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I'm planning on visiting the temples of Cambodia next month. I'll only be shooting 4x5 and interested in finding a guide that is at least familiar with the "unique requirements" of large format. Plus when in a new location I seem to find a local guide helps get me going, especially in a foreign country. Any recommendations or leads?
You might also want to ask for suggestions from the Friends Center at the Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap.
https://angkorhospital.org/friends-center/
You could also contact large format photographer Kenro Izu:
http://www.kenroizu.com/
How much are they charging now for photo permits?
A few years ago the policy was anything larger than 35mm required one.
I was there 2 years ago; you need a ~$65 pass to get into the Angkor area for 5 days but there's no extra for a camera (I used an RZ67, got a lot of attention especially from the Japanese). Do not miss Beng Mealea; it's got a lot less tourists in it. Get there at dawn.
Dawn won't save you at AW; I was there 45 mins before first glow, at the back, and when the light came up I noticed another photog 15m away who'd been there before me. I was there in Jan, which means woodsmoke and no good light.
I didn't have a guide but we had a really good hotel; they provided a dedicated tuktuk driver each day.
you will not need a guide but you may wanna hire a trishaw (or whatever the cambodian name for that is). when i arrived there they had a new law no tourists could rent a motor bike. so it is hire a pedal driver or pedal your own push bike.
it is a big place. best to relax and ride along. bring lunch and water. neither is easily had out near the temples.
the best part of the french being in cambodia is the availability of bread. i bought sandwiches on the street for a US quarter and brought them for lunch.
i used an RB67 and had no issues with a permit.
have fun.
eddie
I can highly recommend Kim Rieng. He's a certified guide and very familiar with photographers. He's an ex-cop and knows the temples inside and out, especially where to go when to avoid the tourist bus hoards, as well as the less-visited outer temples which, to me, were much more interesting than Angkor itself (I second the recommendation to photograph Beng Mealea). You can contact him at kimrieng@yahoo.com Note that it may take him a few days to reply - he's out guiding most of the time. He provides the transportation too.