20 Mesmerizing Photographs Showcasing Indonesia’s Beauty, Culture, And Everyday Moments
Some photographers document the world. Harjanto Sumawan makes you feel it. With a sharp eye for fleeting moments and a deep reverence for culture, landscape, and everyday life, the Indonesian photographer turns ordinary scenes into breathtaking visual stories. His work moves effortlessly between vibrant cultural rituals, serene slices of nature, and intimate portraits of human connection, each frame carrying a sense of calm, curiosity, and quiet awe.
In this collection, we’re sharing some of Sumawan’s most captivating shots that showcase the richness of his homeland and the beauty of the world as he sees it. These images do not just show places; they let you step into them.
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#1 Ijen Volcano’s Caldera, Indonesia
Image source: harjanto_sumawan
#2 “Spirit And Balance”, Yogyakarta
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“It really is not easy to ride a bike on a 1.2m wide bamboo bridge.”
#3 “Rainy Days”, Colo Dam, Sukoharjo, Indonesia
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#4 “Morning Activity”, Situgunung, Indonesia
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#5 “Fire Dance”, Kesongo, Semarang, Indonesia
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“When the sun sets, the dance begins.”
#6
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“Livestock animals gazing on the dry land of rural Myanmar (Burma) near Bagan. A herd of cows and calves moves to the village at sunset.”
#7 “One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure”
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“All these people gather to find something worth selling from the city garbage in the Piyungan final landfill, Yogyakarta.
May this pic remind us to appreciate what we have at the moment.”
#8 “Morning Activities”
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#9 “Rays Of Light”
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#10 “Planting Season”, Bali
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#11 “Sulfur Miners”, Ijen Crater, Indonesia
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#12 “Traditional Market”, Surakarta, Indonesia
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#13 “Fly Your Wish To The Moon”, Vesakh Day, Borobudur
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#14 Blue Fire And Sulfur Miner, Ijen’s Volcano Caldera, Acidic Water Crater With Ph 0.5 In East Java, Indonesia
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#15 “Morning Break”, Jokhang Temple
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“Jokhang Temple is the holiest temple in all of Tibet. Pilgrims from all over flock to this temple to catch a glimpse of the Jowo Buddha statue.
Some pilgrims even prostrate all the way to the temple, even if it takes them years to travel from their home village to Lhasa. Others travel to the temple daily and prostrate in front of it, or circumambulate it while saying prayers.”
#16 Pinggan, Kintamani, Bali
Image source: harjanto_sumawan
#17 “Bau Nyale Ritual”
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“Village Elderly starts looking for sea worms at dawn in West Sumba, which can only be found once a year.
This Nyale ritual initiates the Pasola Festival and was intended as a way to bring faraway communities together in order to find a partner from a different village. The young men and women, dressed in their best, formed separate groups and courted each other with poetic songs and subtle word games.
It reminded us that while such celebrations hold a strong symbolic meaning, they are also a cherished occasion for distant members of the family to come together, to chat or laugh over a clove cigarette, and ultimately, to strengthen their community’s bonds.”
#18 “Morning Activity At Pancer Beach”
Image source: harjanto_sumawan
“Fishermen with their unique boats unload the catch.
In October, thousands of these boats participate in ‘Petik Laut’, a sea thanksgiving event in Muncar, Banyuwangi, Indonesia.”
#19 “Baloons Over Bagan”
Image source: harjanto_sumawan
#20 “Milky Way Over Everest”, Everest Basecamp, Tibet
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#21 “Puppet Show”, Bagan, Myanmar
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#22 “Farmer”, Li Riverbank, Quilin, China
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#23 “Weep….and You Weep Alone… (Ella Wheeler In Solitude 1883)”
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#24 “Prambanan Temple, Aerial View”
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#25 “Yosemite Valley View”, Yosemite, Ca
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#26 “Net Fishing”, Colo Dam, Surakarta, Indonesia
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#27 “Palm Sugar Maker”, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia
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#28 Mt. Fishtail, Annapurna Himalaya, A View From Sarangkot, Pokhara, Nepal
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#29 Mcway Fall, Big Sur, Ca
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#30 “Shepherds”, Bagan, Myanmar
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#31 “Lower Antilope Canton”
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#32 “Like My ‘Superhero’….please!”
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#33 “Melasti Procession”, Bali
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#34 “When A Cow Goes Shopping”
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#35 “Inle Lake’s Fishermen”, Myanmar
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#36 “Top Of Mt. Ijen”, East Java, Indonesia
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#37 “Waiting For Sunset”, Timang Beach, Yogyakarta
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#38 “The Horsemen”, Bromo, Indonesia
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#39 “A View From Esplanade Jetty”, Singapore
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#40 “3 Generations”, Sarangkot, Nepal
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