Days Of Giving Back In Kompong Cham, Cambodia

While I was walking around in an impoverished section of Kompong Cham taking pictures once again accompanied by my 7 year old guest photographer from my last visit I took the above snapshot of a little girl who was crying and kept scratching due to being covered with some kind of irritating skin rash on half of her body.

I took the photo and kept on walking, there are countless unsettling reminders of the harsh life in Cambodia while doing this kind of travel photography.

But her photo kept me up that night:

Photography In Easy Breezy Gender Confused Kampot, Cambodia

I took a gamble on Kampot, the pepper capital of Cambodia not knowing if this quiet town would have enough to inspire me.

The results of just showing up in places which are without “much to see” have swung both ways in the past.

The riverside was relaxing and the views were very nice, I have not been in a town during this trip which had a constant cool sea breeze like Kampot.

Travel Photography At A Snail’s Pace In Takeo, Cambodia

Takeo is not a must see town, life moves at a snail’s pace and it is mildly recommended by the popular guidebook as a daytrip destination.

So I was eager to stop by expecting close to zero tourists and to witness authentic, simple Cambodian rural life.

The kids on the above picture are racing snails. I felt quite lucky to stumble upon this scene and capture what is probably ordinary to them but unique to me.

Seven Year Old Guest Photographer From Kampong Cham, Cambodia

It is very exciting to present the work of my first guest photographer in this blog!
THESE PHOTOS WERE NOT TAKEN BY ME (except the last one) but a seven year old Cambodian boy who became very interested to try out my camera. I absolutely love all his pictures especially the one above.

His photos are so good that it brings up the interesting subject of: what are the ingredients of a good photograph?
The role of equipment, skill, chance, being at the right place at right time, access to intriguing visual material, trust between photographer and subject, open mind and confidence of photographer, innocence?