One of my most memorable moments traveling and taking photographs was on my first trip to see the 1100 year-old Buddhist temples of Angkor in Cambodia. It was in October 2001 and I arrived at Angkor Wat at 5am to photograph the temples at sunrise. It was still very dark so I stumbled around the temple grounds looking for a place to set up my camera and watch as Angkor appeared before my eyes.
I couldn’t believe it; there wasn’t a soul around. Just me sitting alone in the dark with ancient towers slowly taking shape as the sky lightened behind them. I had a Sony Discman (2001 no ipods yet) and a CD that I had been playing to death. I fired it up and threw on my headphones.
Whether or not your a Buddhist, Angkor is an incredibly spiritual place. I don't know if it was that or because it was my first visit to such a place or because I was thrilled to be on a much needed holiday. In any case, it was a truly inspiring moment to watch as the dramatically reddening sky silhouetted Angkor to the soundtrack of “Fountain of Sorrow” by Jackson Browne. The music made it even more poignant.
Now, everytime I hear that song, I remember that incredible morning next to the lotus pond at Angkor Wat. Few moments have matched it since.
Gear: Nikon N90s / Nikon 28-80mm lens / Fuji Sensia 100 slide film / Manfrotto tripod w/ ball head / Old school Sony Discman / 70’s Mellow Rock Music
Exposure: doesn’t matter this time, just enjoy it.
As always, click any image for the large version. TR
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment