Cambodia beyond the temples

Guest blog and images by by Kelly Morgan

I love trawling through photos of past travels, no matter how well composed or exposed, they’re my memories. My few brief trips to Asia have left me with a deep admiration for the people and a longing to experience more. How could I possibly turn down the opportunity to see Cambodia under the tutelage of Bluedog photographers?

After some solo time in Phnom Penh I joined the other eager participants and set off to capture what guide books consider the essence of Cambodia ­– the temples of Siem Reap. They are as awe-inspiring as I expected, and a challenge in light metering and exposure.

Day one we explored Tonle Sap and a floating village, Augustine challenged me to go beyond “P” so off I went, over and under exposing. Day two was learning more about light and how to control it. I can’t imagine a better place to learn about 18% grey than outside Bayon temple. 

By now we were all mulling over ideas for our assignment, a photo essay on “restitution”. Day one I met Mr Douk, a landmine amputee selling books around Siem Reap and a long term friend of Danielle's. He had lost both of his arms, but not his pride or sense of humour. How does a man with no arms bathe? How does he earn enough to give his kids an education? In a country with poor healthcare and no social security, how does he keep smiling?

Mr Douk with two of his children and grand child.

Danielle encouraged me to follow his day and tell his story. Was I nervous? Absolutely! I still felt clumsy with the camera and while I was honoured to be invited into Mr Douk’s home, I was worried my photos wouldn’t be good enough to capture his story with the respect it deserved.

But jumping in the deep end is the best way to learn – no time to over-think it. Waving the group off for their Angkor Wat sunrise shoot, I stayed behind. An hour late for our pre-dawn meeting (this is Cambodia!) Mr Douk and his gorgeous kids arrived to walk me to their home. It was heartbreaking to see how they lived; a small timber shanty with a communal water pump, and neighbours dying of Aids. It was heart warming to be welcomed and to share their intimate moments. It was going to be a long, confronting day.

I tried to capture Mr Douk’s ups and downs as he carried his heavy basket of books. People rebuff him, ignore him, disrespect him. But just when it seems too hard, someone buys a book. His smile is broad and genuine; his kids have an English tutor again this week.

 Mr Douk makes a sale - on average he makes 0.50 US cents per book.

Seeing Mr Douk in Ta Prohm’s dappled light and otherworldly settings was strangely moving, and a test in exposure compensation! At the end of the day we had a big hug, he went home to his family, I joined the group for curry and $1.50 mojitos, different lives that intersected for a brief time. I couldn’t leave it at that and sought him out each day for a hug and chat.

I learnt a lot in a week; photographically I went from P to full manual mode, personally I fell in love with a country and its people. My biggest lesson: lower the camera, look beyond the view finder, see the people, hear the story. 

Bluedog Photography will be returning to Cambodia for another tour in 2012. For further details visit:  http://www.blue-dog.com.au/Cambodia-photography-tour.html

End note from Danielle:

Kelly's journey on our tour to Cambodia this year was one of great pleasure for me. Not only seeing her progress so quickly and confidently in her photography but how she approached a hard subject choice for her assignment and pushed herself both emotionally and photographically to capture Mr Douk's day.

This is a only a small selection of some of the images Kelly shot - all of them are dramatic and to many may cause a little flinch at the ugliness of war. I encourage you to look deeper, as Kelly did, to the man and his dignity and his willingness to get up and move on and do the best he can. His smile says everything.

Thank you Kelly for telling Mr Douk's story, I know everyone else in the group was appreciative of it as well. We all learnt something from it.

Kelly has since written a longer article on Mr Douk and I look forward to seeing it printed in the future. Well done Kelly!

Fun with Photography in the Rainforest and at the Old Jetty on Fraser Island

What a day! The forest is looking fabulous, the lakes pristine and the weather has been well can I asy it, near perfect!

The unique rainforest on Fraser Island I have always thought to be one of its best hidden secrets. The crystal clear waters silently running along Wanggoolba Creek’s sandy floor once again astonished our group with one telling me it was ‘way cool’ at Central Station. Ancient  Angiopteris ferns, boasting the largest single frond in the world, edge the creek interspersed with palms and rainforest timbers.

The Gods of Fraser once again smiled on us. We had a day of fun with wonderful light.

