Well, Should I?
Brands and businesses the world over frequently engage photographers and videographers in Bali for commercial marketing material and content shoots, but should you?
It goes without saying in this new chapter of the digital age with our shortest attention spans ever, that social media, websites and online advertising dominate the marketing landscape, that innovative, boundary-pushing, attention-grabbing photo and video content is the not-so-secret secret to building business, reaching new audiences and converting sales.
Shot in Bali by lens + lumen
Throughout the past ten years, Bali, Indonesia has drawn in creatives, producers, photographers, videographers, artists and stylists from around the world with it’s attractive, raw natural beauty, a growing community of like-minded expats and comparatively low-cost operations in many areas of business and living.
This increase in creative and artistic minds has compounded with the cultural richness and vibrance of Bali and it’s people to create a melting pot of visionary photographers, videographers and production agencies with influence and inspiration pulled from all corners of the globe.
Shot in Bali by lens + lumen
The Pros:
Quality & Variety
All the above has culminated in a range of skilled and experienced photographers & videographers from different backgrounds providing a huge stylistic variety for brands & businesses looking to elevate their presence or engage audiences with quality, professional media.
Located in Central Indonesia, within three hours flight of Singapore and Perth, Australia, Bali is well connected to suppliers of the latest and most advanced photographic equipment and accessories, making for little-to-no difference in equipment used when compared to photography services in places like London, Los Angeles or Sydney.
That Bali feeling!
It should come as no surprise that many major markets perceive Bali as a care-free, tropical, peaceful and overall inviting location, especially for businesses and brands in Australia, India, Central Europe and the United States.
Making a statement in your marketing material or upcoming product launch with a clear backdrop of Bali, Indonesia can have huge returns as customers and audiences resonate and envision themselves in the breathtaking private villas, tropical beaches and iconic rainforest.
It’s an important consideration if an exotic and trendy style is what you’d like to achieve, especially if social media is one of your target platforms. Aligning your brand visuals with the reputation of Bali can help shape a strong identity and captivate viewers of advertisements and garner reach and engagement on social platforms.
Shot in Bali by lens + lumen
Flexibility & Shooting Convenience
Despite the island of Bali only spanning 5,700km2, it is one of the most diverse and easily accessible islands on Earth. There are almost limitless natural environments to utilise when capturing content for products from fashion & accessories to beauty & skincare. From shimmering black sand beaches to white sand cliff-backed coastline, dense rainforest and tropical paradise invoking palm trees, open savannah, jet black lava fields and some of the most iconic volcano backdrops you could imagine, Bali has pretty much has it all!
The proximity of so many natural locations in addition to well-equipped photography studios, makes transport and logistics a breeze compared to other regions.
This is all made even better with a very consistent and predictable climate. One half of the year in Bali is subject to a rainy season, where afternoon storms and large rainfall is common and the other half with rare showers and partially cloudy days. Despite this, and should inconveniences occur, another perk of the way Bali operates is that rescheduling is generally pain-free and can be easily communicated quickly amongst production teams.
Cost-effectiveness of commercial photography
Choosing Bali, Indonesia as the location for your commercial photography can provide access to a wider choice of elements such as venues and models with it’s competitive rates compared to other international hubs for commercial product, fashion, ecommerce and branding photography.
Value for money is an important factor when looking to Bali for commercial photography, as the production quality and service that can be provided rivals other locations with generally lower rates.
The nature of Bali also presents opportunities for cost-saving in several areas of the budget process.
Shot in Bali by lens + lumen
Some things to Consider
While there are a lot of reasons to choose Bali for your next commercial photography project, there are several considerations to account for while researching and planning.
Like any marketing endeavour, it’s critical to understand your target market, customer segments and their individual values. While we can assume most of the target audience of a cheeky bikini label will be completely drawn in by an aesthetic photoshoot on the black beaches of Bali, a streetwear line designed in Milan for cooler climates and a European audience might not resonate the same to photo and video media captured in Bali’s natural environments or mediterranean photoshoot villas.
Planning in advance and clear logistical understanding is also very important when working with media production teams in Bali. While import fees & taxes exist like any other country, it can sometimes be confusing to understand these, and this is a common friction-point when considering a photoshoot in Bali. We’ve worked with a range of international courier services and can confidently provide information on the process of getting your items to Bali.
Another consideration is how your project interacts with local communities and their regulations. Having spent the last few years in Bali, we’re well connected with local community leaders and can access cultural rules and customs to ensure no project we conduct interferes with or can be interpreted offensively by the rich Balinese Hindu culture, or Indonesian law. However we encourage conversation with your photographer to make sure your new marketing campaign isn’t going to offend millions of individuals living in the location you’ve chosen to shoot. Balinese culture is beautiful, but like all cultures deserves respect and should not be exploited.
Shot in Bali by lens + lumen