Happy New Year…

Turning another page and now entering the Year of the Tiger. 2010 had a lot of potential and I wish to all to take advantage of it. Happy New Year!!!

New edition…

New redesigned and updated edition (3rd) of my favorite book "Cambodia, the years of turmoil". This time, it was printed in a nice duotone with spot varnish on a 157gsm art matt paper, it comes with a jacket over a soft cover. This make for a book just under 1 kg, easy to carry back home when you buy it here in Asia…it's priced at $37.50.
You can order it directly from me ($32) and pay via Paypal; I send it Air Parcel (Post) all over the world from Asia Horizons Books.

20 years ago…a dictator fell!

Another marker in time, 20 years ago, between shoots on two movies, I was in Romania for a couple of weeks, soon after the revolt had started in Timisoara.It was a cold winter and the airport being closed I reached the capital by train from Budapest after a flight from Paris. The revolt got rid a of the dictator Caucescu in a week. This picture was taken in the office of the former ruler where an ad-hoc revolutionary committee was debating the future of the nation. See the BBC story…

Theary Seng in front of my lense…

Theary C. Seng from the Center for Justice & Reconciliation in Cambodia was my subject for a photo shoot in Phnom Penh last week. That was a fairly good way to step aside for a day from the ongoing Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Phnom Penh where she represents the victims of Cambodia darkest hours under the Pol Pot regime. She is the author of the book "Daughter of the Killing Fields'. Her blog, and the NGO.

Angkor Photo Workshop 2009

Work group with Antoine d'Agata and Arantxa Cedillo at the 2009 edition of the Angkor Photo Workshop. Held in Siem Reap/Cambodia on the last week of November with 28 young photographer from 10 Asian countries, it was a success thanks to the FCC Angkor which loan us its premises. Phlip Blenkinsop and Patrick de Noirmont with Olivier Nilsson were coaching two other groups of students. I manage to organise the workshop on a minimum budget and for this fifth edition, we can say that it was again a good opportunity for all photographers involved to explore Siem Reap and come with great stories… (see more about the workshop on the APWS blog.

Putting the camera to work…

Well, this is another venture into shooting…Indoor set-up…great when it's too hot outside. No sweating, no shouting, no hardship, but some thinking. Kind of interesting but I'm happy to fly to Laos for a week and will certainly appreciate shooting out in the cool morning light…

Shooting (various)…

As a photographer, it's always a good thing to keep taking pictures. Even getting into jobs that you won't have though of. For almost three years now, I have photographed the work of an artist friend and it's an interesting co-operation. As her work expand, I often try to represent her work in away she didn't see at first and work on composition with her modular pieces. After exhibition in Shanghai and Bangkok,now in Paris. It's also a good way to keep your skill at lighting up shiny object… Go see her art at her website.

Almost in the shops…This is the hard cover version picture. The book is mostly B&W in Duotone printing on 200 grs artmatt paper (a dozen color pictures throughout the book have been printed in full color). Spot varnish as well. Size 19.5x27 cm (7.5x10.5 inch), 130 pages. It sells for US$37.50. The soft cover reprinted on 157 grs artmatt paper sell for US$29.50. Beside the bookshops across S-E Asia, the book is available directly from me (with a 20% discount) at RN@asiahorizons.com (paid via PayPal and air parcel shipping).

Photo Exhibition at the FCCT Bangkok

With the book 'THE FALL OF PHNOM PENH' out, I have this exhibition (from April 17, 2009 to early May 2009) with photographs I took in Phnom Penh/Cambodia on April 17, 1975. Just the pictures from one day… a big day in Cambodia's people's minds. If you come by do not miss it, I put up on the wall a series of 30 B&W images printed in 17" by 23" on my Epson 4880.

