By Trevor Davenport ARPS DPAGB
Trevor is a recently retired engineer who has had an interest in photography for about 20 years – mainly travel and nature. A dedicated slide worker for almost all this time but a recent convert to the joys and pains of digital imaging – and still learning.
Trevor is a member and past president of Southport Photographic Society, one of the largest photo clubs in Northern England; he is an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and lectures throughout the North of England on themes connected with travel and nature photography.
Welcome to Cambodia.
Cambodia nestles like an interlocking jigsaw puzzle piece snugly surrounded by her South-east Asian neighbours of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam; to the South-west she has plentiful coastal access to the Gulf of Thailand. This ancient and superbly fertile land, though poor in monetary terms and savagely scarred by the Khmer Rouge regime and recent wars, is still fat with the richness of its long history, the glory of the fabled temples of Angkor and the beauty of the land and its people. It is a travel photographers dream!
I was here as part of a small group on an “Images of Cambodia” photographic tour arranged by All Points East and led by professional photographer Nathan Horton. The initial chaos of the streets clearly illustrates the benefits of having a knowledgeable local guide in new travel locations.
Our long-haul photographic travel vacations are those rare exceptions to my personal view that says “being there is what it’s all about – coming back with a picture is a bonus”. Yes, being there is wonderful – to see, smell, taste and feel all the magical ingredients of a new and exciting location – and the probability is that there will be pictures everywhere; however, a new country, a new language, a new culture and a new time zone can throw even the most hardened travel snapper into the frustrations of “wrong time, wrong light, wrong angle, wrong place!
There is an old and valued tip for the travel photographer that says the first port of call in a new location should be to buy your postcards – not necessarily to send home but to find out where all the best picture locations are. This is still one of the best tips I know; but it is much better to have a local guru who knows the times and locations of all the best potential images. And if the local guide is also a keen and time served photographer into the bargain then so much the better.
Hence our first day pre-dawn trip to the Olympic stadium. Who but a local photographer would know what evocative images can be made out of silhouettes stretching and posing against a city backdrop splashed with the pinks and purples of a tropical dawn.
Nathan lives and works from his studio in Cambodia and has an obvious love affair with both the country and its people. Part of our tour was a welcome refresher session on the basics of travel photography in the studio and then we were off – to markets, street scenes, and some of the more disturbing places associated with the Khmer Rouge regime and the killing fields.
We were in the right place for dawn at the fabled Angkor Wat temple and the warm evening light for Ta Prohm now perhaps better known as Tomb Raider Temple; we trudged to remote jungle temples and spent happy hours with villagers on the way; we plied the murky waters of the Tonle Sap river and lake and meandered in and out of the floating villages and fishing families; we were entertained by water-baby children splashing and shouting in the warm waters of this watery world; and we were awed by the style and symmetry of the Royal Palaces and gardens.
Each and every episode requires a detailed description – far more than space allows for here – but every day was filled with rich and satisfying adventures – and yes, photo opportunities to die for!
The measure of any travel adventure can be assessed by asking, simply; “would you go back”? My answer, in case you hadn’t guessed already, is “yes – as soon as possible”!
Trevor Davenport, July 2008
*****
Editor’s Note: All Points East was formerly known as Gecko Travel and this article has been edited to reflect the new name of the tour operator. All links to the website for Gecko Travel have been changed to the website for All Points East.
