta rays taking my body to the stars. In fact, I’m listening to the album right now.

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I remember that night where I think I just fell in love, with everything, it’s like seeing a painting you don’t usually like but end up in amazement for the rest of your life with. I see baby sharks and I see locals dancing with tourists, with the majority of Chinese. I remember being wrapped up in my KTZ for the beach, I knew it wasn’t the right occasion but I just had the feeling it would be a supernaturally beautiful night. My love for the magic and the wonders will never die, they will linger with me for the rest of my life,  don’t want Maldives just to get drowned just yet, one day I promise, I’ll take my kids or my honeymoon date to wherever the wonder of the Maldives leads me onto. Songs that seem to magical to be true, in the art of sythpop, like Preacher by One Republic or Tesselate by Alt-J, they make sense in the wonders of Maldives, I can finally unfold a new feel towards the mind and the heart.

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The magic I’m trying to explain here is just wondrous, it’s just a whole new level of layering towards the earth’s core. It’s like, you can’t feel tired or sad at all, I remember having my blackberry soaked in sea water, I don’t see myself mourning at all, instead, I was entirely happy for the rest of the day as I shot my mum and her friend on a Harper Bazaar-used, iconic, fishnet seat on the edge of the ocean. I experience things that many would die to experience, walked in wondrous, unbelievable architecture and nature, and met sea creatures swimming around the villa as if we were in their territory, which is actually a fact.

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I do also believe that the wonder of the magical trip was affected by the hospitality, it was just so marvelous how the staffs have been bonding with me and the whole team on the trip, it was as if we’ve been months there. I remember stepping down the ferry onto the crazy-beautiful, tree-house-like, homey arrival, which isn’t a lobby at all on Shangri-La. I remember mimicking the holy cow-rhymed word as one of the staffs, Anne, replied with “It’s really beautiful, isn’t it”. I remember my first buggy ride with Ibby, the villa host, and one of the other memorable buggy ride was with a Filipino woman who’s more than friendly, there’s Desmond who arrived on the same day as I did as a staff, and we talked about sharks, a lot, and there was Made, actually  a Balinese woman in charge of the juice who makes exquisite smoothies (read:fat) which I’m now dying to have some.

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The narration I wrote above was reffered to Shangri-La, Villingili, Maldives. I actually visited another island on an extension(we were so in love with Maldives that we actually extended), we went to 4 Seasons in Baa Atool(if I’m not mistaken). This island has more of a resort feeling, which gives the homey feeling a ride of posh living. I love the white aesthetics scattered around the resort, and the beautiful, perfectly white, clear sand forming a formation of a sword in the middle of the ocean, I will post more, don’t worry, on 4 Seasons, and Shangri-La of course! These pictures are meant to give a gypsy-magical-slightly hipster kind of feeling towards the portfolio, Maldivian Gypsy is the first portfolio(formerly named Stars Dance entitled after Selena Gomez’s debut solo album) inspired by the arabic feeling. The second portfolio will be called Dives The Maldives, and the last one is a to be announced portfolio, promoting the resort. I will post even more, probably on my outfits and my food-reviews. So, stay tuned, unions(I know you will since it’s Maldives duh-uh!). Until next time, adios! *unicorn rides away with the dolphins and the mermaids*
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Good Read: ICE by Sarah Beth Durst
Maldivian Gypsy: The Playlist
1) Preacher- One Republic
2) Same Love(feat. Mary Lambert)- Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
3) Stars Dance- Selena Gomez
4) Roar- Katy Perry
5) Dark Paradise- Lana Del Rey
6) Come & Get It- Selena Gomez
7) Supernatural- Ke$ha
8) Lost At Sea(ft. Ryan Tedder)-Zedd
9) Tesselate- Alt J
10) Butterfly Fly Away-Miley Cyrus ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
11) Atlantis- Ellie Goulding
12) Honeymoon Avenue- Ariana Grande

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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSE TRAVELS
MALDIVES
MALDIVIAN GYPSY
PAR.REINHARDT KENNETH
MODELS. DIANA MULJONO PUTRI AND PATRICIA MARIA SANTOSO
SHANGRI-LA, VILLINGILI, MALDIVES
4 SEASONS, BAA ATOOL, MALDIVES

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15 comments:

  1. Everything look so breathtaking! Seriously Rein, you got one hell of a talent! :D looking forward meeting you soon!

    Love,
    Pudding Monster

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  2. omg! the view is breathtaking ken!! i love every single picture <3
    and your mom is so beautiful! amazed by the pictures...and makes me so lazy to read your write hahahaha
    when's our outfit shot? :P

    www.brigittamonique.blogspot.com

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  3. Thank you so much <3

    I love the beauty of an Asian face. Gorgeous.

