Insights and musings about photography and the creative process

Photo of the Day Ken Lee Photo of the Day Ken Lee

Photo of the Day: Evening Contemplation

A Buddhist monk atop ancient temple ruins pauses at sunset for a moment of reflection. Buddhism and Hinduism alternated as...

A Buddhist monk atop ancient temple ruins pauses at sunset for a moment of reflection. Buddhism and Hinduism alternated as the dominant religion in this part of Southeast Asia for much of its history and many temples were converted or modified several times to suit the reigning theology. Angkor Archeological Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

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Photo of the Day Ken Lee Photo of the Day Ken Lee

Photo of the Day: Camera Friendly Culture

After a morning of photography on the streets of Jaipur, India, I was hungry and stopped for a bite at a small restaurant. While I was waiting for my food to arrive, I noticed these...

After a morning of photography on the streets of Jaipur, India, I was hungry and stopped for a bite at a small restaurant. While I was waiting for my food to arrive, I noticed these two young men framed in an opening in the wall of the kitchen. They noticed me too, but instead of turning away or showing annoyance, they looked directly at me and stood still as if posing for my shot. I made a few exposures and gave them a smile and a wave. They smiled back and went on with their conversation. One of the many things I love about photographing in India is that Indians, in general, are not the least bit camera shy. In fact, I often get stopped by strangers who ask me to take their picture. Sometimes they want to see the shots on the back of my camera and other times they just smile and walk away. Quite a contrast from other cultures that are not so camera friendly.

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Photo of the Day Ken Lee Photo of the Day Ken Lee

Photo of the Day: Faces of Bayon

Pre-dawn mist adds to the enigmatic character of Bayon temple (Cambodia). Nearby Angkor Wat is more famous, but Bayon has always been...

Pre-dawn mist adds to the enigmatic character of Bayon temple (Cambodia). Nearby Angkor Wat is more famous, but Bayon has always been my favorite remnant of the Khmer empire. The most striking feature of Bayon is the face towers which contain giant identical faces carved on all four sides (in most cases) of each tower. Many scholars believe that the faces are representations of the King Jayvarman VII for whom the temple was built to honor. There are about 200 carved faces in all.

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