honorable mention
Som Roy indiaPhoto © Som Roy
title
Serious Sam | Phnom Kulen National Park, Cambodia
As for this location, it just kept on reminding me of a game called Serious Sam which I was completely addicted to during my teens. I'm sure players would see the connection just like I did. A very Jumanji-esque experience. Not many places in the world can boast of that.
Shot details: Single exposure, handheld.
It took much longer for the photography skills in me to take shape. I hail from a time and family where access to internet, need to travel and ownership of a camera were preceded over by other survival essentials. Consequently, it took a while for me to turn technically competent enough to qualify for a camera. For the initial 8 to 9 years of my travels, I strutted around armed with either a hapless single digit megapixel phone camera or a nondescript point-and-shoot. I cringed at the fact that my exploits were so unremarkable that even my family would frown upon them. The moment of inflection and reckoning came in 2017 when I bought my first advanced DSLR. It’s been close to three years now and my fascination with the craft has only deepened every day – taking me across most continents and destinations not even on Google Maps. Photography has provided me the balance and perspective that were unbeknownst to me previously – allowing me to grow both as a professional and human being. I evolved from a ‘tourist who photographed’ to a ‘curator of memories’. I specifically focus on landscape and architecture photography since I’m a tad too shy to shoot other living beings. Hampi, the Peruvian Andes and the Raja Ampat islands remain my dream expeditions.
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entry description
There are very few places in the world that manage to capture your spiritual, visual and gastronomical senses. And then there's Siem Reap. Consistently rated as one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world, the city has much more to offer than just the sandstone ruins. Beyond all of it, what really stood out for us is the hospitality and warmth of the locals. For a country that is trying to move past a ravage modern history and rediscover it's glorious past, Cambodians pretty much hold the benchmark. As you begin to unwind at the Pub Street after an absolutely packed day, the revelry on the street that runs till the wee hours of the morning serves as a constant reminder of a spirit that runs deep (pun not intended). We are still enticed. The pictures hopefully speak for themselves.As for this location, it just kept on reminding me of a game called Serious Sam which I was completely addicted to during my teens. I'm sure players would see the connection just like I did. A very Jumanji-esque experience. Not many places in the world can boast of that.
Shot details: Single exposure, handheld.
about the photographer
I was born and brought up in north-eastern India – a region that was largely isolated from the rest of the country for most of the previous century. I'm currently based out of Bangalore, India and as for my day job, I’m a vice president with a major investment bank and oversee functions ranging from software and data engineering to NLP, machine learning and analytics.It took much longer for the photography skills in me to take shape. I hail from a time and family where access to internet, need to travel and ownership of a camera were preceded over by other survival essentials. Consequently, it took a while for me to turn technically competent enough to qualify for a camera. For the initial 8 to 9 years of my travels, I strutted around armed with either a hapless single digit megapixel phone camera or a nondescript point-and-shoot. I cringed at the fact that my exploits were so unremarkable that even my family would frown upon them. The moment of inflection and reckoning came in 2017 when I bought my first advanced DSLR. It’s been close to three years now and my fascination with the craft has only deepened every day – taking me across most continents and destinations not even on Google Maps. Photography has provided me the balance and perspective that were unbeknownst to me previously – allowing me to grow both as a professional and human being. I evolved from a ‘tourist who photographed’ to a ‘curator of memories’. I specifically focus on landscape and architecture photography since I’m a tad too shy to shoot other living beings. Hampi, the Peruvian Andes and the Raja Ampat islands remain my dream expeditions.
back to gallery