StopTB Workshop in Rio de Janeiro

Thanks to Gary Knight (Dispatches) and WHO, I got the privilege to do a workshop in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. We had to produce a slideshow for the StopTB Conference held over there at the end of March. With a group of 12 young Brazilian photographers from the a Photo School in Maré favela, we work for over a week at illustration the problem of TB in the poorest areas of Rio. Marizilda Cruppe, a photographer from O'Globo was my local assistant and did a great job. I finally had to introduce the work to a plenary session of the Conference. The 5 minute piece was very well received by the attendance, then Jim Nachtwey had a presentation of his work on XDR TB.

ANGKOR PHOTO WORKSHOP 2008

One of the teams at work during this 2008 workshop. This year I manage to get 30 students from all over Asia. We divided them in 4 work groups. One with Antoine d'Agata, another one with studio lighting working with Vincent Soyez and Laurent Zilberman, another documentary photography with Jean Chung (who received the StopTB award) working with David Hogsholt, finally the biggest group working with myself, Patrick de Noirmont and Olivier Nilsson. A rather big workshop with again this year a 1,000 euro prize from Paris-Match. It was given at the great final party at the FCC Angkor.

In memory of Philip Jones Griffiths

Well, this is my recalls of Philip. First, waiting for Lon Nol to make his exit from Cambodia, at the gate of the Chamcarmon Palace in 1975, just a few weeks before the fall of Phnom Penh. Then we last met in November 2006 at the Angkor Photo Festival where he came to help with our Photo Workshop. I value the time I've talk with him over the years.

Preah Vihear and the World Heritage

This ANGKOR era temple built atop a hill, now on the border between the 2 countries is again at the center of a row between Cambodia and Thailand. The Khmer government want to have it listed as a World Heritage but the Thai Government object about this… So I went up there a few weeks ago. And the place is truly amazing…the sunrise (for which it was purposely built) over the plain of northern Cambodia is a must. Accessing the top is a little scary from the back of the motorcycle taxi, but going down is ever scarier… Well it is really worth the trip, and the overnight stay at the very basic guesthouse in the Khmer village at the bottom of the hill.

The fall of Phnom Penh…

Well, it's an old story…but with KR tribunal going on in Phnom Penh and somehow a renewed interest in the recent history of Cambodia, I though I may as well put out my part of witness in the whole thing. In fact, most of the people talking about the KR were not around when they stormed into Phnom Penh in April 1975… I was there and working as a photographer… so it's a good time to make my point. I penned (with the help of Ben Davies) a 10,000 words story to accompany my images and try a to render what it was as well in my mind.
After some trouble at the printing, I finally decide to put out this version which is available across SE Asia at about 30 USD.

Laos, A journey… re-published

The first edition of Ben Davies book has sold out… With Asia Horizons Books, I redesigned and publish this new edition with a cover designed by Helen Kudrich. This time we use a very nice paper from Italy (Cartieri de Milano) and the result is pretty nice.
The book ist still one of the best picture book on Laos where Ben spent several months in a dozen trips toward the end of the 90s to get all those images.
It's available across SE Asia in most bookstores and from Asia Horizons Books website (www.asiahorizons.com) using PayPal. Available for just 40 USD.

Angkor Photo Festival 2007

Another rendez-vous for the fall of 2007. The venue is becoming popular far beyond Siem Reap. This year I coordinate the Free Photo Workshop; we had 2 dozen young Asian photographers from all over Asia and several tutors from Asia, Europe and the US. The whole affair went very well and last for over a week, everybody came out with a good experience. Some of the photographers attending have now made their marks in the market.
We are looking forward to the 2008 edition. It should take place at around mid-November. From about May you can send applications to me again (angkorworkshop@gmail.com) and visit the website (www.angkorphotofestival.com)

New book…Luang Prabang

This new book of the same format as Angkor (7.5 by 10.5 inch with hardcover) can be found in bookstores across South East Asia for about US$27.50…
Again, I have use my stock of images on Luang Prabang for this publication, and my friend Ben Davies wrote a 3000+ word piece. That make a 104 pages book with a small guide (8 pages at the end) of the main temples and stupas of the city.