The giant rainforest timbers caused quite a controversy on Fraser for many years after being discovered in  1842 by Andrew Petrie, a former superintendent of public works in the Brisbane penal colony, when he explored Fraser Island and returned with glowing reports of the abundance and quality of timber that Fraser Island had to offer. Timber as an industry in Queensland was just beginning with massive building ventures planned good supplies were keenly sought. 

 Exquisite fungi in a range of colours grow from the huge rainforest trees.
Image by Danielle Lancaster

Most don’t know that in 1860 Fraser Island was gazetted as an Aboriginal reserve only to revoked two years later when the value of its timber was realised.

Logging operations started on the island near Wanggoolba Creek in 1863 when John Yankee Jack Piggot, a brash, red-haired American timber cutter, harvested kauri pines. These pines were rafted up the Mary River to the Maryborough mill.

As you could imagine timber getting and European settlement caused many conflicts with the Aboriginal people.  A significant turn came with the tragic clubbing to death of John Piggot in 1864. Logging was halted on the island until 1868 when the first bullocks were brought in to haul logs. These timbers were far too valuable to leave alone and logging soon spread across the rainforest of the island.

Interestingly enough while we are on a little history, the first reafforestation scheme in Queensland occurred on Fraser Island during 1883-84 with the planting of 28,000 kauri pine seedlings among heavy scrub. Unfortunately the planting was not successful as kauri pines are not shade tolerant.

The timber industry grew and grew. Tramways were laid, camps set up, villages appeared, even schools were built. Thousands and thousands of acres were purchased for the right to log.

Tallowwood and blackbutt were the most highly sought after timber species. Denser hardwoods were also harvested and as these could not be floated to the mainland, the logs were punted on barges to the mills.

 Macro lenses were given a work out in the pretty rainforest today.

Image by Danielle Lancaster

The magnificent satinay trees, prior to 1925, had not been popular as they were regarded as too soft for hardwood and too hard for softwood; however the timber was found to be resistant to white ant, borer and fire and the close texture of the wood and beautiful lustre when polished made it became popular for cabinet making. Fraser’s satinay timber even made its way to the lining of the Suez Canal and the London Docks.

During the 1980s the State Government came under increasing pressure from conservation groups to halt logging on Fraser Island. Logging finally ceased after recommendations from a Commission of Inquiry with Mr Gerald E.(Tony)Fitzgerald as Chairman in 1991. Thankfully not everything was felled.

Today we visited Pile Valley which has the tallest of the Satinay and brush box on the island. Pretty Wanggoolba Creek and Central Station where there are still remnants left over from the heady timber getting days.

Of course Lake McKenzie was on the list, where sadly the best tree to photograph has been placed behind a wire fence to protect it from human impact. We still had fun playing with the light reflecting in its clear waters, the colourful reeds and tiny sun dews.

And to finish off it was to McKenzie’s Jetty – well what remains of it. Mr H. McKenzie was a big timber merchant who invested a lot of money and time in Fraser’s timber industry and this jetty is an absolute gem at sunset.

White Balance was one of the many tools we played with here. To this day I just don’t understand why more don’t use it. Acquiring the image colour balanced or fairly close in camera has to be a bonus.

The graduated filters also came out and then a little light painting. All in all a fun filled day. Thank you to the Gods of Fraser Island! 

25 second exposure on Nickon D3 then leaves and jetty painted with torch light.
Image by Danielle Lancaster

Did you Know: There are stands of Kauri Pines dating to more than 200 years old that call the Yidney Scrub, to the north and inland of Happy Valley, home.

Blog, sweat and beers

Guest post by Owen Lyell

This is my first attempt at a blog for Bluedog so for those who don’t know me, my name is Owen.  I occasionally help out in the office as well as attempt other more menial tasks that help alleviate the endless workload Bluedog staff are faced with on a daily basis.

I guess the focus of this blog is grounded in something I heard at a presentation delivered by Danielle to a Photography club in Brisbane.  Danielle was giving some useful tips that may assist people who are interested in developing a career in photo journalism, and how to prepare for the tough road ahead.

