10-Day Photo Workshops for 50 Cambodian Children

By Yong Yen Nie

It was a scorching hot day in Siem Reap but the Anjali Photo Workshop participants were unperturbed. Roun and four other Anjali Workshop participants between the ages of 12 to 18 were busy photographing scenes in a Bakong village.

Under a coconut tree, a man was shoveling wood chips, his skin gleaming under the sun. One of the workshop participants asked him if he would like to have his portrait taken. After several minutes of persuasion, the man gingerly stepped onto the wooden chips, and struck a pose with his shovel. Excited by the prospect of a making portrait, all five quickly raised their cameras, much to the amusement of on-looking villagers.

This was a typical moment at the Anjali Photo Workshops, an annual event organized by Angkor Photo for 50 children from Anjali House, a non-profit organization founded Angkor Photo in 2005, which provides education, meals and healthcare to under-privileged street children in Siem Reap.

From 21 to 30 November, the children spend about four hours daily learning photography from 10 professional photographers, who volunteer their time for this initiative.

It is an event that youths like Roun look forward to. The workshops, he said, have inspired him. “I want to show the people what Cambodian daily life is like,” he said. “Photographing people working and resting makes me happy because they are real.”

Roun and his friends are led by tutor Paolo Patrizi, who has taught the workshop since 2011. Paolo says teaching is a joy because of the students' enthusiasm and spontaneity. “What I mainly do is teach them to express themselves through photography, rather than relying on technical aspects of the camera.”

Paolo’s efforts are paying off. His students spotted another man chopping bamboo under a cotton tree, and quickly approached him. “Get him to come to the light,” Paolo said.

After the portrait was taken, Paolo checked everyone’s photographs through the cameras’ viewfinders to make sure the composition was right.

He then guided the students to find good angles for their photographs, which involved quite a bit of physical exercise - bending to get a proper frame, and adjusting their distance from the subject before taking the photograph.

By the end of the photo shoot, Paolo’s students were tired, but satisfied with their work for the day.

Siem Reap / November 28, 2014

Stay tuned for more updates, and if you'd like to keep up with all the events and activities this year, like us on Facebook and check back to the Official Website over the next two months for regular updates and press coverage.