Markets in South-East Asia and in Cambodia in particular are one of my favorite places to take pictures for many reasons which I will detail below. Every city or village in Cambodia have one or many markets: indoors under a metallic rooftop or in a concrete building, outdoors as for example along a road side. Market stalls are often organized by categories (jewellery, clothes, fish,vegetables,meat, desserts, hairdressers, etc…). It is also possible to find specialized markets like the fermented fish (prahok) market of Battambang (also called cheese market by tourists because of its strong smell) and the crab market in Kep.
Worker at the prahok market of Battambang (Phsar Prahok)
Some markets are also known for their architecture: the central market of Phnom Penh (Phsar Thmey), the central market of Battambang (Phsar Nath) to name as few which were built in the 1930’s following an Art Deco style.
Interior of Battambang market (Psa Nat), Art Deco style
Architecture is one thing but what is inside of course is more interesting. One thing Asian local markets are sharing is their energy especially during morning peak hours.
Photographers are always looking for the best light and in an indoor market in early morning when the sun is barely above the horizon, this quest could prove to be quite challenging. The light can be diffused softly through the ceiling or coming directly through some small holes in the metallic structure making impressive beams of light added some atmosphere to the pictures. These lighting conditions make marketphotography challenging and hence the best place to learn or improve your photography.
The space you will have to take pictures can be limited because indoor markets have generally narrow lanes and some area are congested. Be aware of the traffic from motorbikes as they are allowed to cross the market. Markets are also a good opportunity to catch some short lived moments, capture locals sellers and customers going about their day. Mothers also often bring their kids at the market and always happy to strike a pose.
Barista in local market
Approaching people and get the perfect portrait is a challenge by itself and it gets easier to do that with a photography guide who has established some relationships with local sellers. Cambodian people are very friendly and are open to be photographed but it is always better to ask first. Cambodia is changing rapidly but in a local market you can still find elderly women wearing a traditional piece of cloth called kroma folded around their heads.
Beside people, food photography is not to be missed and food stalls, especially vegetable ones can be particularly colorful. You can even capture abstract patterns there if you looking carefully as these water lily stems below.
If you are interested to capture similar pictures and improve your photography skills, please have a look at our two guided photography tours in Siem Reaphere and here. Our multi-day tour in Battambang province will provided you also with many photography opportunities out of the beaten path.
Like a pilgrimage, thousand of people are exploring everyday Angkor Wat, the largest religious temple in the world and share their pictures on social media. Among them, pictures of sunrise at the reflecting pool are probably the most famous ones. However there are many other opportunities. We wanted to sharing with you in this post our 15 favorite pictures taken in Angkor Wat over the years.
Above is Angkor Wat captured during the spring equinox of March 2016. This timely event occurs twice a year around the 20th of March and September. Getting this shot is of course highly depend on the weather and the chance to have a cloudy sky is particularly high during the month of September. In this picture we blended 4 shots taken few minutes apart with a tripod.
On March 9th 2016, a special set conditions were gathered for an unique Angkor Wat sunrise: a partial eclipse of the sun and the near alignment with the central tower. For few seconds only we could see the sun masked by the moon suspended above the central tower.
The second level of Angkor Wat is where you stand the closest to the five towers and to the central sanctuary called Bakan. From the corners, only three of the five towers are visible. On the first picture, during Vesak day, a Khmer family was walking around the temple which give an interesting human dimension. The second picture, much more dramatic, from another angle, allow to focus on the silhouette of the three towers.
Due to restrictions of the the opening hours, it is only possible to shoot Angkor Wat under the stars between the month of December and February. As it is also the peak season for tourism in Cambodia so many people are on site early and it is quite challenging to avoid the light pollution coming from torch lights and smartphones during long exposure shots. If you look carefully in the picture below, 3 out of 5 towers are lighting up on this shot thanks to random torch lights.
In an there situations, artificial lighting can be helpful to do light painting . This used on the second picture to illuminate and create light effect on one of the naga balustrade of Angkor Wat.
