In Labuan Bajo most days we were out on the dive boat. There weren’t many opportunities to take photographs at the end of the day, when the sun was setting in the west and its strong warm light was angling low toward the port’s wharf, the docks, and the small hills of the town just beyond.
On one of the few days I wasn’t out on the boat, when the afternoon sun and clouds were creating some striking light, I made my way down to the port at the end of the day. There were not many larger boats in port, leaving a long stretch of the wharf open to views – of the ocean, the islands in the west, and the sun setting under a bank of clouds. This brought a few people to the wharf’s edge, unusually quiet for the moment, to watch the sun in contemplation. I was able to take some portrait-like photos that look a bit like they were staged – the subjects are so focused on the scene that they were oblivious to the camera.
After the sun set and the sky turned to the dark blue of dusk I made my way back up through the town. As I walked I took some photos of early evening scenes at several of the tiny markets along the darkening streets. The light from inside the markets was balanced with the darkening sky. The scenes catch proprietors, kids, and passersby as the day changes over to evening. I wish I’d had more time for this type of photography in Labuan Bajo!
A long stretch of wharf was open to views of the setting sun. This man was one of several that had settled into the quiet mood set by the scene.
Another man on his small motorcycle – just sitting and staring at the moment.
The same man a few minutes later, now reclining, absorbed by the last bit of the setting sun.
A man at the very edge of the wharf takes a selfie. His hands cradle the phone, and the swells behind him catch the soft light. His face and body is dim relative to the view behind him. The slightly out-of-focus backdrop gives the scene the feel of a diorama.
This is the title photo in its original aspect ratio. The surface of the wharf visually blends with the water, making it look a bit like the man perched on a bollard is floating in the foreground. The image of the sun setting behind the small island is captured on his cell phone screen.
On my walk back the little corner market at the edge of the port is ready to serve some dinners.
A tiny market throws some light onto the street. The two kids were always there on my walks to and from the boat.
Another market waiting for some evening action. The large hill behind the town looms in the twilight.
This corner, on a steep hill, marks the beginning of the built-up part of town. I passed the small market on my walk into town in the mornings, and on my way out at the end of the day.
An open doorway on the second floor of a house shows a simple scene inside – a man sitting cross-legged on the floor hunching over a phone, the edge of a TV, and the streaked patterns on an unfinished plaster wall.
