SGTrekker 4D Angkor Wat Photo Tour (4-7 Oct '12)

[limwhow]

No lah. You gave the game away by posting Serene's photo with her camera.

That's why I say you are clever!
Not called Historian-philosopher Daoyin for nothing.
Can read what I am thinking. See what I am beholding.


... The model cometh...

Then out of a sudden, the luscious thick Cambodian lip appears.

Wow. Every one becomes suddenly excited.

"Ok, we will divide every one into two details," instructed Adrian.
"Those with long lenses one group. Those old ones with short teeny weeny lenses who need to go right up close to the model, a second group."

Mrs AlexK was really fast-hand-fast-leg. I seldom see her so excited one.
Must really be the exotic look of the Cambodian beauty that so intrigued her...

I don't know if it is the humidity and severe heat of the Angkorian climate,
or because of sheer exhilaration from being in the presence of an Angkorian beauty,
Our ladies Shauna01 and Mrs AlexK have started exhibiting droplets of perspiration on their backs..
[Click on the photo to see an Enlarged picture. And if there is a Magnify, click on it again to magnify further.]

 

[vngks]

... it's mid morning. And the sky darkens..

"Where is every body?" wondered the four of us.
"Never mind, we just walk towards the west gate. That should get us out." vngks assured.
"I'm not going to climb that high high steps up to the top. That'll kill my knees.." joked LEO.
"I am HUNGRY." screamed SereneXMM.
"Wait first, " vngks, the tripod man. "Let me fix up my tripod and take a shot of these two subjects."

Yup, here's what I shot.

 

[vngks]

Victory Gate, here we come...

My version:

 

[limwhow]

My version:

Wooah...! Such depth and tonality, vngks!
Swee. Really lovely.
See the shades of shadows in the trees... and the way the shadow falls across the face of the head.. Remarkable!

 

[Daoyin]

... The model cometh...

Then out of a sudden, the luscious thick Cambodian lip appears.

This SgTrekker so good eh, their tours always got model shoots.

 

[vngks]

Wooah...! Such depth and tonality, vngks!
Swee. Really lovely.
See the shades of shadows in the trees... and the way the shadow falls across the face of the head.. Remarkable!

Thank you. Much appreciated.

 

[limwhow]

Finished shooting model, we shoot rocks and statues...

I must admit that this model shoot was very fun.
We were up in the knoll, quietly shooting with the model smiling at us, and then not smiling,
and then later hands clasped together, followed by a dance pose...
all these while our guide was watching guard down the slope in case the park rangers come by..
Excitement, a tinge of naughtiness, knowing that we are all together in a conspiracy.

My model shots all not very nice.
Cannot make it.
Got to depend on the rest of the team's shots liao.
I only shoot stone models..

Image enlargeable upon clicking


It was stony hot and mossy humid that late morning.
But we had fun exploring the Victory Gate.
Why? Cos the night before we were telling ourselves we wish to replicate that shot by McDermot. LOL...


OK.. model shoot done. Lunch time!

Pretty hungry we were by now. And we were all cheered by Adrian's announcement that the time is ripe for lunch back in the hotel.
And we even had time for a quick shower and nap before setting off in the afternoon..
What kind of photography trip is this?! LOL...

 

[AlexK]

After the sunrise shoot, off we went to explore Angkor Wat. This Angkor Wat trip is wonderful as it provided us with plenty of photo opps. :thumbsup:


#13 : On the way walking towards the Angkor Wat main building

#14 : Saw a photographer taking his shot

#15 : And two nuns meditating at the courtyard

 

[AlexK]

Alamak, limwhow is very fast hand fast leg and ready for lunch while I'm still inside the main temple.


#16 : Admiring the cravings on the wall

#17 : Ms Kong taking her shot

#18 : Columns also have beautiful cravings

#19 :

 

[limwhow]

The Bayon, here we come!

Now anyone who has been reading about Angkor Wat would invariably read about the Bayon.
Located smack right in the centre of Angkor Thom is this temple built by King Jayavarman VII.
It is the one temple that is dedicated to Buddhism, as Jayavarman VII himself is a devout Mahayana Buddhist.

Bayon is famous for multiple pillars of four faces.

