Cambodian through a lens

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Cambodia | Friday, August 20, 2010 | 5 photos

From forever, photos have always been a big part of who i am. They not only tell a story but reveal something about someone or something. As i have moved around a lot, photos are some of the only memories i have about a particular place or person. Photographs preserve the past and trigger memories as vivid as those from when it happened. They will and always will be a testament to the happy and painful times that you had.

My photographs tell a story about Cambodia, a land of clashing cultures. From the scars of past violence to the khmer history, Cambodia lives in the shadows of ancient Angkor Wat. Cambodia is beautiful in its own unique way and gives an unknown first impression. The poverty can be overwhelming and too confronting at first, but when you observe the locals and culture, you soon find out that their is this beauty waiting to be seen. My 5 photos, in my mind, show the past, present and future of Cambodia. The photos are: A cambodian Sunset, The killing fields, Preah khan (temple of Angkor Wat), Youth orphans, Monks. These are all different aspects of Cambodian life and culture. It is a country that you wont soon forget because you realise just how lucky and easy people like me in the western world have it. Sometimes, it breaks your heart and other times it makes you want to help, either way, you cant take it off your mind.