The only opportunity you will have to take some night pictures of Angkor Wat with laser lights are usually during the three days of Khmer New Year which happens every year in April. However this picture was taken in December 14th, 2017 during a light show to celebrate of the 25th anniversary UNESCO world heritage status of Angkor Wat temple.
Sunrise or sunset in Angkor Wat provide some opportunities for silhouettes shots if you are standing on the right location at the right time. In some instance, rays of light can go through the windows and create unique pictures.
Instead of aiming at eye-level for the classic reflection shot at Angkor Wat, pointing down the camera can give a great reflection shot especially at the golden hour.
One of my favorite group of devatas is located on the second level of Angkor Wat (you can count as many as 17 on this picture). It is unfortunately behind a scaffolding since 2016 due to restoration of the tower above it.
This 49 meters long bas-relief depicting the churning of the ocean of milk is one of the most famous in Angkor Wat. You can see the demons (asuras) and the gods (devas) pulling the snake Vasuki fighting over the elixir of immortality. The snake is wrapped around mount Meru used as a stick. Vishnu under the form of his avatar the turtle is helping to stabilize the mountain. Due to its position the bas relief has a strong casting shadow. The solution for this shot was to use light painting, and blend multiple pictures together.
Archaeologists often describe the temples of Angkor as a skeleton as the many wooden structures that did not stand the test of time. On this shot of Angkor taken from the top of the main tower, one can imagine what the temple was like at its heydays with ornaments and wooden doors.
Angkor Wat emerging from the surrounding misty jungle in the morning. This picture was shot from Phnom Bakheng one of the three hills around Siem Reap. To get this shot we recommended to use at least a 300 mm on a full frame sensor.
Preah Khan of Angkor, not to be mistaken with Preah Khan of Kompong Svay, is one of the most beautiful and underrated temple within the Angkor archaeological park. Although Angkor Wat is the most impressive in term of architecture and symmetry it lacks some atmosphere.
When you visit Preah Khan, you will have the feeling of being one of the first explorers wandering within the narrow corridors, courtyards and concealed chambers. The walls of this ancient site boast an extraordinary palette, adorned with various shades of green, black, and red, courtesy of the diverse lichen and moss species. Colors are changing also with the seasons making this temple an ever changing playground for photographers. It is one the rare temple in Angkor worth exploring with your camera under the rain
This temple, commissioned in 1191, is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex built during the reign of Jayavarman VII, one of the most charismatic Khmer king who built also the famous temples of Ta Prohm and Bayon. It is also known as the temple of the sacred sword, and dedicated to the father of Jayavarman VII (divinity Jayavarmesvara). The temple was a monastic city dedicated to teaching and of course a place of devotion. A stele discovered in 1939 by Maurice Glaize gave away many information for example 100,000 people were living on site, including 1000 teachers. We also learned that the temple was built on the battle site where Jayavarman VII defeated the Cham army. 60 tons of gold inlays were believed to be in the temple making an unique treasure in the 12th century.
Preah Khan | Temple layout
The temple was built on a flat ground oriented East to West, with a naga bridge on both side (most visitors enter via the west entrance). There are also two other entrances on the north and south of the temple, the later one not been used. The temple complex spread on 56 hectares with 4 concentric enclosures. It has 72 garudas (mythical bird-man),holding two nagas, all spread around the outer wall. The 40 meters wide moat is full of water all year around although some sections are dry during the months of April and May.
Preah Khan temple map (Maurice Glaize)
Preah Khan temple central sanctuary under heavy rain
Lotus flowers and candles at the central sanctuary’s stupa
Preah Khan temple | Conservation work
Past
The first conservation work was carried out by Henri Marchal from the EFEO between 1927 and 1932. After the war, conservation works was resumed by the WMF (Word Monument Fund) with a series in missions in 1991,1992, 1993 and 1994. In the 90’s, archeologists described the temple as a partial ruin deep in the jungle. Beside the consolidation and the restoration of many structures, an important goal of all these missions was to train Khmer people in conservation.
