Rainy Season Blues

“Don’t go in the rainy season.” That’s what the guidebooks say, but for photography, rain is not always a bad thing. If you only have a few weeks, you probably don’t want to go in the rainy season. (Especially if you’re headed to tropical Southeast Asia.) Understood.

I’ve traveled to Angkor Wat in Cambodia two dozen times. Sometimes shooting for assignments and other times on personal projects. It’s one of my favorite places to visit and photograph. I also prefer the rainy season in Angkor because the daily showers keep the jungle green and the moats full.

More shots below.

Angkor Wat and the Fountain of Sorrow

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.

How to Photograph: Stage Lighting

This is a shot of a Balinese dancer during a traditional Barong dance performance. Photographing shows in stage lighting is challenging. In bad stage light, it can be a nightmare.

With stage lighting, I normally shoot in Manual mode. Spot lit performers against dark backgrounds will fool a camera’s meter every time.

The subject will end up overexposed. Stage lighting is usually very uneven around the stage particularly in small third-world venues where I tend to hang out. This means it’s tough to shoot all over the stage. So I look for the best lit spot on the stage, which is often the center but not always. This is the zone where I want my subjects to be.

Cyclo Driver in Phnom Penh

I was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia shooting various assignments. I was instructed to photograph various aspects on the cyclo drivers that pedal people and goods all over the dusty capital city.

I had this idea for a shot that could be a good opening spread for the story and I just needed to bring all the elements together. I set out with a motorbike