"Cinematography used to be a very technical thing for me, especially when we shoot with film stocks and light meters. I would visualise and design the shots in detail, know which lenses to use, lights to set up in advance, etc.

It wasn’t until the Laya Project that I learned from the director, Harold Monfils, and director of photography, Cheong Yuk Hoy, how to use cinematography to tell a story.

During those years, I learned to follow my heart and sharpen my intuition to know what and when to shoot, work in natural light, and engage with people on location.”
- Ernest Hariyanto

Ernest started to shoot on 35mm and 16mm film cameras for high-end television commercials, shot lots of green screens for VFX shots & plates, 2nd unit location shoots, and experimented with music videos.

After countless time-lapses of sunrises and sunsets during the two years of production of the Laya Project in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Maldives, Ernest traveled to the Himalayas, shot a documentary in Myanmar, and traveled to shoot in the Australian outback, the highlands of Vietnam, and the remote islands in Papua.

With his technical post-production background, Ernest is highly versatile and quick to familiarise himself with any digital camera setup from DSLR, HD to 2K/4K RED camera. As an Editor and Colorist, he shoots to edit, and his images are consistent and in constant balance.

Ernest is currently based in Sydney, Australia has steady hands, a good pair of eyes, a natural instinct to shoot, and is available to travel.