Like many temples of Angkor, Preah Khan suffered from looting during the Khmer rouge regime. By looking at archive pictures and footage you can see that a lot of statues are missing now. For example the two guardians at the west gopura still had their head in 1968 and a lion was still standing before the platform.The naga bridge on the east side just have half of giant face left out of the original 108…. Not so long ago, in 1993 and 1996, thieves tried to steal stone heads of Asura but fortunately got stopped.
Current
In 1996, WMF launched the Adopt a Garuda program. With a donation of USD 25,000 a garuda can be completely restored. The program is quite successful as in 2009, 27 of the 72 have been restored so far. Preah Khan is actually part of a larger WMF program which includes also Angkor Wat and Phnom Bakheng.
The project of dismantlement and reconstruction of of a small building close to the central sanctuary which a had a dead tree on top of it is now over. Although it is small building several hundreds of number sandstone blocks are laying on the ground ready to be put together like a puzzle which gives an idea of the daunting task of the workers who worked in the temple in the 90’s.
The visitor center was completely dismantled in 2017 and a new one is under construction at the same location. The previous building hosted some interesting information panels about the restoration work of the 90’s as well as some large pictures.
A major conservation work is on pause on the east entrance by the Archaeological Survey of India for many years now aims at restoring two of the three towers.
Visit highlights
Preah Khan has many locations to explore, you should plan a 1 h 1/2 to 2 h to cross the temple from West to East especially if you are taking pictures. Among the highlights are the stupa at the central sanctuary, a linga with its yoni, the hall of dancers, the biggest strangler fig in Angkor beside the east gopura, the 2-story pavilion, the baray on the east leading to Neak Pean and Ta Som. If you want to see the secret chambers it is recommended to hire a guide as they are difficult to find.
Narrow passage between two chapels
Elderly nun ready to give blessing, she is 81 years old and a long time resident of the temple
Group of monks in with the double stories pavilion in the background
The two stories pavilion has an unique architecture in Angkor
Devata in a narrow corridor
Demon pulling the naga snake snake on the west causeway
strangler fig growing on a wall
REFLECTIONS
Flooded corridor during the monsoon season
Gopura with giant stone guardians
Apsara dancers ornements in the hall of dancers
Devata (Queen Indradevi)
Crumbling headless statue of an Asura
Hidden Devata (Queen Jayarajadevi)
Hidden Devata (Queen Jayarajadevi)
Monk exiting a secret chamber
Buddha carving covered in moss
Hidden guardian with flowers offering
Preah Khan Jayatataka
One of the standing lion at the eastern gopura
Nature and sandstone intertwined
Beams of light of the forest
Hidden Devata
The biggest tree (Tetrameles nudiflora R.Br. Datiscaceae) in Preah Khan, facing west
The biggest tree of the temple growing on the eastern gopura
Unfortunately the beautiful tree above (Tetrameles nudiflora R.Br. Datiscaceae) has been cut in 2020 and now just a shadow if itself:(
Related videos
A Walk through the Preah Khan Temple Complex, Cambodia (2012 World Monument Fund English, 5 min)
Photography tours are becoming increasingly popular and are now available globally, with options to explore destinations ranging from Iceland to Antarctica, and from New York to Paris. These tours offer a combination of exploration and learning opportunities, making them suitable for both experienced photographers and beginners. They provide opportunities to discover new places and cultures, explore lesser-known locations, take amazing pictures and improve your photography skills.
In this post, we will examine eight compelling reasons for considering a photography tour during your next holiday in South-East Asia.
1.Improve your photography skills
A photography tour in South-East Asia is an ideal opportunity for even the most experienced photographers, including those specializing in sports, wildlife, or wedding photography, to improve their skills. The diverse range of locations and subjects available in South-East Asia offers endless photographic opportunities, many of which may be outside of your comfort zone. From capturing workers harvesting rice on paddy fields, ancient temples, to taking portraits in busy food markets, a photography tour in South-East Asia will challenge and inspire photographers of all levels.