Our guide Mr Thay explained: "During King Jayavarman VII's rule, there was 54 states and each state is represented by one pillar in Bayon."
"Big pillar for big state, and small pillar for the smaller ones. Each face represents Earth, Wind, Water and Fire."

I don't know more than what was told to me.
All I knew was I want to catch a picture of the profile of a face with another one in the distance behind in bokeh.
LOL... Crazy photographers we all were...

We arrived at the North Gate of the Bayon in the afternoon.

Adrian said: "Look, we have one and a half hours inside. It's quite a maze and you can easily get lost."
"But don't worry. Just follow the paths and steps and meet us back here at the North gate. If you get lost, just hit north."

Yah.. say so easy. Not every one of us have a compass leh...
So what did we do? We ALL followed him tight. Otherwise how? Sure get lost inside one...

Here it is. The Guardian of Bayon and beside it, the man himself, a look of resignation on his face... being followed by 16 of his team members.

 

[limwhow]

Alamak, limwhow is very fast hand fast leg and ready for lunch while I'm still inside the main temple.

Wei... where got fast? I am slowly very slowly moving leh..
We nowadays older already leh. No longer last time SgTrekker thread moving at break-neck speed, 10 pages per hour kind of speed leh.. LOL...

#17 : Ms Kong taking her shot

Yah, where is this Ms F Kong ah?
Her Facebook pictures very very nice leh.. But why never share here ah...?

#18 : Columns also have beautiful cravings

Reminds me of Queen Hashitsup's temple. Really, the way you shot this and the way you processed it. Very nice!

#19 :

Aiyoh.. who so terrible go and molest until pichak?! *Faint*

 

[stevepow]

Love the reflection of #13;p

 

[AlexK]

#20 : An angmoh tourist sitting by the doorway

#21 : Local young girls at the main temple building

#22 : The way this local little girl looking at the camera is so captivating.

#23 : Our lovely ladies taking a break. Smile ladies.

 

[stevepow]

Oh gosh.....why did they have to do that to the guardian with the fake stone:cry:

 

[limwhow]

So, what's happening at the Bayon?

Actually, this Bayon is neither big nor too small. It's really of quite a nice size.
Man, I could have spent the whole day exploring the interior of the Bayon.
But there was too little a time. And too many a visitor all jammed inside.

Adrian was his usual clever self.
Brought us flanking the Bayon to the South Gate as it's less crowded there.
En route to the South Gate...

The Bayon in IR...

And Ms shauna01 (aka Tarzan cos she is just... so... Tarzan in her appearance), climbing up the steps of the gate..

I am no expert.
Although the Bayon is a Buddhist temple as compared with the Angkor Wat, which is a Hindu Temple,
But the carving style is all similar.
Interesting. I can't tell them apart.

 

[AlexK]

#24 : Lady resting inside temple. But please do not wear hat inside the temple grounds. Anyway, she was told by the guard to remove her hat.

#25 : Photo taken by her boyfriend

#25 : More stone carvings on the temple wall

#26 : One of the Buddha statue inside the main temple

#27 : This lady tourist must be really tired

 

[AlexK]

limwhow and stevepow, thanks guys.

 

[limwhow]

Making Faces in the Bayon...

Every body was looking for faces in the Bayon. Every body.
Every turn of the corner. Every round of the pillar.
Every face, every profile, every nose... everything was examined from left, right and centre.
Just so to capture that ideal angle.

It's really very fun.
It was scorching hot. But we all enjoyed it tremendously.
Hey this was what we came here for, wasn't it?

Clickable photo

The Bayon faces and I.
Notice the resemblance? Big nose, big cheekbones, thick lips, protruding foreheads.
It's a match!

 

[limwhow]

Bayon Face - My Interpretation...

Bayon in IR

 

[limwhow]

#20 : An angmoh tourist sitting by the doorway

Wah this shot is swee. I can almost imagine it in IR. LOL...

#23 : Our lovely ladies taking a break. Smile ladies.

I think they were on their way to a full smile.
Your finger a little too fast. Pressed the shutter button just a split second earlier. LOL..
After that you never see they all three Smiled big big for you meh? Wahahaha...