The First Photographs of the Temples of Angkor

mobile darkroom john thomson angkor
With the widespread use of digital cameras and the recent progress in smartphone photography, ten of thousands of pictures are taken everyday in  the temples of Angkor. We take the ability to take pictures  granted but often forget that the first photographs of the temples of  Angkor were taken more than 150 years ago!

Photographers back then  were using one of the first photographic process created called wet plate collodion. They had porters to carry their darkroom and chemicals as photographic plates needed to be developed on site. In top of that, access to  the temples of Angkor were very difficult as they were still covered by a dense jungle….

Two photographers were credited for successfully captured the first pictures of Angkor. The first one, was a  Scottish Photographer  named  John Thomson, who was 29 years old and  based in Singapore. He did an extensive photographic work during his two weeks spent  in Angkor in 1866. John Thomson was inspired to take this trip by the writings of Henri Mouhot in 1860. Beside Angkor Wat, Thomson took pictures of Angkor Thom and Bayon which were  covered by a dense jungle. It was only in 1911, that Jean Commaille lead an archeology mission from École française d’Extrême-Orient to clear up the trees in Bayon temple and started restorations.

Few months after John Thomson, Frenchman Emile Gsell, 28 years old, based in Saigon, brought  his darkroom to Angkor and captured more than 100 pictures. He returned later on in 1873 part of the famous expedition lead by Louis Delaporte. Gsell developed his glass plates on paper coated with albumen. The pictures of Thomson and Gsell are  today priceless documents as they put in perspective the massive restoration work accomplished  since the beginning of the 20th century in the temples of Angkor.

 


 

THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE TEMPLES OF ANGKOR |

EMILE GSELL

 

emile-gsell-bayon-1866 emile-gsell-angkor-wat-library-1866 emile-gsell-angkor-wat-corner emile-gsell-angkor-wat-1866-1873 gsell-west-gate-angkor-thom gsell-unidentified-temple gsell-statue-leper-king gsell-angkor-wat-corridors-1866 gsell-angkor-wat-aerial gsell-angkor-wat2 gsell-angkor-wat emile-gsell-bayon-temple-head-1966 emile-gsell-bayon-temple-1866

 

 

 

 


 

THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE TEMPLES OF ANGKOR | JOHN THOMSON

(Copyright Wellcome Library)

 

angkor-wat-bas-relief emile-gsell-angkor-wat-1866 thomson-terrace-elephants thomson-panoramic-angkor-wat-1866 thomson-leper-king-1866 thomson-bayon-yemple-1866 thomson-angkor-wat-naga-1866 thomson-angkor-wat-inside thomson-angkor-wat-door thomson-angkor-wat-devatas-1866 thomson-angkor-wat-corridor-1866 thomson-angkor-thom-south-gate central-gateway-western-entrance-angkor-wat-thomsonmobile darkroom john thomson angkor

 

 

 

12 Vintage Pictures of the Temples of Angkor

I rarely do black and white processing because I prefer seeing the unique tones of  sandstone, the building block of all Angkorian temples, as well as the different hues of lichen and moss growing on the stones. However on some photos, black and white effect can add an interesting dimension as they give a classic impression to the images similar to those photographs from the late 19th century towards the beginning of the 20th century captured by the first explorers of Angkor. This handpicked selection of Angkor temples photographs was processed using one of the vintage filters of Silver Efex Pro2 from Nik collection to add a dramatic and timeless dimension. These were taken in 2013 to 2016 in Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, and Beng Mealea temples as well as in Angkor Thom.

 

 

devata preah khan temple angkor photography

Hidden devata in Preah Khan temple

 

Devatas at Angkor Wat temple

Devatas at Angkor Wat temple

 

gate ta som temple angkor photography

Gopura at Ta Som temple

 

gate ta prohm temple angkor photography

Gate at Ta Prohm temple

 

angkor thom west gate angkor photography

One of the faces of Angkor Thom West gate

 

devata close up Ta Phrom angkor photography

Devata close up at Ta Prohm temple

 

beng mealea jungle temple photography

Beng Mealea the jungle temple

 

smiling face bayon temple angkor photography

Smiling face at Bayon temple

 

angkor wat temple photography

The majestic Angkor Wat temple

 

angkor thom gate photography

Angkor Thom east gate also known as gate of the dead

 

Vishnu statue angkor wat temple

Vishnu statue at Angkor Wat temple

 

ta prohm temple angkor photography

Ta Prohm temple

 

ta prohm temple tree photography

Ta Prohm temple with sprawling tree

 

Best Time to Visit Siem Reap and Take Photographs in Angkor Cambodia

Cambodia sits just about the equatorial zone where the weather is mostly warm to hot all year round. Just like all countries with tropical climates, there are only two seasons – the wet and the dry.