Rice harvest at sunset in Hoi An Vietnam
Local market scene in the morning in Siem Reap Cambodia
2. Enjoy people photography
When living in South-East Asia we often take for granted that taking pictures of people is easy to do. Due to privacy concerns, it is almost impossible in the West except during large public events. In Asia, people often get into the game and even sometimes ask you to take pictures of them:)
Cute elderly couple in Hoi An Vietnam
Worker taking a break in a knife workshop in Siem Reap Cambodia
Two Cambodian women selling betel leaves in a local market in Siem Reap Cambodia
3- Photography Tours Asia: Discover a Country from a New Perspective
During a photo tour , you will be guided by a photographer who is always looking for new places and has been living in the area for many months or many years. This considerable asset will allow you to have access to some locations out of the beaten path which often are not available during a “normal” tour. Often, the photographer has develop some relations with locals, speak some of the language and this will be valuable in people photography. You might have access also to remote locations with tribes or be the witness some local Buddhist ceremonies.
Kids plating in paddy fieds in Siem Reap Cambodia
Buddhist ceremony in a local monastery
Face-tattooed women in a remote village of Myanmar
4- Photography Tours Asia: Pushing the Boundaries of Your Photography Equipment
Sometime, at the end of a tour, it happens that some guests decide to upgrade their camera system or buy new lenses. Whether you have a entry level camera, you will test the limit of your equipment: shooting a low lights with moving subjects in some festivals or in markets with dimmed lights. You might no get also the nice bokeh you were expecting in your portraits. Common purchases are wide angle lenses to do architecture shots or a portrait lens.
Khmer family going around the main tower of Angkor Wat temple
Angkor Wat under a starry sky before sunrise
5- Meet like-minded people
If you take part in a photography tour with a small group of people especially for few days, it is likely that you will a blast together, keep in touch and maybe even do another trip together in the future. For many people, a photo tour remains the highlight of their trip in Asia.
6- For beginners, a quick way to improve your photography
Many people start learning photography by taking theoretical courses in a classroom with little or no practice. During a photography tour, a lot of the time is spent on hands-on practice and because of on many different situations encountered during the day (sunrise/sunset, low light, portraits,architecture shots), you are most likely to make long lasting improvement on your photography. You will look after very differently at the triangle of exposure:)
Silk farm in Siem Reap Cambodia
Bamboo forest with shining sun in Siem Reap Cambodia
7- Get to the best locations with the best light
Photography is all about light and when exploring a new place, knowing the best photographic spots with the best light is very difficult even after some prior extensive research online. Depending on the destination (cities, archeological parks, national parks), it can take months to know the best shooting locations and the best angles. Even if seasons are not marked so much in South-East Asia, there is an impact photography. In Angkor Wat temple for example, the path of the sun is drastically different between June and December making shots very different depending on the season.
During the monsoon, your photography leader will guide you around the locations to get those nice reflection shots.
Panoramic view of Bayon temple in Angkor Thom Cambodia with water reflection. Bayon temple was built late 12th century by Jayavarman VII.
Beautiful devatas carvings in the temple of Angkor Wat Siem Reap Cambodia at sunrise
8- Go back home with great pictures
Because you have being in the right locations with the best light, and had guidance during your shots, you will be sure to go back home with the best pictures of your holidays. Why not make a coffee table book of your best pictures to show your friends and plan together your next photographic adventures?
Angkor Wat temple, architectural masterpiece of the Khmer Empire, situated near Siem Reap in North-western Cambodia is one of the most visited temple in the world (more than 2 million visitors in 2016). Here are 10 fun facts below about Angkor Wat temple.
1. The central tower of Angkor Wat is aligned with sunrise twice a year in March and September during the winter and spring equinox.
Angkor Wat sunrise Spring equinox (March 2016)
2. The artificial moat surrounding the temple provides stability to the structure by keeping constant the humidity of the sandy ground below.