Down memory lane…

Once in a while I happen to drop by at The Oriental hotel in Bangkok, which is a landmark stopover for jetsetters and famous people.
And recently I stumble upon an old picture from my archives…that's about 25 years ago that I took this photo of Prince Rainier of Monaco and Grâce on the starway of the original hotel. They were very nice and gave me a few minutes of their time in this beautifull lobby of the old building. This was a time when very few photographers were in Bangkok (I was based here between 1979 and 1982) and this was done between my trips to the Cambodian refugee camps or stories in Afghanistan, Korea, Japan, Beirut or Indonesia…Cool old time...

A Few More Things from 2006…

Shooting stills on the movie [Crocs] was another exciting sojourn in the Krabi area. Starring Michael Madsen (who I had met first years ago on Thelma & Louise) and directed by Stewart Raffill (a real character in himself). Also some very fine Bangkok based actors on the film.

The Angkor Photo Festival…

Last edition of the Angkor Photo Festival (2007) for which I team-up to do the Free workshop for Young Asian Photographers; in fact a solid week of work and an exciting challenge.

And another movie shoot

Making good with my Nikon D2x gear. Another shoot, this time in Krabi (Southern Thailand) which in fact is very exotic (plantations, mangroves and bat caves) but a little wet at this time of the year. My new Mac Book has just been sent to Apple for repair after dozen of tiny ants made their way in the board, probably looking for a warm and dry place to rest…And the film is a fiction…on intelligent ants…Once again, I'm thinking at all the hard work in the years past to deal with the low ligh and night shoots; that's over with a digital camera and shooting Raw files. And a little technical info, a 4GB RIDATA CF card that is just over one year old is getting seriouly slower by the weeks now…I'm trying a new 4GB AData card (Samsung chip), all beside the Extreme 3…

Return to the movies set…

Over the recent years I didn't give much though about the movie biz. It usually means weeks or months away on location day or night, exposed to the wrath of the weather…in fact not so glamorous but a real break from dekstop publishing!
Now with the progress of digital shooting, making the job easier; that's enough to push me back into the fray. I had to dust off my old F4s JPI blimp which incidentally fits the Nikon D2x. And, as Paddy Brown left for a 10-day trip to the US, I found myself on the set of Bangkok Dangerous, line produced by old friend Chris of Living Films. That was a real great experience to deal once more with a superstar. There was Nicolas Cage, here captured with the Nikon 70-200 mm VR.
And, for more info on the movies I've worked on, go to the Internet Movie Database website: IMDb site

A new book on Angkor (First in a Series)

The first volume of a series of small coffee-table books on the region…by Asia Horizons Books.
Size is 7,5 by 10,5 inch (19x26,5 cm). Hardback in full color print on a matt art paper with 80 pages of text and photos. The photographic llustrations are by Roland Neveu and the words from Ben Davis. The book will be available at bookstores around SE Asia at around 18 dollars.

Best of everything for 2006
Meilleurs vœux pour le nouvel an.

A postcard from my archives

Well, this is the time for well wishing all around… and I could not resist to use this picture of Bai Ling I took a couple of years ago while working on the set of the movie Beautiful Country on a beach near Nha Trang in Vietnam.
Also to remind you that is the best time of the year for nice outdoor light around Asia.
Since that Bai Ling has done a lot better on the pages of Playboy magazine… with another photographer.
That will be my new year postcard for you all…

Exhibition in Luang Prabang

Works from the book: Luang Prabang Watercolors by Somboon Phoungdorkmai that I published just a year ago are on show at the beautiful traditional house of a friend (Francis Engelmann) in Luang Prabang (Laos). The exhibition will go until early February in this World Heritage city and the house is next the Elephant restaurant. Original artworks and 'giclée' prints are on sale as well as the book.

New book on Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang in Northern Laos is a former Royal capital and a favorite destination for an ever increasing number of people. It's a charming little town doted with numerous pagodas and tucked between the Mekong and Nam Kan rivers. It has been a World Heritage site for the past 10 years. This small picture book (priced $16) is an intrduction to the place and a perfect small gift to bring back. Pictures by Roland Neveu and text by Ben Davis.

