Approaches to travel photography: Angkor

Approaches to Travel Photography: Examples from Angkor, Cambodia

Mark Chamberlain LPSNZ

Objectives

This article provides tips on approaching travel photography in a "must-see" or "bucket list" location like Angkor in Cambodia. Although all global travel photographic locations are unique, the approaches outlined here apply to many popular destinations.

Photographing Angkor is an ongoing project, from which I am still learning as I seek to improve my images and define a photographic style. The accompanying photographs are part of a monochrome travel photography collection.

Photoshop post-processing is an essential component in my image workflow, using digital dodging and burning techniques and luminosity masks.

Angkor can be a challenging place to photograph, especially for first-time visitors. The main reason is that the area overwhelms; it is a visual overload of the senses. Angkor also covers a very large area. It is all too easy to snap away, collecting thousands of random photographs – I know because this is what I initially did. The result is frustration and disappointment. Attempting to simplify and minimise travel photography is a challenge. Combined with the physical challenges of tropical heat, energysapping humidity and tourist crowds, it's a recipe for potential failure. The key to ultimate success in travel photography is always to slow down, relax, absorb the place, and enjoy yourself. Planning and organisation are also essential. Easier said than done, perhaps.

What is Angkor?

Angkor is more than Angkor Wat temple. In the Khmer language, Angkor means "city". It is a complex of hundreds of temples built over many centuries. In addition to the temple ruins, there are vast waterways, reservoirs, and irrigation systems. National Geographic once described Angkor as a hydraulic city. Angkor, in turn, is part of a much broader ancient Khmer civilisation and empire which extended across present-day northern Cambodia, overlapping into Thailand and Laos. Today, ruined temples still form a focal point of Khmer culture, usually away from the main tourist drags.

Prasat Preah Vihear

Far from the maddening crowds, this impressive temple is located on the Cambodia-Thailand border and takes some effort and planning to reach. The storm clouds above the temple add to the feel and mood of the scene. After taking this photograph (using a tripod), I was drenched by monsoon rain. Adverse weather can be your friend in travel photography, even if it means a soaking. Although Prasat Preah Vihear is officially within Cambodia, there is still an ongoing ownership dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. The international boundary cuts across the temple's front steps, and Thai and Cambodian soldiers occasionally exchange fire. It is a safe place to visit (most of the time), a UNESCO world heritage site worth extra time and effort.

Prasat Bayon

Prasat Bayon is the second most popular location in Angkor (after Angkor Wat temple) and features enigmatic smiling Buddha faces carved into the tower walls. This photograph was taken in the evening, just before temple closing time. A monsoon rainstorm helped clear away the crowds. For fifteen minutes, I had the temple virtually to myself and enjoyed the luxury of using a tripod to make this careful composition.

... Examples from Angkor, Cambodia

Mark Chamberlain LPSNZ

Angkor photography inspirations

Before setting off on any travel photography trip, it is worth seeking inspiration from other photographers' work. In the case of Angkor, two photographers inspire and influence me.

Firstly, Steve McCurry's Angkor photographs, compelling images from the early 1990s, seen at www.stevemccurry.com

McCurry's style is artistic photojournalism featuring glimpses of Khmer life. There is always a human-interest element in his photographs, captured in vibrant Kodachrome colours.

Another photographer who captures the essence of Angkor is fine-art photographer John McDermott. John takes photographs on medium and large format infrared and black and white analogue film. His iconic, handcrafted prints sell globally for a premium – deservedly so, as they are masterworks of art. I highly recommend a visit to John McDermott's gallery when in Siem Reap. McDermott's work is online at https://asiaphotos.net

In addition, there is his tome of a book available from online retailers, Elegy: Reflections on Angkor.

Two entirely different photographers with contrasting styles, but they both have something in common. McCurry and McDermott captured their images over a considerable time before budget air travel and mass group tourism descended on Angkor. Before smartphones and selfies. When Cambodia emerged from a brutal civil war – formally ending in 1979 with the Vietnamese overthrow of the Khmer Rouge but continuing as deadly skirmishes until 1997.

Compared to today, Angkor was quieter and more rustic in the 1990s. Regardless, the images of McCurry and McDermott still inspire.

Strangler Fig Tree at Ta Promh

Ta Promh is famous for the jungle overgrowth of the towers and ramparts, contributing to the Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider feel of the place. The strangler fig trees will eventually take over the temples (if left alone), and the massive roots will ultimately cause the buildings to collapse. The trees provide sanctuary to ecosystems of birds and bats whilst adding romance to the place. For this image, I used a tripod to compose and had to wait a considerable time before tourists cleared out of view. Patience is a virtue in travel photography.

Mother and Daughter

In this photograph, the mother and daughter are at ease while sitting at the entrance of their wooden house. I spent some time with the family, sharing food and chatting before taking my camera out of the bag. By this time, the subjects were used to me. There is a warmth to the scene as the mother holds her girl while gazing contentedly into the distance. The girl is looking straight at me with her beautiful smile. Such a scene would be impossible if I had walked up to them cold and pointed a lens into their faces – especially as a foreigner.