3. Contrary to the other Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is facing West.
4. Angkor Wat counts about 1700 delicate carvings of topless celestial dancers called Devatas.
5. The first pictures of Angkor Wat were taken in 1866 by John Thomson.
6. Angkor Wat was during the 12th century the largest city on Earth with an estimated population of nearly 1,000,000.
7. Angkor Wat has four entrances but only the west and the east are accessible.
8. Angkor Wat was built as heaven on earth with its fives towers representing Mont Meru and its moat the ocean.
9. Since 2013, you can visit the entire temple complex of Angkor Wat from your smartphone using Google Street View.
10. Angkor Wat central sanctuary is made of an iron core (coming from laterite, a porous stone containing iron oxide).
While leading a photography tour with one of my guest in the Cambodian countryside, we unexpectedly stumbled upon a unusual Buddhist ceremony at a local pagoda: many families were there busy preparing offering and several young Cambodian boys with shaved heads were wearing colorful dresses and make-up. One of them was actually crying.
We learned later that this 2-day ceremony was inspired by the Dragon Monk Legend: a long time ago, a dragon (Neak in Khmer language) who took the form of a man was ordained monk by Buddha. While taking a nap, the monk changed back to dragon and the trick was discovered. The legend lived until this day as the ceremony of the dragon is taking place when a Cambodian man wants to become a monk either for few years or longer.
We were lucky to be the only outsiders taken pictures of this ceremony of the 9 monks to be ordained. Future monks had their head and eyebrows shaved and were dressed up with the with a colorful sampot (an ancient long traditional saron) and a lace top along with some jewellery. They also applied lipstick to make themselves more beautiful, something which can be seen in the temples of Angkor done by locals on some Buddha and Devata statues.
At one point of the ceremony, beautiful horses were brought in and monks rode them to take part of a procession going back to the city few miles away. Some women carried colorful boxes containing the robe of the monks that they will be wearing the next day.
When back from the city, a large crowd did a circumambulation (3 times) before entering the pagoda where the monks were been ordained by higher monks.
If you are visiting Siem Reap and want to document this special Buddhist ceremony please get in touch with us.
Dragon monks praying Buddha
Dragon monk in a colorful pagoda
A soon to be ordained monk adjusting his colorful sampot
Khmer family dressing session in pagoda
Dragon monk wearing a pink sampot
Young dragon monk wearing a lace top outfit
Dragon monk posing with his offerings
Dragon monk dressed with a sampot in the monastery
The nine to be ordained monks kneeling and praying
Elderly Cambodian women at the Dragon ceremony
Elderly Cambodian woman in front of a colorful pagoda mural
Colorful box containing the robe of a future monk
Procession going from the pagoda to the city on foot
Dragon monk riding a colorful horse on his way to the city
Dragon monk riding a colorful horse on his way to the city
Monk waiting by the pagoda’s entrance
Young Cambodian kid with colorful paint on his face
Crowd gathered in front of the pagoda for the final ceremony
A selection of our best pictures from Cambodia, Myanmar, India and Vietnam are now available as Fine Art Prints via the e-commerce platform Fine Art America.
You can choose from a large selection of papers: matte, glossy, metallic and the pictures will be send to you in a tube roll. You can as well order wooden framed prints with a large selection of finishing.
I recently upgraded my smartphone to a Huawei P9 lite and took it with me in the temples of Angkor during my photography tours along with a 5D Mark II.
The P9 lite, released in April 2016, packs a 13M-Pixel (4160X3120pixels) CMOS Image Sensor (Sony IMX 214, 1.12µm pixels) with a f:2.0 front camera. It lacks the dual Leica lens system and raw capture from his counterpart the Huawei P9 plus. Focal length has a 35 mm equivalent focal length of a 27 mm.
Camera operation
The camera has a quick access and when in standby it is very quick to start. By sweeping left one can access the menu to switch to pro photo. In this mode, shutter speed, ISO and white balance can be changed. When shutter speed is determined by the camera, exposure can be adjusted with the exposure compensation slide (-4 to +4 eV). Three focus mode are available: AF-S (spot), AF-C (continuous) and MF (manual focus). White balance can be changed to the usual values from tungsten to cloudy. Like in many DSLR, 3 metering modes are available: spot, center-weighted and evaluative. ISO can be set between 100 and 1600 ISO. In auto, the camera can set it as low as 50 ISO.