Movie poster from old job

Finaly, a movie for which I shot the stills back in 2002 had his US release last summer.
Beautiful Country was shot in Vietnam (and a small part in the US) with Nick Nolte, Tim Roth, Bai Ling and directed by Norwegian Hans Petter Moland. The movie was ealier entered in Berlin Film Festival, Toronto Festival and other but failed to attrack the big crowd…Nevertheless there is some very good acting by Damien Nguyen (playing Binh). The good part was 10 weeks shooting in Vietnam and friendly and sensual actress Bai Ling on the set…

Pictures & Angkor Festival

This is a wall of prints of my book Years of Turmoil at the Carnets d'Asie gallery in Siem Reap (above).
And probably the most interesting evening show was at the newly opened Hotel de la Paix (below).

Angkor Photography Festival

The event takes place in Siem Reap-Cambodia just next to the famed historical site. My new edition of the book (Years of Turmoil) should be ready in the next few days and will launched at an event on next Sunday 23 at "Carnets d'Asie" along with the exhibition of a dozen images (50x70cm) from the book. A number of books will be available for sale [US$28] and signing as well. In the course of the event I hope to find sponsorship for publishing this book in the Khmer language and have it distributed for free in Cambodian schools and libraries.
It is nice to know that old pal Patrick Chauvel will be here as well with a new book (SKY). The week of event (festival site) is the first of its kind in the region and is taking place beside the week of workshops organized by the photo agency VII.

Pilgrims of Wat Tham Boya

Every year, at the occasion of the Khao Phansa festival in Thailand (the Buddhist Lent), anyone can go to meditate in a Pagoda. It can just be to get away from your daily routine, or make good on a vow like to quit smoking.
Usually people living in cities would take on that opportunity as a number of pagodas and revered places have basic infrastructures to welcome the devotees. A number of cave systems across the country are also popular and offer a safe refuge from the elements and mundane disturbances.
In this case the favored place is a large cave system in Central Thailand named Wat Tham Boya which measure about 120 meter in lengths and at part 20 meter's high and was discovered 50 years ago. It's entrance marked by a sacred tree, is halfway up the hill above a pagoda and can be access by a fight of a couple of hundred steps adorned with gilded statues and small shrines. Here, mostly women come to meditate as the facilities are rather good. A huge gilded Buddha statue, about ten meters in height sits near the entrance and there are another half dozen small shrines adorned with Indu gods at other corners of the cave. The place has been fitted with tents and it resemble a wild underground camping site.
People spend their time praying alone or in group at different small shrines, reading and sleeping. Since one of the main feature of the Khao Phansa festival is the making and setting of big candles at the places of worship, we can see the statues adorned with often more than a meter high candles which have been carried up there for the occasion.
The pictures are available at ONASIA.

Happiness is a bath away...

Yeah, but shooting a pretty girl in a milky bath filled with flowers is just as hard a job as any. Just think of all those mirrors with 3 Broncolor lights in the bathroom, myself and another couple of people throwing the flowers and pampering the model...it's became a really tight space. The Plaza-Athenee Bangkok provided one of their suite for the shoot done for a new product: an all-in-one 'milky bath with orchids or roses specially dried petals'.

[art to art] gallery shoot in Bangkok

Another day, another experience; this time shooting bronze sculpture from friend artist Valérie Andrianoff. A little more than 2 dozen pieces. The Nikon D2X has been very handy for that type of work in studio environment for catching all the contours and relief of the pieces. Valérie's art is beautiful and comes in many colors (from white to black bronze finish). This new permanent exhibition here in Bangkok at the 'art to art' gallery in the O.P. Place next to the Oriental hotel is worth the detour.

