Twilight Wonders of Mount Bromo Astrophotography Tours
I didn’t intentionally start out thinking I was going to run Astrophotography Tours on Mount Bromo. It just happened as the next logical step because I wanted to share my profound experience with the location with as many like-minded people out there. The first time I visited Mount Bromo was in April 2012 because I’ve seen plenty of breathtaking sunrise images from that vantage point online and I wanted to see everything for myself. I only stayed for 3 days but Mount Bromo did not disappoint and indeed there was just too much beauty and splendor to capture from the dramatic landscapes and eerie surroundings. Let me tell you more about it so you can be convinced and persuaded to join one of my astrophotography tours in the future.
My first shot of the beautiful Milky Way Galaxy on April 2012 in Mount Bromo.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
My first star trails shot in Mount Bromo on April 2012.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
Milky Way Galaxy above Mount Bromo taken on August 2012
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
The Location
At the center of the astrophotography tour is the Mount Bromo landscape. Mount Bromo is part of the Bromo-Tennger-Semeru National Park located in East Java, Indonesia. The National Park, occupying 800 square kilometers, is home to Mount Bromo, a well-known active volcano (which regularly spews white sulphurous smoke) that lies in the middle of the Sea of Sand within the massive Tengger Caldera. Sharing the spotlight with Mount Bromo is Mount Semeru which is Indonesia’s most active volcano as it spews out steam and smoke every 20 minutes.
A record shot of Mount Bromo spewing white sulphurous smoke during sunrise on 8 September 2013.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
Mount Bromo, Mount Semeru and Mount Batok (another mountain within the area) usually provide the backdrop for much of the famed landscapes that visitors from around the world flock to see. Expect to see rugged beauty from the fine volcanic sand background around Mount Bromo as well as lush green areas in other locations. The clear and vast sky atop the mountains also serves as a whole new canvass for astrophotographers.
Ray of lights shining through Cemoro Lawang Village in Mount Bromo during sunrise on 8 September 2013.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
“Misty morning ride” – The tourists travel to Mt Bromo crater either by foot or horse.
Credit: Nellie Ngoo
I may have been attracted to Mount Bromo initially from the rumors of its famed sunrise views. But after experiencing the vista from different vantage points in the area I believe that there is more to Mount Bromo than meets the eye. This is what convinced me to film my first timelapse movie and thus began my astrophotography journey.
The Objective
With any regular tour, the usual objective is to see as much of the sights as the participants are able. For an astrophotography tour, the objective is both simple and complex. One must be able to take relevant, vivid, clear and awesome pictures of the subject. However, in order to fulfill this objective, the participant must take into account several conditions:
- The weather – Sometimes, as I have experienced, an astrophotographer has to withstand hours and hours of harsh weather conditions to be able to get the perfect photos. We are often at the mercy of cold temperatures (between 5-8 degrees Celsius), uncomfortable terrain and endless hours. However, once we look at our perfect photos, all will prove to be worthwhile.
- The natural phenomena – Depending on the time that the tour is scheduled, you will most likely be informed that you’re shooting specific natural phenomena, like the Southern Taurids meteor or the zodiacal light phenomenon or the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower, to name a few. To get the right shots, it takes a lot of preparation to be at that particular location at that particular moment in time. To increase the chances of getting good images, I have developed a web-based astronomy tool at http://bit.ly/1e5Pf5y that calculates the best chances for capturing a celestial event.
The key to achieving the objective is preparation, patience, determination and adherence to the guidelines and rules set out at the start of the tour. As I have extensive experience in shooting astrophotographs and creating timelapse films, it is to your advantage to listen, to learn and to follow.
A meteor captured during Eta Aquarid meteor shower above Mount Bromo. Read more here.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
A horseman trying to reach for the Milky Way galaxy above the sea of clouds. Read more here.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
A tale of two horses catching a glimpse of the breathtaking sunrise. Read more here.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
“Lightning and Milkyway above Mount Bromo”
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
“Milkyway at Dusk” – This is a single exposure shot of the zodiacal light and the milkyway along with the 3 volcanoes, Mt Semeru, Mt Bromo and Mt Batok, and 3 planets, Venus, Saturn and Mercury.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
Timelapse of Zodiacal Light by Justin Ng
“Rise of the planets” – Planet Mars and Jupiter rose above the sea of clouds in Mount Bromo before sunrise.
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
Image of porters warming up under the milkyway was probably the biggest takeaway from this trip for me. It’s a result of blending 3 images, the milkyway, mid-ground and foreground, together.
Credit: Marklin Ang (www.facebook.com/marklinangphotography)
Mount Bromo crater fuming under the starry night on 9 September 2013.
Credit: Eugene Hu
Behind the scene image of May 2013 astrophotography expedition to Mount Bromo. Photographers endured more than 8 hours of shoot under the milky way galaxy at a temperature of between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius.
