Journeys Within is now offering Photography Tours with professional photographer, Chris Cusick.
By Narla Phay
Taking photos is one of my favorite pass times in Siem Reap, whether I am using my DSLR camera or my iPhone. I don’t have a great deal of time to practice but I take the opportunity to head out on photography days whenever I have the chance. In the last few months I have spent some time with my younger Cambodian friends learning all about my DSLR, but spending the day with our pro-photographer, Chris Cusick really gave me the chance to increase my photography skill level.
On our photography tour, we visited 3 main locations around Siem Reap including Phsar Leu (Siem Reap’s largest local market) & Wat Bo Pagoda in the morning and in the afternoon we visited Kompong Phluk stilted village. Of course, I have visited all of these places before, but visiting them on a photography tour is different. You start to look closer at the small happenings around you, trying to choose the perfect moment to take the shot. Chris helped me to understand a little more about photographing people and taught me all about what moments and the best angles to look for.
This was especially helpful to me since I have always had more of a focus on portrait photography, but spending the day with Chris I learned more about photographing life and landscapes. One of the biggest things I had learned on this day is, what is happening in the background is sometimes just as important as what is going on in front of you. Chris worked with me on some of the more technical settings on my camera, which really helped me to achieve the kind of images I had in my mind.
Spending the day on a photography tour is a really interesting way to observe the local culture. I really think that seeing life through a lens puts a new spin on things. Spending a day as a photographer really shows you the value of the culture around you through the images you go away with and I would highly recommend this as a fun and different way to spend a day in Siem Reap!
