Foto's

This is a fairly ordinary photograph from my 2003 Cambodia trip, for which I don't expect anyone to award me 'smileys' - but I wanted to post it today to set the context for another picture that I will post tomorrow. This photograph is of a family band which sits in the carpark outside the Ta Phrom temple, playing traditional music from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. As visitors to Cambodia will be well aware, there are hordes of beggars wherever there are tourists, and many chatrooms on travel websites carry on long debates about whether you should or should not give money to the beggars. However, when I see families like this take the initiative to provide entertainment for the visitors, rather than taking to the streets to beg for money, I don't mind making a donation. It is usually their only source of income and they must survive on what tourists donate. The father - who is obviously an accomplished musician - looks a very stern man which probably explains why his five children are so disciplined. His eldest boys are singing at the tops of their voices (the youngest one is only clapping) whilst his daughter is playing a supporting role on a drum. I just love the position of the boy on the right. He is singing away draped over a tree branch and shaking an instrument in his right hand, but the position of his left hand suggests that it has been a long, long day for them all. Focal length 20mm. No post-processing except for slight cropping and sharpening.