We departed out hotel at 4:30 a.m. to try and beat the sunrise crowd at Angkor Wat. We had our pick of spots along the lakes flanking the entrance to the temple, so we set up our tripods and waited for some light. There was one American that thought she should have a clear view of the temple just because she had arrived early. I politely informed her that she was living in some dream world if she thought the 10 foot open space in front of her was going to remain devoid of tourist as the throngs filled in. I had my "I told you so" moment withing the next 30 minutes.
We had a little time in the temple after the sunrise, so we went back to look for things we might have missed during our first visit. One mother had dressed her daughter up to have her pictures made inside, so I took advantage of getting her in action, leaping through the air, poising on the steps and getting to act like a kid. She was cute and it was fun shooting her.
Our next stop was Ta Prohm, the temple I had visited a few days earlier when we first arrived. Today I went a different way and was rewarded with some new spots to shoot. The Chinese tourists were everywhere, so I had to be patient and let them move on before getting good clean photos. This spot is so unique, I think I could visit it several days in a row and still find new pictures.
Right after lunch, we had our final class in Siem Reap. They try to use the hottest part of the day for the critique sessions both to keep us out of the heat and to use the nice morning and afternoon light to our advantage.
Our final temple of the day was Bayan and Angkor Thom. Because each of the temples around Siem Reap were built during different time periods they each have a very different style. Bayan is know for the giant Buddha heads carved into the sides of stone pillars. The temple is elevated which gives it an more imposing silhouette. The late afternoon sun splashed soft light on the faces and showed off the beautiful carvings into the walls.
There's been a lot of development in Siem Reap since our last visit in 2011 including Pub Street, an area near downtown with bars, restaurants and shops and a general nightlife attitude to lure in visitors. We ended up at a restaurant named Steak House which serves, wait for it, steaks! They also had some more typical Asian dishes and some very delicious sides (garlic was in no shortage here). The wait staff was attentive and very appreciative of both our praise and our tips. I highly recommend it if you're visiting.
Next: Day of Travel
We had a little time in the temple after the sunrise, so we went back to look for things we might have missed during our first visit. One mother had dressed her daughter up to have her pictures made inside, so I took advantage of getting her in action, leaping through the air, poising on the steps and getting to act like a kid. She was cute and it was fun shooting her.
Our next stop was Ta Prohm, the temple I had visited a few days earlier when we first arrived. Today I went a different way and was rewarded with some new spots to shoot. The Chinese tourists were everywhere, so I had to be patient and let them move on before getting good clean photos. This spot is so unique, I think I could visit it several days in a row and still find new pictures.
Right after lunch, we had our final class in Siem Reap. They try to use the hottest part of the day for the critique sessions both to keep us out of the heat and to use the nice morning and afternoon light to our advantage.
Our final temple of the day was Bayan and Angkor Thom. Because each of the temples around Siem Reap were built during different time periods they each have a very different style. Bayan is know for the giant Buddha heads carved into the sides of stone pillars. The temple is elevated which gives it an more imposing silhouette. The late afternoon sun splashed soft light on the faces and showed off the beautiful carvings into the walls.
There's been a lot of development in Siem Reap since our last visit in 2011 including Pub Street, an area near downtown with bars, restaurants and shops and a general nightlife attitude to lure in visitors. We ended up at a restaurant named Steak House which serves, wait for it, steaks! They also had some more typical Asian dishes and some very delicious sides (garlic was in no shortage here). The wait staff was attentive and very appreciative of both our praise and our tips. I highly recommend it if you're visiting.
Next: Day of Travel
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