One of the recurring question among visitors and photographers is what is the best time to visit Siem Reap and Cambodia in general?

The dry season starts in October and ends in April and it usually lasts longer than the wet season. This is the time when scorching heat brought about by the northeast monsoon dries up the land turning the Cambodian countryside into spectacles of golden paddy fields and creating fine powdery white to tawny colored dusty dirt roads. There are cool months though, from November to January, which is also considered high season by many tour operators particularly in Siem Reap. Tourists flock the temples of Angkor at this time of the year as they make the most out of the cool weather without having to worry of being soaked in the rain.  Around the months of January and March, hazy skies can be observed giving the sun a fiery red ball effect, perfect for capturing stunning sunset  at the Angkor Thom moat as shown in the picture below.

 

sunset angkor thom photography tours

Red ball sun over Angkor Thom moat in March

On the other hand, wet season runs from May to September caused by the southwest monsoon. It tends to rain most days of the week, generally heavy downpours that usually last for a few hours. There are days when the rain is quite light but it continues all day long. Wet season in Cambodia means low season for tourism in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. For tourists and photography enthusiasts, visiting during the wet season has its lovely perks. Aside from being less crowded, spectacular cloud formations and charming colors can be seen in the morning. The countryside looks more alive with lush foliage. The green scenery is quite striking amidst the drenched surroundings. The dusty dirt roads are now soggy mud pits and the meadows are flourishing with vegetation. The moats surrounding the temples are filled with water and there are pools of water everywhere ideal for taking reflection photos.

 

angkor wat temple causeway photography tours

Angkor Wat temple seen from the west causeway in September

 

Banteay Kdei temple photography tours

Banteay Kdei with green pond in October

 

Bayon temple reflection photography tours

Bayon temple at dusk with water reflection

 

 

Some temples are putting up their  green moss  robe during the monsoon season  as  in Preah Khan and Ta Prohm temples. You can see more pictures of the temples of Angkor during the green season on our blog Cambodia Green Season.

 

Buddha carving moss preah khan angkor photography tours

Buddha carving covered in moss in Preah Khan temple in October

 

Sandstone moss Ta Prohm photography tours

Numbered sandstone block covered with moss in Ta Prohm temple in September

Sunrise and sunset intervals also change during the seasons. In January, sun rises the latest at around 6:30am while in June, sun rises the earliest at around 5:30am. While the sun sets earliest in January normally around 5:30pm and not later than 6:00pm, it sets relatively late in June at around 6:30pm. Sun path also varies with the seasons. Angkor Wat in particular is exposed to a very different light in the months of June and December: standing on the central causeway you will see the sun rising on the right side or left side of the temple respectively. You can see below the dramatic change in light at the northern corridor.

Apsara carving angkor photography tours

Devata carvings in Angkor Wat corridor in December

 

Apsara carving angkor photography tours

Devata carvings in Angkor Wat corridor lit up by the sun  in June

 

Angkor Wat sunrise photography tours

Angkor Wat sunrise with temple reflection on the pond in October

 

 

Apart from the temples, the Cambodian countryside is changing drastically between the dry and the wet season with lotus and paddy fields  appearing and disappearing  from the landscape.

Paddy field siem reap photography tours

Farmer working on a paddy field in the Cambodian countryside in November

 

lotus flowers field

Lotus flowers  pond in August

Each season has its advantages and disadvantages, nevertheless, if you are a photography aficionado, any season is a good season to visit Siem Reap and capture the beauty of Angkor.

 

countryside siem reap Cambodia

Countryside landscape near Siem Reap Cambodia in September

To conclude, especially if you are a photographer, all year around is good to take pictures in Cambodia. 

 

If you are heading to Cambodia soon and you are wondering about the weather in Siem Reap, you can have look at the live siem reap weather map below.