The Angkor Photography Festival
by andrisCambodia, 28 Nov 2006 --
Attending this festival has certainly been an exercise in contradictions. I spend every day in the swealtering heat, I sleep in my very basic but clean $3/night guest house, and from 6 to midnight or so I go to several fancy gallery show openings with gourmet hors d’oeuvres at some of the most expensive hotels in town. I’m lucky I had my one respectable looking outfit, though at least the dress code is tolerant of the fact that this is Cambodia after all.
There’s definitely a bit of pretention in the air at these things. I’ve never seen the pro camera as fashion accessory bit that goes on (think Nikon D2Xs, Canon EOS-1Ds, and the oh so expensive Leicas slung casually on shoulders while trendily dressed party-goers sip red wine and house music throbs in the background and you’ve got it about right), but I blame ze French contingent. There also seem to be a fair number of people who came for the networking, not the photography as a lot of talking goes on while presenters are speaking.
Aside from all that, though, it’s been great. I’ve managed to meet a few people who were able to offer excellent advice for the amateur hoping to turn pro, and seeing all the fantastic photography has made me think about what I want my own photography to be. I’m really here for the photojournalistic stuff, and there’s plenty to be had.
The VII Agency did a spectacular retrospective of their last 5 years of war photography, I saw a great exhibition by John Vink on Khmer Boxing, and I learned the fascinating story of Taizo Ichinose, who lost his life trying to reach Angkor Wat to photograph it during the Khmer Rouge occupation. As always, my lack of retention for names doesn’t do me any good here and I managed to meet a living legend of photojournalism: Philip Jones Griffiths without realizing it. He was the one who convinced me it was worth sticking around for the show, though, so that’s a good thing.
So, I have a few more days of fancy living and gallery openings to attend, and then I’m off to try to reach the remote Phreah Vihear temple in Northern Cambodia via one mode of transport or another.
Categories Cambodia
December 4th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
Hi Andris,
We’re eagerly waiting to get your blog (with your newly accquired technology to produce greater pictures), and find out how you were able to get to Phreah Vihear. I’m trying to follow your route in some guidebooks (maps that I bought don’t give details) - comment on roads - “bad to abysmal.” Are there paths to hike through the jungle? Hope to hear soon. Love, Grandma W.