Cambodia: Phnom Penh Market Portraits
Markets are a central part of SE ASian life, and I am particularly fond of those in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, and a city that gets more and more attractive each year (unlike almost all other cities in the region). Market traders and customers, particularly in the the non tourist areas, are a more interesting group of people than many of the fresh-faced office or shop workers that you see elsewhere in the city. You can see a lifetime of experience, not all of it good, on their faces and particularly in their eyes. Even middle-aged people in Cambodia will have a direct memory of the Khmer Rouge period, if not the Vietnam War, and I sometimes think you can see that in the thousand yard stare you sometimes come across.
These shots were taken with a fast prime telephoto lens (the 75 mm f1.8) and my Olympus OM1 camera. A fast long prime lens is not often used for street photography but I find that this approach can sometimes get to the heart of the street particularly via the eyes. One feature of the lens is that the depth of field is very narrow so sometimes only the eyes are in sharp focus, but it’s the eyes I am interested in.
Photographs in this album include: portraits from the Orussey market, the Russian market, and Boeng Keng Kang market, Phnom Penh, and more.
For camera settings, techniques and equipment used in shoots like this, see the Technique posts on mcaughtry.photo.