Credit: Guek Peng Siong
The Details of the Tour
Since 2012, I have had the pleasure of escorting interested parties around Mount Bromo and teaching them the wonders of astrophotography. From these expeditions, I have been rewarded with one-of-a- kind photos, the kind that gets published in National Geographic, BBC, CNN, Space.com, EarthSky.com and other prestigious nature-oriented websites. I have also managed to create timelapse videos of Mount Bromo that have also found their way in notable print, online media.
Large and small Magellanic Clouds together with Canopus were captured during sunrise in Mount Bromo
Credit: Justin Ng (https://www.justinngphoto.com)
24 August 2014 – Large Magellanic Cloud
23 August 2014 – Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex taken at Mount Bromo.
24 August 2014 – A meteor streaked across the Orion constellation at Mount Bromo. Running Man nebula and The Great Orion nebula are also visible.
23 August 2014 – Omega and Eagle Nebula.
“Reaching for the Moon” – As the sun rose above the cloud, a horseman was reaching his hand up as if he’s trying to grab the moon.
Credit: Reyn Aria (http://500px.com/reynaria)
“Sunrise at Mount Bromo Crater” – A horseman catching the magnificent sunrise while waiting to ferry his customer from Mt Bromo.
Credit: Daniel Leong (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-Leong-Photography/131620643575297)
A group shot taken by my driver at Mount Bromo in September 2013
From 2014 onwards, I have decided to limit our tour group participation to between 7 and 10 people to allow a more exclusive shooting experience for everyone. Click here for the specific details of the Mount Bromo Astrophotography Tour and check out what the previous participants have to say about the trip. The story for September 2013 trip was also published in Space.com and you may check out the amazing works by the participants here.
I dunno what else to say, but a BIG THANK YOU Justin! Really really appreciate deeply for everything you did. It was a really awesome trip with a number of new things to shoot, and I must say I’m loving the campfire picture I have. THANKS FOR BEING SO AWESOME PEOPLE!!! – Marklin Ang
Thank you for organizing the trips! It’s good to be back shooting something different and with awesome gang! Keep it up! – Kok Chin
From the bottom of my heart, I wanna say Thank You, but i feel its still an understatement for the efforts you put in to make trip a great one for me personally…All that I can say is I came back with over 300gb of great happiness..haha See you again…Most Importantly, God Bless You with many more achievements and success for u ahead! – Vinay Swaroop Balla
A very very awesome experience I had Justin! My first time experience watching all the stars at the peak, followed by Sunrise and Milky Way at Viewpoint 3 was priceless. And the Grand Finale at the Crater no word can describe the experience of being there. Kudos to you for making this trip a most memorable one. – Suberi
Thanks for all the special arrangements, especially the tips on satellite existence. Everyone was ‘wow’ out loud. Such an amazing sighting. The crowd there was massive, I was like ‘jialat liao, how to shoot in such crowd’. Can’t wait to ‘scan’ my shots, regenerating stamina… – Daniel Leong
Thank you so much for making such a great efforts in all arrangements in making this trip successful. It was another enriching experience for me with new things to shoot and enjoyed the horse riding to & fro to the peak (knowing my stamina limitation). It was most spectacular sight, seeing sunrise from the crater with the fog below us. Enjoyed moments of God’s creation. Just wanna to say, A Big Thank You! – Daphne Toh
Wow, reading all this makes me wonder the meticulous planning that was required for this trip and the execution to pull it off for a group of 20 photographers. A sincere thanks and acknowledgement to Justin for this spectacular trip. It was planned fittingly well from the start till the end. For a first timer in astro and time lapse photography, this trip for me was an eye opener. I feel extremely lucky and happy to join a great bunch of enthusiastic photographers. Over the past three days, I felt a strong sense of determination and energy to capture great pictures in this phenomenal terrain of Bromo. Not to mention the photography skills that I picked up in these three days. Thank you again Justin and PS for the wonderful arrangement from accommodation, food, transport and other logistics. I wish you good luck and greater success where only stars are the limit. I am sure I’ll be back for the trip in May 2014, just couldn’t get enough of Bromo. So cheers to the group and mentor Justin Ng. Hopefully I’ll see some of you again in 2014. – Avinash
Wow and kudos to Justin Ng for the wonderful trip arrangements. for me, this is definitely the BEST photography trip I have been (albeit the most tiring). I feel so blessed to have witnessed the wonders of the skies with your help. Many many thanks again!! – Magdalene Teo
I think the thought process and ability to think on your feet, adjusting as we go along demonstrates high level of professionalism in organizing this trip. Keeping us communicated along the way helps us prepared for what to come next too, even if it means plans are to be changed. After enduring the cold and witnessing the ever changing weather conditions, I learnt what Justin went through to produce those great pictures, and at the same time manage such a big group. Finally, thanks for the great company, it was great opportunity to make new friends! – Daryl Yeo
Thank you, Justin Ng! Really appreciate the great effort and extra miles you guys have taken to ensure that we all come back with awesome photos! It is never an easy to plan trip that has to depend on the Old Sky and you have really done an impressive job here! Agree with daryl, always keep us inform of the alternatives plans or tentative plans you have in mind. – Nellie Ngoo
