TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography

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Prasat Kravan Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Prasat Kravan a Hindu temple constructed of brick. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Prasat Kravan is the exception to the rule. Angkor Wat and nearly the all the other famous temples in the region are carved from sandstone, with foundations of laterite. The builders of Prasat Kravan (allegedly following the advice of a pig) built their temple of brick.

Boy at Prasat Kravan, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The interiors of the five brick prasats (towers) have wonderful detailed carvings. Several local kids were using the temple grounds as a meeting place, and luckily for me they were more than happy to have their photos taken.

Prasat Kravan a Hindu temple constructed of brick. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Boy at Prasat Kravan, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Prasat Kravan a Hindu temple constructed of brick. Siem Reap, Cambodia

A monk and a lawyer

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Nheam the Cambodian Monk with his adopted son at Angkor Wat

The title of this post sounds like the start of a joke. A monk and a lawyer walk into a bar… It’s almost a given that the joke will be based around the godliness of the monk, and the parasitic or predatory nature of lawyers. This hostility to lawyers isn’t even a recent phenomenon, in Shakespeare’s Henry the Sixth, Dick the butcher says “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”

One day, while at Angkor Wat, I see a Buddhist monk in traditional orange robes taking a photo of his son. Great moment so I also take a pic. A few minutes later we bump into each other inside the temple and begin chatting. His name is Nheam, and the boy is his adopted son. He has been a monk for many years, and the boy was an orphan and needed a parent. As you might have guessed, he’s a lovely, lovely man.

Nheam the Cambodian Monk with his adopted son at Angkor Wat

I ask what he does everyday, and he says he’s studying at the local university to be a lawyer. Being an ignoramus, filled with lazy stereotypes, this doesn’t seems logical to me. I ask why a monk would want to be lawyer. He looks across at me and says that where there is poverty and corruption, they need lawyers to protect the poor and needy.

Nheam, a monk and a lawyer, and a wiser man than me.

Nheam the Cambodian Monk at Angkor Wat

Kobudo Master Yukio Kuniyoshi – Under cloudy skies

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Kobudo Master Yukio Kuniyoshi with sai

After shooting in the studio we asked Kuniyoshi sensei if I could take a few shots outside the dojo. I used powerful battery powered Profoto B1 light for illumination and asked Kuniyoshi to stand on a table to set him against the sky.

Kobudo Master Yukio Kuniyoshi with suruchin

In the first three shots the sun is behind the clouds just right of the image. The B1 was at full power (500w/s) or approximately eight regular speedlights. This allowed me to shoot at around f16 and darken down the sky to show detail in the clouds.

Kobudo Master Yukio Kuniyoshi with tonfa

The following shot with the sun shining directly towards the lens has a definite epic feel to it. Normally I don’t want sections of the image to be completely blown out, but in this case, I think it works.

Kobudo Master Yukio Kuniyoshi “I am Okinawa!!!!!!”

Ta Prohm Temple – Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Apsara carvings – Ta Prohm temple ruin. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Ta Prohm, aka The Tomb Raider Temple, is a fantastic group of ruins hidden in the jungle not far from Siem Reap. Root systems creep across crumbling walls, collapsing some structures, and keeping others standing.

Ta Prohm temple ruin in the forest. Siem Reap, Cambodia

The sandstone carvings have not been cleaned (restored) to the same extent as Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom which makes the place seem more of a discovery. However, if you’re hoping to feel like Laura Croft or Indiana Jones then you need to get here at dawn before the bus loads of tourists arrive.

Shrine – Ta Prohm temple . Siem Reap, Cambodia

You can’t actually walk through the doorway below as it’s fenced off. In the first Tomb Raider film, as soon as Angelina Jolie passes the threshold the ground collapses and she finds herself in an underground tomb. In reality, this was just a set at London’s Pinewood studios, but the doorway is impressive nonetheless.

Ta Prohm temple ruin in the forest. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Entombed – Ta Prohm temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Ta Prohm temple ruin in the forest. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cambodian woman at Ta Prohm temple ruin in the forest. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Kobudo Master Yukio Kuniyoshi

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Kobudo Master Yukio Kuniyoshi. Kaicho of Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai.

Yukio Kuniyoshi, the latest subject in the Karate Masters Portrait Project. A master of kobudo he is highly proficient in a wide range of traditional weapons.

Yukio Kuniyoshi. Kaicho of Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai. Training on Okinawa, Japan with kama ( sickles ).

The following shot really shows the advantage of using a powerful studio flash with a rapid flash duration for this project. The Profoto 7a gives me a flash duration of up to 1/12,000 second. This allows me to stop the suruchin ball and chain as it whizzes around Kuniyoshi sensei’s body.

