Cambodian New Year

❮

❯

These photos were taken at the Cambodian New Year Festival at the Cambodian Temple in Takanini. My favorite is probably the portrait of the dancer in the boxing ring. It was a bit of a tricky shot—the ropes were in the way, and the ring was elevated. Naturally, I went to the spot with the best angle, but that didn’t fully solve the problem since she kept moving into spots that were hard to see. After some trial and error and patiently waiting, she finally looked straight at me and—snap—I got the photo I wanted and it came out better than I expected. It turned out beautiful and surprisingly intimate, like she was looking at me—or you—instead of the camera.

Here's an excerpt about my experience:

"... I went out with my mom to celebrate Cambodian New Year at a temple. Similar to the lantern festival I went to earlier, there were a lot of people and plenty of festivities all around us. Naturally, these became the subjects of my photos. The temple was draped in Cambodian flags, banners, statues, and monuments. Around the perimeter, food stalls lined the field, and massive tents stretched from end to end, overcrowded with people eating and chatting. A play and traditional dances were being performed, and inside the temple, a calming silence echoed with quiet prayers. In the center of the field, kids were throwing baby powder at each other, running around and laughing—a festivity reminiscent of Holi. Nearby, a vacant boxing ring waited to be filled by two fighters preparing to face off. It was unbelievably rich with culture. Even though I’m half Cambodian, I’m not as in tune with the culture as I’d like to be—and the same goes for my other half. I felt a bit like an outsider, but at the same time, I felt like I was among my people. I watched the play, the dances, and the boxing matches. I even took part in one of the traditions where people gather around a statue of Buddha and pour water over it—a symbolic act of washing away the old and welcoming renewal for the new year. Whenever I photographed people laughing and talking, I’d look at the photos and smile—not just because they looked good, but because seeing their joy kind of transferred to me. Even if I wasn’t directly part of the moment, I still felt like I was there with them. And when I look back at those photos now, I return to those moments in my mind—and that brings me joy."

← Previous Next →