HDR mode
HDR can be useful to get more details in the shadow. The HDR mode of the P9 quite good , however there is no option to chose the strengh of the processing. It works particularly well with textures like on this 9th century temple strangled by a tree in the lost city of Koh Ker in Cambodia.
Macro
The P9 do not have a dedicated function for macro but the focusing distance of about 3 cm make up for it. The amount of details picked up by the camera is quite impressive. This macro shot of a praying mantis was shot in a very bright light and the details are in the same levels than a DSLR (the DSLR shot being slightly out of focus). For comparison you can see below a cropped version of the P9 and a Canon 750D side by side:
Panorama mode
Panorama mode is accessed from the camera by sweeping up the screen from the left. From there is an option to do either horizontal or vertical panorama.
Generally the stitching is quite good although errors can happen at low ambient light. One of the main drawback I have found is that it is not possible to lock the exposure before taking a panorama so it high contrasted scenes are difficult to capture.
Night Photography
Light painting on a pagoda. Pro photo mode 8 s pose, ISO 100
Swiping up the screen from the left let you choose two modes: night shot and light painting. In night shot mode, ISO can be set up between 100 and 1600 ISO and shutter speed up to 32 seconds. Using the 2-second timer (by swiping up screen from the right) helps to avoid blurry pictures.
The second mode available is Light painting and has 3 presets: Tail lights, Light graffiti,Silky water and Star track. They differentiate themselves by the ISO settings: Tail lights, Light graffiti: 64 ISO / Silky water: auto ISO / Star track: 800 ISO. All presets allow very long exposure time, the camera stays open until the shutter button is pressed again. Pro mode can be used for night photography but exposure time is limited to 8 seconds.
The Light graffiti preset was designed to write letters or paint shapes in the dark with a LED light but it can be used in more creative ways to create abstract backgrounds like this backlit laptop keyboard below.
Laptop keyboard backlit. Graffiti mode 7.2 seconds, ISO 64
Slow Motion
The Huawei P9 can record slow motion at 120 fps but be aware that the resolution is quite low at only 640X480 pixels (VGA). You can see on the video below of a lotus flower opening, both normal and slow motion sequences (4 times slower).
Conclusion
The Huawei P9 lite is the ideal companion for any travel photographer and has a good image quality. Of course it cannot be compared to a DSLR but in some situations it can the best camera as it can fit in your pocket. The different modes available allow you to produce some really creative images.
The year 2016 ended in a wink. Nevertheless, it was a year full of sweet recollections and splendid adventures, as I travelled here and there, meet new people, and experience new cultures. Looking through my collection of more than 1000 edited pictures of 2016, I was inspired to select my favorite ones. I picked these pictures not only based on my own personal choice of uniqueness and aesthetic value, but also, by the stories behind.
These photographs and memories were taken in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand,India, France, and the Philippines from my 2016 travel diary.
1. Cambodia : Angkor Wat Solar Eclipse – March 2016
This unique picture was taken on the 9th March during a partial eclipse of the sun in Angkor Wat Temple. What make this shot rare is that of the date of the eclipse was less than 2 weeks away from the spring equinox and it was possible to find a shooting location where the sun was just above the central tower at the maximum of the eclipse. According to ephemerides, the next partial solar eclipse in Angkor Wat temple during sunrise will take place in 2042 ! Due to the nature of this eclipse, so the passing of the moon in front of the sun could be only be captured using a very dark filter in this case a 10-stop neutral density filter ND1000 which blocks 99.9 % of the incoming light coming to the sensor. This is a one-of-a kind, unforgettable shot in Angkor Wat as we were only 2 photographers at this spot. Others have vanished to go see the other temples and most people except few guides were not aware of the solar eclipse that day. To see more pictures of this solar eclipse please have a look at my blog post.