After recently traveling with Bluedog to Cambodia, it was great to see how much magic goes on behind the scenes, and how much everyone on the tour developed their skills photographically.  However, the one tool that most people seemed to never have at hand was the most basic, a pen that works and a small notepad to record information, names, places, and notes on how to get back to that really cheap cocktail bar that serves beer for thirty cents a can and pitchers of Vodka and Redbull for one dollar.  Perhaps even the number and address of the hotel might also be a good idea if you decide to partake in the aforementioned beverage (Ask yourself… was the free T-shirt really worth it?).

Planning is a big part of any travel, but as I see it, even more so for photographers. It’s not just about what to take, grabbing a guide book and jumping on a plane and doing the tour.  A great deal of preparation is in researching what to expect mentally, physically, and most importantly, photographically.

By mentally I mean being prepared to step out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself to get the images you want to get, even if you find them disturbing or difficult to photograph.  One member of our tour group in Cambodia would make me laugh everyday by commenting on how they knew if they had worked hard that day by how sweat drenched their gear was.

Image 1.
It was hot yet captivating. A pre tour monastery visit for blessing and allowance led the group that had arrived early to a special time with Somnieg, Head Monk of Wat Damnak and Director of the Life and Hope Association who flew out later that week to speak at Harvard University, USA. Image by Danielle Lancaster

If you are seriously out of shape like me, don’t choose to do the eight hundred stair climb to the top of Buddha Mountain in sweltering thirty seven degree heat under a cruel blistering sun, equipped with every piece of photographic equipment you own.  Take the tools you need for the job.

Image 2.
When out and about consider what gear you will really need. Is it really the whole pack or can you challenge yourself with just a few pieces easily carried no matter what you are doing? Sheryn and Trista 'at school' in Cambodia.
Image by Danielle Lancaster

Be prepared not only for physical challenges but also those of the weather.  Battery life, cards and bar tabs all run at different speeds depending on the climate.   Be prepared and take wet weather gear for yourself and your equipment.
Learn the local lingo, even just a few words is appreciated by most people and will open doors that might otherwise be closed. It is a great way to break the ice, just don’t call the agro looking guard with the AK47 something unpleasant unless you want to make the evening news.

So to sum everything up in three words, “research and preparation” should rate highly for any photographic excursion.  You don’t have to be a boy scout to always be prepared.

In closing, I would also like to say a quick thank you to all the staff and participants on the Cambodia tour for giving me such a great experience and look forward to catching up with you all again next year of the stairs of Angkor Wat (shameless plug) with Bluedog on another “not to be missed“ adventure.

 

Image 3.
Trista shows Sheryn its not about the gear but all about the light!
Image by Danielle Lancaster

Photography tips for using Program Mode

A challenge with your camera is always a great way to improve your photography. While here in Cambodia before our tour officially begins, I’ve been challenging myself to shoot mostly on P Mode and get it right in camera.

What is P Mode? P stands for Program Mode though some joke and call it ‘Professional’ or ‘Pissed’ Mode. It allows you full control of your ISO and flash as well as white balance and under and over exposing in camera.

With my camera set on spot metering I am finding as long as I take the exposure reading off a part of my scene that is approximately the same tone as 18% grey then the image is usually close to correctly exposed.  If the scene does not have this then I usually do a quick calculation in my head – will the camera’s metering tell me exposure should be more or less and then I exposure compensate to that side. 90% of the time this is working.

Take note that once you take your meter reading using your focus point and then regain your focus off another area in the image that the camera re- meter reads the scene. Pay attention to the first meter reading and just adjust your exposure compensation accordingly.

Problems arise in images where there are contrasty lighting conditions. One quick way around this is to use flash. Again I am often flash exposure compensating more frequently to the negative side to make the flash light look as balanced to the natural lighting as I can.

Other problem areas can include too slow a shutter speed for the ISO chosen and associated subject movement, lack of appropriate depth of field for the scene and noise from having to use a high ISO.

However, I am finding it is a great mode to use while travelling when I want to have a fair amount of control over my image making while having fun with my family.

All images below straight out of camera. 

The first two images demonstrate how the focus point on spot metering can radically affect your exposure.

 Image 1
Nikon D3 28-300mm lens

Shutter Speed 1/400; f10; ISO 800
Focus Point on man.