    /Avy

    http://mymotherfuckedmickjagger.blogspot.com

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  4. aduuuh mami km kecenya nggak nahan neth..
    aq speechless nih.. too awesome <3

    visit mine whenever you had a chance :D

    stay fab,
    Miss Aa

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  5. gee, Maldives jauh lebih keren di sini dibanding foto-foto yang pernah gue liat! such a cool mix of eastern-western, traditional-modern. Your mom looking perfectly gorgeous here! beruntung banget deh punya mami yang bisa dijadiin model <3 kalo gue mesti susah-susah kompromi sama temen buat dijadiin model :')

    you have an exceptional talent, I think I have told you that. Keep posting! suka banget sama your photographic sense, your extraordinary point of view. Way to go, RK!

    your fan,
    http://helena-nt.blogspot.com

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  6. seriusan.. foto2nya keren bangett... so lovely..
    Its will be nice if we can follow each other.. please kindly visit my blog as Bella Luna
    with love

    www.kiddieelf.blogspot.com

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  7. I always end up writing more than one sentence to you, trying not to make it a 100 page essay. I think the imagery and the power of paradisical seduction is really poignant in your words and the photos. There is a sense of love in the way you capture the woman, and the women loving themselves by dressing up in the most beautiful, beachworthy gear. I'm also glad you had a truly happy summertime at the Maledives: I know (firsthand) that sadness and non-happiness is told to produce better art, however, you prove it can also been done otherwise: happiness creating beautiful AND meaningful art as well.
    Summer '13 will be memorable to me as well: it has been coined by company (finally, after a time of loneliness), afterwards the replacement of virtual company over real-life, and then it was loneliness again...this time partly chosen, partly by non-choice. However, you show that virtual sharing can be a powerful tool as well, either slightly unpersonal by a blog, more personal by facebook or even closer by chatting (never done facetime yet: I'm vain and believe webcams are the essence of weird lightning)...
    I hope autumn 13 will be good for you too and keep Maledives and the memories fresh!

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  8. what a fun looking resort! That bath tub is so big!

    Thanks for stopping by, i'm glad you liked the post. Yes, it is so important for both women and men, especially when we are young, to not be too influenced by the negatives and comparison of society. It's something many people have to constantly remind ourselves of! :) But I think a huge part of is is to be careful what we surround ourselves with and to change our outlook on like to more positive. Also, changing how we look inward, and always remembering to Thank God for what we have! :D

    God bless,
    Christine
    www.beyoutifulhope.blogspot.com

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  9. beautiful pictures! everything looks just amazing ;")

    x
    sartob

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  10. amazing ♥
    i think someday you'll be the most talented photographer in Indonesia!

    claireteressa.blogspot.com

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  11. this is beyond amazing, I love all your outfits, no exception!
    like seriously, I couldn't even say any words.
    you really have a that photography-sense, I can see it from your pictures :D


    http://rebellishoes.blogspot.com

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  12. I am just speechless, firstly I just started to read your usual amazing letters but then my attention suddenly directed to the photographs. I watched every detail and yes I was gasping. This is beautiful yet very wonderful, the place, the view, your mom, the posse, the dress.. everything. There's no doubt in your photographic sense, Kenneth. I wish someday you would take the picture of mine. I am more than ready to follow your magical and electrical concept.

    Oh god please take me there...

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  13. Ah, Maldives. The atmosphere itself ignites positive reactions, it's a great choice of place for holiday. You seem to thoroughly relish your transient stay there, from what I've gathered.

    To be honest, I was distracted by the photos and was more inclined into viewing them rather than reading the description of your vacation.You have great technique, the lighting is well-thought-of, and the angles are admirable. Your mother is a really lovely woman, she still looks wonderful in photos despite... how old is she? At any rate, those are some exotic depictions you managed to capture.

    Though I can't agree with the playlist or see the rapport between it and Maldives, since I'm not into mainstream music. However, I think it suits the concept and colour of your photographs. Wonderful!

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  14. dreamy shots! ..the styling is amazing, I'm loving all the bijoux.. and the place, the scene, what can I say...it is such a paradise, wish I can visit one day.. adoring the colors in the photos btw

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