Settings: ISO 400, 105 mm, f:4, 1/40s, ND 1000 filter
2. Ho Chi Minh City : Street Scene – April 2016
Ho Chi Minh is a sprawling city of 8 million and with almost as many motorbikes racing in its streets. Here you can find places to service your motorbike even on sidewalks.
While inside a coffee shop (which is also numerous in Saigon) my attention was caught by this colorful poster across the street. I took few shots of it alone but it did not come out very well. By moving few feet, I got a much better picture : framing the customer with her red dusk mask waiting for her motorbike to be serviced against the blue metallic wall, while the poster of a future housing development was in the background. The black and yellow line worked as well as a leading line to connect all the elements of the picture.
Settings: ISO 160, 20 mm, f:7.1, 1/100s
3. Cambodia : Boy Planting Rice, April 2016
During the month of April, Cambodian farmers are busy planting floating rice on the West Baray, one of the biggest man made reservoirs in the word build during the Khmer empire in the 11th century.To get closer, we boarded a small fisherman wooden boat and it was when I took a shot of this Cambodian kid, knee-deep in water, smiling despite the hardship of his work.
Settings: ISO 100, 168 mm, f:5.6, 1/500 s
4. Cambodia : Angkor Wat Vesak Day – May 2016
This picture was taken beside the main tower of Angkor Wat (also called Bakan) which is also the most sacred place of the temple. This Khmer family was walking counter-clockwise making several rounds around it, and I waited there to frame the shot with my 20 mm, the minimum focal length from this corner to fit all the building in a horizontal frame. This scene was taken 2 days before Buddha’s Day (Vesak Day). The act of walking around a sacred temple is called circumambulation and is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practices and usually done clockwise.
Settings: ISO 250, 20 mm, f:7.1 1/800 s
5. India : Ladakhi Monk in Lamayuru Monastery- July 2016
This picture was taken during our first photo tour in Ladakh India, more precisely in Lamayuru monastery about 100 km from Leh. We visited Lamayuru Temple during the 3-day annual colorful monastic festival. This monk posed for a brief moment, adjusting his robe, just enough time for me to frame a shot with the door. The colorful mural with its main character looking at the monk add another dimension to the picture.
Settings: ISO 640, 32 mm, f:4, 1/160 s
6. India : Milky Way in the Himalayas, July 2016
During our photo tour in Ladakh, we spent several nights in tents at an altitude of 4700 meters. Even during summer months, temperatures goes down below 5 degree Celsius at night. Adding to that the altitude sickness, this night shot sessions was quite challenging but looking at the starry skies and the Milky Way stretching over the Himalaya mountains was quite rewarding. In this shoot the illuminated tent is the one we used for our dinner and gives a touch of color and a sense of scale to the picture.
Settings: ISO 2000, 20 mm f:2.8, 30s
7. Thailand : Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok at Golden Hour – July 2016
This shot was taken at the international airport of Bangkok at sunset. Suvarnabhumi, the busiest airport in Thailand handled more than 50 million passengers in 2015. This section of the terminal although not so photogenic came out much better for few minutes with the evening sunlight illuminating nicely the arched rooftop.
Settings: ISO 400, 84 mm, f:4 1/25s
8. France : French Medieval Castle at Sunset – October 2016
During a scouting photo trip in the region of Dordogne in France, famous worldwide for its food and castles, we ended up the day at the village of Beynac-et-Cazenac just in time for sunset with a view of the Beynac Castle built on on a limestone cliff and overlooking the river. This 12th century fortress was built around the same than Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia and it is tempting to compare the austere architecture of the fortress with the scale and symmetry of Angkor and its fined carvings. Also on the 12th century, only 50,000 people were living in Paris against 800,000 in Angkor according to last LIDAR survey.
Settings: ISO 200, 24 mm, f:5.6, 1/320 s
9. Cambodia : Betel Leaves Vendors – November 2016
In Cambodia, betel consumption is not as widespread as in Myanmar. Most of the time, only the elderly are munching betel unlike in Myanmar where you can see young people chewing them. In this picture, a wooden basket with fresh betel leaves is standing on the floor in front of this two smiling elderly Cambodian ladies. The three other ingredients making up the so-called betel squid missing from the picture are areca nut, tobacco and lime water (saturated solution of calcium hydroxide).
