# Random Children at Angkor Wat in Cambodia



## The_Traveler (Feb 19, 2007)

Little boy in Cambodia


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## Peanuts (Feb 19, 2007)

It was so long ago that you had originally posted about this trip. Looks like it was very rewarding - at least in the photographic sense.  I especially love the backlighting in the second last.


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## The_Traveler (Feb 19, 2007)

It was rewarding in all senses.
6 weeks of tough travel. 12 hours time difference - I'm just recovering from jet-lag.
Photography is surprisingly tough there - searing sun and deep shadows.

But it was worth it. 

Luckily, I seemed to have missed local fighting between Hmong insurgents and govt troops by about a week. 4 dead. Soldiers with machine guns travel on every bus now.

My wife would have blown a gasket if I had still been there.


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## Maxx RS4 (Feb 19, 2007)

I love the second picture the best. If you know some history about Cambodia then I'm sure it brings out some strong emotions.. It sure does for me.

However, it's quite sad how few people know about what has happened in the past with Cambodia and even what's going on presently..


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## The_Traveler (Feb 19, 2007)

Maxx RS4 said:


> I love the second picture the best. If you know some history about Cambodia then I'm sure it brings out some strong emotions.. It sure does for me.
> 
> However, it's quite sad how few people know about what has happened in the past with Cambodia and even what's going on presently..



Thanks for comments. This little girl was on a happy excursion with her family and was sitting in the back of a type of motorcycle taxi peculiar to Cambodia. 

Cambodia is, undortuantely, a semi-basket case with large amounts of unexploded ordinance in the Eastern half from the American bombing and larger amounts of mines in the western half from Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge mine fields.  It is an incredibly corrupt society with little infrastructure and not much chance to grow.


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## LaFoto (Feb 20, 2007)

All three of them are such beautiful children!
I like that little boy's expression, thoughtful, wondering, frowning a bit, but open and with a positive outlook into the world ... makes me hope and hope for him that all his (still little) expectations in life won't be thwarted.

Of course I sure hope the very same for the two girls. They have such lovely faces, too. And the backlight in the second is wonderful. When they are this young, their eyes are always so huge! 

I think a somewhat tighter crop of the last photo (top and left) could help, and I'd also crop the one of the boy so the shirt/coat/clothing of the other person sitting there (with his back on the right of your frame) no longer shows. At least I would try and see if it is any good, if this were my photos.


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## wesd (Feb 20, 2007)

My mother has rubbings from the angor wat temple.  Last time they were framed was in 1945.  As far as i know you can nolonger access to the temple.  Is this true?
Wes


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## The_Traveler (Feb 20, 2007)

LaFoto,

I tend to crop as much as possible to standard dimensions just as a personal quirk but feel free to crop it yourself.


Wes,

There seemed to be no restrictions on getting close to the walls or inscriptions, although I didn't see anyone doing rubbings. The guards, as there were, pretty much left the tourists alone- noit necessarily a good thing.  The stone seems relatively soft and any kind of rubbing would  accelerate  the breakdown.

Except for climbing on the balustrades, one was pretty much left alone.


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## cumi (Feb 21, 2007)

These photos are ready for the world biggest magazines.


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## The_Traveler (Feb 21, 2007)

Cumi,

Thank you for what is possibly the nicest outright compliment I've ever received about a photo. 

Major credit must go to the new Nikon sensor in the D200 and the 18-200 Nikkor VR lens.  I can take credit for the shutter press and the crop. Other than that, they are straight from the camera.


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## cumi (Feb 21, 2007)

The_Traveler,

no way! It's not the camera that makes your photos great, also not a PS job, crop, Nikon Sensor or similar. If you had used a cheap P&S for these, the photos would be great again.

The point is in the time and efford you invested to make these photos. You went to a place, where possibly not all of us would go (because of the political situation, criminal, whatever). You looked for subjects and went to districts, streets -probably very poor districts-, what for most of us would be a nightmare. You dare to take these photos, even more: you looked for good composition, etc. Maybe you talked to these children, give them a chocholate, to pose you; maybe you didn't; maybe you were the whole time in danger: who knows, not everybody likes when a stranger take photos of his children. You could have even be lynched.

Also, as said here before, you had a good sense for the photos.

My uncle (+80 years), is photographing for 55 years. When I talked with him about his photos (award winning ones), he wondered why do I always ask what lens, what filter, etc did he used in some of the cases. Stupid approach -for example- for a photo about an old man sitting and smoking in one of Kairo's side-street... Or a city market in the capital of Tadzikistan... Or for children in white clothes playing in abandoned harbour in Maroko... My uncle took the time, money and travelled for example once to Tadzikistan 40 years ago, alone, just to make some nice photos. He showed me one really nice. He said, the rest is not so good and actually he didn't found the motivs, he was looking for...

I go out with my son, after I get home from the opffice and take a photo about of him playing in the playground here in Vienna, but it can not have (me at least) that WOW effect like these of yours... And I have also not bad equipment...


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## The_Traveler (Feb 21, 2007)

Thanks again for what you said.

My guess is that, since you understand the 'bong' in your chest that comes with taking a good photo, that you will take many pictures of your own that you will like as much as you like these or more.

My belief is that good photos lead to viewer to think or feel 'outside the frame.'
It is very difficult for me to look at pictures I have made and judge whether that happens.


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