The Kids of Cambodia

[Michael13]

Between 1996 and 2006 I visited Cambodia three times. I never had more than a week in country each time, so I kept returning to visit different areas. These images were shot on Ektachrome slide film then scanned to digital files.

This young lady was just passing by as we had lunch at a sidewalk cafe in Phnom Penh.

A mother and child in a village near the Temples of Angkor.

Three young boys on Sisovath Quay, Phnom Penh.

"My name is Soklee". This young girl followed us around the temples practicing her English.

There were a few children at Angkor Wat looking for handouts. They were successful.

These vendors were working hard to support their families. Everywhere we went we saw young children working. However, spending some time with them eventually they found time to take a break and just be kids.

It's all good at the Ta Phrom Temple area!

It's probably changed a lot since we were last there, but I still have fantastic memories of the place. If there is one place in Asia I would like to revisit - Cambodia is it!

 

[AlanLichty]

Very cool series of portraits - glad you dug out the slides and scanned them.

 

[ProCaliberTraveler]

I dunno if anyone has told you this, Michael, but you're a skilled portrait photographer. Have you exhibited these anywhere or are they just part of your personal archives?

 

[JimFox]

Awesome work here Michael. And how cool to have had that opportunity. You really captured such life and joy in the people.

And was this towards the end of your use of film? I know my first digital images were starting in 2005 to 2007. That was my transition time from film to digital.

 

[Michael13]

Very cool series of portraits - glad you dug out the slides and scanned them.

Thanks Alan - back then I was running an E-6 processor at work and the more film you ran through it, the better the process stayed within control limits, so I had free slide processing for all those trips. I bought my film in 100 foot rolls and loaded 40 exposure film canisters. Lead bags and hand inspection at the airports. I would have preferred to shoot negative film, but we contracted out C-41 on those occasions we needed it.

 

[Michael13]

I dunno if anyone has told you this, Michael, but you're a skilled portrait photographer. Have you exhibited these anywhere or are they just part of your personal archives?

Well thank you sir! I have participated in a few shows at local galleries, but never had my own portrait show. I have had a landscape show but that was years ago. Nowadays it's too expensive to submit to galleries so I just make photos for fun. I haven't made a single print since I retired in 2022!

 

[Michael13]

Awesome work here Michael. And how cool to have had that opportunity. You really captured such life and joy in the people.

And was this towards the end of your use of film? I know my first digital images were starting in 2005 to 2007. That was my transition time from film to digital.

Thanks Jim, this was during my film-digital transition. At one point I carried a little Canon G4 along with my 35mm film gear. It was too much gear to haul around while traveling, but I was younger then!

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Nice set of street shots - candid poses.

 

[Michael13]

Thanks Jameel - I think it was easier 30 years ago for strangers to be OK with getting their picture taken - nowadays everyone is suspicious of photographers and rightly so.