Luang Prabang trip

The "Capital" of North Laos, a unique small town, also a World Site Heritage always offer glimpses of beauty and serenity to the traveller. There for preparing a couple of exhibitions (one of the 'Watercolours' from Somboon and one of pictures from the book 'Laos: A Journey Beyond the Mekong' by Ben Davies) I found time to take a few snaps… and this is one on my favorites.

Black Market book contribution

It maybe worth to mention that I was the Photo Editor for this book published by Earth Aware Editions in the US. It was an interesting experience to work with other photographer's images, Ben Davies (who researched and wrote the book) and Adam Oswell who produced it. Almost all the pictures I selected made it in the book, although the cover was not of my choice. And I must mention here that Paul Hilton (not a relative of Paris...) based in Hong Kong gave a real good performance on short notice. The book is unique and available at Amazon.com and we just had a launch here in Bangkok at the FCCT, on Tiger Day with the presence of Wild Aid.

Stock images at OnAsia

Finally (that what Peter Charlesworth could say!) I have captioned almost one thousand pictures mostly archive stuff to put Online at Onasia. Also brought several hundred recent images from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore (all ready and captioned!). I still have to go though thousands of stock images I got back from Getty/Gamma-Liaison last year, got to be patient there...

Cambodia book re-designed out soon

My book 'CAMBODIA: the years of turmoil' which was first publish in 2000 has gone through a facelift and will be out soon. Almost by popular demand as the first edition has sold out.
The new version is a little smaller (A4 size) will have 160 pages, duotone printing. Several new pictures were added (which were lost for a number of years and has been retrieved from Gamma) and a number of pages were re-designed.
A soft cover version is in printing now and will retail for us$29,50 (much less than the first edition with its hard cover).
The distribution will cover Southeast Asia, as for the first edition. If distributors in other parts of the world are interested, I'll be please to accommodate their orders (shipping out of Bangkok). The book will also be available online from Asia Horizons Books website (more on this at a later date).

Exhibition in Stockholm in 2004

Well, this is a little old news, but as I told earlier I've to catch up on a few things... and this is one of them. It was a great experience and a great trip as I had the chance to spend my week and half in freezing Stockholm with Philip Blenkinsop who is a really nice fellow. The exhibitions were certainly of interest but the entire event (Making Differences) was overshadowed by the controversy brought with the Amit Goren installation. Anyway I think now that it's time to look for venues of that scale to exhibit my work. This is probably a chance to pass on the message to long time friend Alain Mingam who seems to have more connections in this world than anyone...
rn

About a recent book I designed & published

Luang Prabang is a World Heritage Site in North LAOS
This book which is available in bookstores in Asia presents the work of a Thai artist Somboon Phoungdorkmai and was originally commissioned by the Thai Lao Friendship Association. We eventually had the book printed with the help of Thai Airways airline which now flies to that city from Chiang Mai. The book is also on sale (us$36) at hotel boutiques and several locations in Luang Prabang.
Of course I will have to use this blog to do some catch up with news, and in fact there are several other books in the pipeline and I'll have preview very soon here...…
rn

another one bites the blog virus

Hi all!
That's about time to get on the bandwagon…from the buzzing city of Bangkok, which has been my home for more than 10 years, the plan is to get back into the circle of shooters (a usefull link to get acquaintance my website). For a number of years having dedicated time to publishing Asia Horizons Books has given me the urge to go back to my first passion and once again compete for exposure in a difficult field.
The coming of age on my friends' photo agency OnAsia makes it a perfect setting and will certainly help breaking the routine of the laid back lifestyle offered by the Indochinaa backdrop.
With the help of now almost film quality digital photography, it feel certainly comfortable to get out and shoot, the gratification is instant. The acquisition of the NIKON D2x makes for a big part of my renewed interest.
Well, that's a re-start which bring to memory my earlier first jump into the trade in the seventies when the communication tool of choice was the Telex machine, sitting hours, usually at night, in central post-offices around the globe, punching that little white paper tape… I'm having the feeling of being on another planet right now!
Feels great!
rn