This article is part of the Cambodia Photo Tours and workshops experience.
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From 2013 to 2020 I took daily photography walks around the Phnom Penh and deeper into the countryside to visit locations such as Kratie on the Mekong, and of course Siem Reap for the magnificentAngkor Wat temples.
Mondulkiri highlands for the jungle and waterfalls. Always exploring the ancient, deeper silence and beauty of mystical Cambodia.
Back to Black and White in Angkor
I don’t remember how many times I have visited the Angkor Wat temples. The first time was in 2010 with my son.
Then I settled permanently in Cambodia and finally started doing the photo tours in 2013.
At least more than 15 times in total, usually with photo tour guests for work and a few times privately.
The Angkor Archaeological Park is so large and vast that you never get tired of it and when you return you always get a ‘kick’ from the magic and atmosphere there.
Mind you, it is tropically warm and very humid. We usually start very early in the still dark morning, just before sunrise, and that alone does something to you.
This black and white series of photos of Preah Pithu T-Kor Sak Temple, a small part within Angkor, is a gigantic amount of antiquities and temple ruins felt like a stage for an spritual ritual or play.
Later in the morning around 8.30am I took pictures while my relatives were having breakfast.
“What struck me was the misty atmosphere and the low rays of sunlight breaking through the mist and trees”.
The stepped pyramid/”temple-mountain” features a staircase on each side that leads up to the main shrine that features bas-reliefs of devata/Apsara on the outer walls, two on each side, that are a unique.
Kor Sak Temple, or Preah Pithu T, is located in Angkor Thom.
The ancient temple was originally dedicated to Vishnu, opening to the west with a large elevated cruciform terrace featuring a naga balustrade. The terrace led to a gopura (entrance) through the outer wall to the central pyramid-style shrine.
The sunlight shining through the mist and low trees gives a subtle relief and detail to the boulders and naga (snake like) balustrade.
Photographed with a Nikon FE with the 50mm Zeiss planar lens.
Film stock Fomapan black and white film Iso 200 developed in Silvermax 1:25 dilution. 20c for 8 minutes.