During my first visit to Ubud – and Bali – three and a half years ago, I entered the photography gallery of Rio Helmi along Jalan Suweta.
Actually, at first look, every piece on display looked like paintings. Such was the high quality of the prints. Later, I would learn that not only is Rio Helmi a professional photographer who has a keen eye for details, he also insists on using only the best quality materials for developing and producing the prints for his photography prints gallery in Ubud. These include traditional wet prints in both colour and black & white, digital prints in archival ink on archival paper, and ink on polyvinyl poster, among others. There are limited numbers of the photographic prints available at his photographic prints gallery in Ubud, and all are signed by Rio Helmi himself.
Although Rio has experience in all kinds of photojournalism photography work, published books of interior photography, and other commercial photography work, in my opinion, his best pictures are the ones that capture the essence and spirit of Bali.
Why do the photographs of Bali by Rio stand out? Besides capturing a slice of life – *that* moment in time – in Bali, each of the images seem to have its personal story waiting to be told. Whether it is a shadow of a dancer cast on the ground, a close-up of a dancer in a trance during the performance, or an aerial view of a seaweed farm, when you look at the images, it seems as if the tale behind them is popping out from within and grabbing your attention with a firm grip on your head.
I also say this from personal experience. After moving to Bali, I had the great fortune of making the acquaintance of Rio through my husband and some common friends. Through work functions and social functions, we have grown to become friends with Rio and over the past three years, we have been privileged to see quite a number of his work at his studio.
In fact, he generously sponsored the shoot and images for our pre-wedding photographs. Also, as he is always moving around with a camera (and his trusty Mac book) in hand, he has captured moments during various occasions in our lives, such as our Balinese blessing ceremony and gatherings with our infant son. The images are always vivid, and seem alive.
Perhaps it is his long residency (approximately more than 30 years) in Bali, which has given him an unparalleled insight to this island. Or perhaps it is the different cultures and sights that Rio was exposed during his childhood, when together with his Turkish mother, Rio followed his Indonesian diplomat father on various postings.
The exposure that Rio gained in his early years could also explain the interest that this professional commercial photographer has for humanitarian issues, political issues, and advances in technology. He is never without a subject of discussion for his blog.
Well, my very interesting and engaging commercial photographer friend turned 55 years old on November 12, and from the looks of things, Rio Helmi has geared himself up for more years of photo-shooting and opinion-giving.
Happy birthday, pak Rio! Hopefully I can be as witty, sharp-witted and still possess a keen eye for detail when I reach 55 years old. May the following year bring you greater fortunes, lasting happiness and more impressive work!