Khmer Spirit

My feeling from this Khmer lady is that her spirit has been around for a long time, perhaps for as long as the temples of Angkor. Poetic licence, maybe, but there is another worldliness to her. At the time, I was sitting close-up (in her home). She was talking to me nonstop about her village. She didn’t seem to care about me taking photographs; she was too busy telling me her tales and was deep in her memories. Although we are in a relatively dark wooden house, there is enough sidelight on her face coming from the open entrance to make the scene happen.

... Examples from Angkor, Cambodia

Mark Chamberlain LPSNZ

Placing boundaries on your photography

On a first visit, you naturally want to visit all the main sites. Try putting boundaries on your photography – shoot a particular type of photography. As discussed, John Mc Dermott shoots mainly infrared and black and white film – this may not be appropriate all the time. Steve McCurry makes use of soft light, colour and human elements in his photography.

Use a technique or style which suits the subject matter and place. In this way, you may end up with photographs different to those of the Instagram crowd.

Concentrate on stories or collections (not the single epic photograph)

Of course, you want to capture that epic photo of a sunset or sunrise over Angkor Wat. However, building a collection of carefully curated travel photographs to make a book or portfolio can be more rewarding. Planning a story with a small group of relevant images may be the way to go. For me, maintaining a sense of place is essential.

Possible suggestions include:

• Constructing a collection of images in monochrome or another creative style.

• A photo story about village life.

• Buddhist life and culture.

• For the documentary type travel photographer: there are still many relics of the Khmer Rouge civil war and some ageing survivors (both victims and former antagonists) with stories to tell. Overdone perhaps, but always fascinating.

• Or, simply, it could just be the story of your family enjoying and experiencing a new travel destination.

Getting to know a place

• Even if only on a three-day visit, make a note of favourite locations and try to return.

• Khmer people are very active around dawn but tend to hide away, taking long siestas during the heat of the day.

• Research the destination and try to focus on fewer locations to obtain higher quality images.

• Alternatively, plan to stay longer and get to know the place and people.

Time of Day

Try to avoid peak crowds; it leads to frustration. Some of the accompanying photographs and captions explain how I found quiet times at popular locations.

• Notably, near eating times, tourist crowds are eager to return to hotels and restaurants.

• Especially near temple closing times around 6 pm, most people have departed.

• Bad weather is the travel photographer's friend. A late afternoon monsoon rainstorm can quickly clear crowds. Angkor temples are resplendent after rain, with vibrant foliage, lichens and moss lining the temple walls.

Kbal Spean

An example of a detail shot from Angkor. Accessing this location involves a one hour, hot and sweaty trek up a forested hill, before reaching the clear flowing waters of Kbal Spean. A Hindu holy place: there are ancient, intricate deity carvings in the sandstone riverbed and waterfalls. In Angkor times, the site was used for bathing solely by women.

Hidden Sanctuary

A remote Angkor temple, like Ta Promh, without the crowds. Strangler fig roots have overtaken the tower, and the entrance framed by the roots is the composition. I feel the entry needs a figure or human-interest element to complete it. In the absence of a rent-a-monk to place in the doorway, I used my wife. She doesn’t look out of place, being Asian, and her legs appear to intertwine with the tree roots.

... Examples from Angkor, Cambodia

Mark Chamberlain LPSNZ

Shoot detail when in crowds

Angkor contains many overlooked details – beautiful and intricate Apsara (Khmer female dancers), carvings on walls and detail in water reflections. Small telephoto lenses are excellent for isolating detail above the crowds, such as the Buddha faces in the Bayon temple. Detail shots help build a story of the place and your journey.

Go off the beaten track

• The prominent three temples (Angkor Wat, The Bayon and Ta Promh) are now a temple "Disneyland" for tourists. Don't expect your only company to be charming monks and lotus flower pickers, as in Steve McCurry's romantic images from the 1990s.

• Much of the joy of travel photography is about meeting and interacting with local people, absorbing the culture, eating different cuisine, and learning about the country or place. Cambodia is no different.

• In parts of Cambodia, there are opportunities to stay in village homes. Staying with the locals is a great way to do travel photography and interact with people.

People: let your subjects relax

• Khmer people are warm, friendly, and welcoming. Don't be surprised by invitation to enter their homes or an offer of food or snacks. Never refuse these offers, always eat something. It is part of Khmer Buddhist culture.

• The accompanying photographs – “Khmer Spirit" and "Mother and Daughter" ̶ are from a village in the Phnom Kulen hills. The family is relaxed because we spent an hour with them, sharing food, chatting, and joking around with the kids. After a while, they became used to me and taking a few close-up photographs was not an issue.

Further opportunities

Across Cambodia, there are many new sites worth visiting, once inaccessible due to the proliferation of landmines. The areas are now declared safe, and some are UNESCO world heritage sites.

Sambor Prei Kuk

A remote Angkor location set in beautiful forests and relatively unknown by foreign visitors, at least for now. There are dozens of small overgrown temple ruins constructed from red laterite bricks. The temples pre-date Angkor Wat by several centuries and are the oldest of the Angkor temples. I like the simplicity of this travel landscape image — the arching tree and roots plus some echoing of cloud patterns in the sky. Sambor Prei Kuk has recently been declared a new UNESCO world heritage site.