Settings: ISO 400, 38 mm f:4, 1/160s
10. Cambodia : Red Angkor Wat Sunrise, November 2016
Out of the many sunrises at Angkor Wat temple I have witnessed in 2016, this one was one the most spectacular hat I have seen. The bright red dramatic cloudy sky were just breathtaking. This picture was taken around the end of November when monsoon season was coming to an end.
Settings: ISO 320 , 20 mm, f:5.6, 1/80s
11. Philippines : Here Comes the Bride, December 2016
I took this quick shot at San Augustin Church in Intramuros Manila just when the bride was making her entrance. Intramuros is the frequently visited area in Manila where two beautiful churches are located not far from each other. You can visit the area by taking a horse carriage (kalesa in Filipino), but one of the best way for photographer is to wander around the cobble stone streets in order not miss any photographic opportunities.
Settings: ISO 500, 35 mm, f:2.8, 1/15s
12. Philippines : New Year Fireworks in Manila , December 2016
This picture is one of my last clicks of 2016 taken just 5 minutes before New Year’s Eve in Metro Manila. New Year in this megacity is celebrated with loads of fireworks and firecrackers that lighten up the skies around the city. Fireworks and firecrackers are grand spectacles during this year end celebration. The adverse effect though is that hundreds of people injure themselves every year using firecrackers and it gives raise to a peak in particles pollution few hours after.Fireworks were scattered and I was lucky to have a vantage point from a rooftop with the neon illuminated Rockwell Center in Makati just in the frame. Several shots were combined in Photoshop to have more firework explosions.
Settings: ISO 100, 25 mm, f:9, 30 s (composite picture)
Bambu Stage introduces a new form of educational entertainment in town as it opened unique shows about Cambodian culture and the famous temples of Angkor in its very own backyard in a quiet street not far from Wat Damnak Pagoda. Created by Nick Coffill and Jon de Rule, whose years of experience in museum design and theatre production delivers a different take of informative, interactive, and entertaining performances giving the audience that one-of-a-kind authentic experience. Other members of the team include Malar (marketing and F&B), Sorn (puppetry), Wab (technical). At present, Bambu Stage runs two different shows each week. Every Friday, a show about the history of Cambodia exhibiting the very first photos of Angkorian temples taken by John Thompson and Emile Gsell is narrated by Nick. SNAP! 150 Years of Photography in Cambodia takes you back in time from 150 years back, all the way thru the golden age of the 60’s, throughout the dark period of the Khmer Rouge, and Cambodia today. Tuesdays in Bambu Stage is a show about the temples of Angkor and their connections to Hinduism and Buddhism. This rare interactive show, named Temples De-coded, using a miniature model of the temples will give you a better understanding of the layout of both pre-Angkorian and Angkorian temples relative to astronomy and the spirit of the ancestors. It also presents some new insights about the last LIDAR scans done in Angkor by the Cambodian Archaeological Lidar Initiative. Another exciting act, Bambu Puppets, is set to run very soon on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Shows starts at 6.46 pm on the days specified. This is a highly recommended must-do for your stay in Cambodia, to have a better understanding of the culture and history of this town with so much ancient history to reveal. Shows are priced at $25 which include a welcome drink and a banquet. An option without dinner is also available at $12.50. Private shows are also available upon request. For bookings please please click on the logo at the end of the page. Below are few pictures we took during the show Temples De-Coded.
Temples De-Coded just before the show
Live drawing on projector
Nick Coffill starting…
and finishing drawing a map of Asia
Nick Cofill showing a piece of the Angkorian temple model
Nick Cofill showing a piece of the Angkorian temple model
Nick, Wab and a guest starting the design of a temple following the sun
Drawing the lines….
The design is almost completed
Main lines are drawn before adding the main structures
