My favorite time of the year in Cambodia for photography is by far the wet season. From May to October every year, the countryside changes from dull, dusty, dried out rice paddies, to the most magnificent shades of bright, vibrant green colors.
Most tourists visit Cambodia in the dry season and photographers are always baffled as to why their images come out looking so brown and dull. When the images on my website are vibrant and full of colors. This isn’t some kind of “Photoshop Magic”… it’s about doing research before visiting a place and find out the best season to go.
Yes, November and December are great times to be here temperature wise, but the temples are over crowded with tourists and the moss, lichen, and green lush rice paddies are gone. Most higher end DSLR cameras these days are weather sealed and can take a little bit of moisture. But be prepared. Bring an umbrella, a dry bag for camera gear, and a poncho for yourself.
There is something almost magical being at the temples in a rainstorm. Sometimes it’s a light enough drizzle to still explore the temples and continue to shoot. But other times the rain comes down harder than you have ever seen. This is a good time to find a dry place and hunker down till the storm is finished, usually only lasting a few hours at most.
But when the skies clear, and the temples and trees are covered in fresh rain, cleaning all the dust off, you look around and see no tourists. With the steam from the hot jungle rising off the ground, the mood, and atmosphere completely change. Puddles allow for odd and interesting angles to shoot. I’m sure there’s always someone looking at me after it rains and must be thinking I’m a crazy person for looking down into puddles. But it’s my style and perspective I love to share with others.
There is still time to visit here before the dry season starts. So if you want to experience Cambodia in its best beauty, come tour with Siem Reap Photo Tours in the next couple of months.