Yukio Kuniyoshi. Kaicho of Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai. Training on Okinawa, Japan with suruchin ( ball and chain ).

Yukio Kuniyoshi. Kaicho of Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai. Training on Okinawa, Japan with manji sai

Yukio Kuniyoshi. Kaicho of Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai. Training on Okinawa, Japan with tekko ( knuckledusters ).

The Okinawan Priestess

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Yuta (priestess) Ayako Toguchi conducts prayers at sea cave called Sururu Gama on the coast of Kouri Island, Okinawa, Japan

Shrine used by Yuta (priestess) Ayako Toguchi on Kouri Island, Okinawa, Japan

I’m no expert on Okinawan religion, and the facts seem to vary a lot depending on who you ask, but here’s a brief explanation of a ceremony I photographed last week on Kouri Island.

Painting on the wall of the shrine office of Yuta (priestess) Ayako Toguchi with a dragon.

Okinawa’s native religion is ancestor worship, and the most important spiritual leaders are women. They are called either noro, yuta, or the more general term kaminchu. Ayako Toguchi is a spiritual leader on Kouri Island, I met her once before at the Unjami Festival. A friend pointed out on this visit that the mural in the shrine office of a woman flying through the air with a dragon is actually a portrait of Toguchi-san.

Yuta (priestess) Ayako Toguchi leads the way down to the sea cave Sururu Gama on the coast of Kouri Island, Okinawa, Japan

April 3rd, is the third day of the third month in the Okinawan calendar, and a special ceremony was held at Sururu Gama (Sururu Cave) on Kouri Island. The cave is only accessible at low tide, after a scramble down to a hidden beach.

Yuta (priestess) Ayako Toguchi watches as the entry to the sea cave called is cleared.

Even at low tide the entrance must be cleared of rocks and sand before you can enter the cave.

Yuta (priestess) Ayako Toguchi conducts prayers at sea cave called Sururu Gama on the coast of Kouri Island, Okinawa, Japan

After entering the cave, offerings of rice, incense, paper money and awamori (Okinawan rice liquor) were prepared. Then Toguchi-san put on her white robes and offered prayers.

A fascinating insight into a rarely seen part of traditional life on Okinawa.

Yuta (priestess) Ayako Toguchi conducts prayers at sea cave called Sururu Gama on the coast of Kouri Island, Okinawa, Japan

Cambodia Landmine Museum

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After the horrific years under the Pol Pot regime, Cambodia was no longer at war, but huge swathes of the country were (and still are) covered in landmines.

Cambodia Landmine Museum est. by Aki Ra. Siem Reap, Cambodia

During peace time, landmines continue to kill. They kill farmers trying to work the fields, they kill children who see something shiny in the grass. They maim, wound, and cripple indiscriminately.

Aki Ra, was forced to spend his childhood in the jungle with an AK-47. After the war he began to disarm mines by himself, using his bare feet and a stick to discover them, and then a screwdriver to render them safe. Years later he set up a museum to show others some of the items he had found.

Cambodia Landmine Museum est. by Aki Ra. Siem Reap, Cambodia

If you’d like to learn more or make a donation visit the website Cambodia Landmine Museum.

Cambodia Landmine Museum est. by Aki Ra. Siem Reap, Cambodia

I met several Cambodians who’d lost limbs to landmines, some during war, some during peacetime. Any country that has produced landmines (or even worse continues to manufacture them) needs to deal with the long term consequences of their actions.

Guide with landmine injury resulting in loss of hand. Kbal Spean carvings in the riverbed northeast of Angkor. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Guide at Kbal Spean with landmine injury resulting in loss of hand. Cambodia

Banteay Samre Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Offerings of incense. Banteay Samre Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Banteay Samre Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Early Birds Photograph the Dawn

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Dawn at Angkor Wat, Buddhist Temple Complex, Siem Reap, Cambodia

I’m not by habit an early riser, but if you want shots of the dawn and beautiful light, you’ve got to start your day in the dark.

An added bonus is that you can can enjoy the cooler temperatures before things get very hot and sticky.

Sunrise over the rice fields near Banteay Srei Temple, Cambodia

Master Class – Feature on Okinawan Karate Masters in Indulge Magazine

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Master Class – Star Cruises Indulge Magazine Q2 2014

Now available in your Star Cruises cabin, the latest edition of Indulge Magazine which includes a feature on the karate masters of Okinawa. One of their cruise ships now docks at Ishigaki and Naha, so it’s great to be able to share some of the local culture with visitors.