Image 2
Nikon D3 28-300mm lens

Shutter Speed 1/800; f14; ISO 800
Focus point on the statue

The two images below demontsrate how flash can be used to balance contrasty lighting situtations. In Image one the sky is blown out while the statue looks correctly exposed.
In Image 2 the flash was fired and the meter reading for the image set from the blue sky in the background.

Image 1

Nikon D3 with 24-27mm
Shutter Speed 1/200; f7.1; ISO 1600

Nikon D3 with 24-27mm
Shutter Speed 1/200; f7.1; ISO 1600
Flash fired.

A Day in Phnom Penh

By Danielle Lancaster

Two very special things happened to me today. Well actually there were many more, but two I will tell you about now.

After much consideration I decided to bring Mitchell, my 14 year old son, on a two week holiday to Cambodia. Well part of it is a holiday for him as he is also required to write and edit some of my writings for me so expect a guest blog from him soon.

This morning we headed to the Russian markets here in Phnom Penh. They are a vibrant, large market with loads of souvenir and clothes stalls with vendors willing to barter. The food stalls are as varied as any Asian market. All parts of chickens freshly sliced and diced, fish and other assorted meats alongside brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, spices and herbs. Unfortunately the smell of the fish turned Mitch’s stomach and anytime we came near any of these stalls we were quickly diverted by his already pale skin turning another three shades lighter.

The sights of Phnom Penh were already taking hold on Mitch and apart from a cool set of sunnies and local scarf to assist soothing his sensitive skin from the sun’s beating rays, Mitch had come to the conclusion that we were already so much better off, what did we really need to buy.

So we headed back to our tuk tuk driver and in the background down a back lane, I spotted a white robbed nun. For those that don’t know, the role of the white robed nuns was the subject of a photo essay I undertook here last year.

Nearby local hawkers and stall owners informed us that she had taken up residence on the street in front of the building where her son, who had been her sole supporter, had died a year ago.

I asked for permission to approach and speak with her.  Mitch asked if he could follow me and I said, ‘yes sure but this may not be your thing.’ As I greeted her in the respectable way, she then commenced blessing me. When it was over I turned to see Mitch’s face in awe. I introduced her to Mitch (now this is not easy as she could not speak English and I cannot speak anything but the basic Cambodian polite necessities) and she then asked Mitch to join her.

To cut a long story short, imagine a tall lanky white skinned teen being taught by a group of women how to sit next to a three foot high elderly woman. There was a funny side.  

The serious side was Mitch’s reaction to the whole experience. His profoundly deep hug to me as we walked away and his grateful thanking of such an experience completed my day. However, unbeknown to me at the time, this was just the start.

Mitch meets a White Robed Nun, these nuns play an important role in Cambodian Society.
Image by Danielle Lancaster

Next stop was S-21, once Tuol Svay Pray High School renamed in 1976 by the Khmer Rouge and converted into a torture, interrogation and execution centre. Nearly 20,000 were forced to walk into this harrowing place and seven walked out. Today, S-21 Prison is known as the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide.

Photos of faces, now ghosts entrapped within the walls stared out at us. Steel bed frames with shackles at each end, blood stained floors, ceilings splattered with blood and ghastly torture devices all were harrowing.

The grisly photographs of bloated, decomposing bodies chained to bed frames with pools of wet blood underneath were taken by Vietnamese photojournalists who first discovered S-21 in January of 1979. A reminder of how photography can arouse awareness of the plights of other humans who deserve better.

Our privilege here was the chance meeting of Bou Meng one of the seven survivors.  Bou Meng, lived because he could paint, and his task was to paint portraits of the dictator Pol Pot, a horrid and inhumane human that thankfully no longer walks this Earth. Tamborine Mountain High School, his signed biography is coming your way.

 One of the seven who walked out of S-21, Bou Meng has something worthy to smile about.
Image by Danielle Lancaster

Photographically today I challenged myself to shoot on P mode (yes, Program or as some call it professional or pissed mode) solely to get it right using exposure compensation and white balance and the blessing of high ISO settings within Nikon. More on that challenge to come soon.

This blog is now long enough, although there is much more to tell, if you have read this far than I thank you for taking an interest in a country and its people I have grown to love.