Faces of Bayon Photo

Photographer’s Note

Bayon Temple is located within a fortified compound generally known as Angkor Thom which is only a short distant from the most visited Angkor Wat. It was constructed in the late 12th Century C.E. by King Jayavarman VII. If you only plan to see only two temples, these are the ones that you should not miss.

The Bayon is easily recognizable with its giant stone faces which are connected to the classic Khmer art and architecture. There are 37 standing towers, most but not all with carved faces orientated towards the cardinal points. Who the faces represent is a matter of debate but they may be a combination of Buddha and King Jayavarman VII. Bayon was the Jayavarman's State-temple and in many ways represents the pinnacle of his massive building campaign. It appears to be, and is to some degree, an architectural muddle, in part because it was constructed in somewhat piecemeal fashion for over a century.

isabela_sor, phwall, axiotea, macondo, jusninasirun, shevchenko, Sergey13 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

giorgimer (20576) 2009-05-26 15:21

Hi Alfred, very nice one, sharpness is perfect, very good POV and short focus use.

TFS

Gio

SteveH (3847) 2009-05-26 20:14

Hi Alfred, nice shot of one of these iconic faces. good use of short DOF to separate the main subject from the BG face. I bit more separation might have been better, perhaps with some local burning. Texture and colour of the subject are good, giving a sense of the tropical, often wet, environment and age of the buildings. cheers, steve

isabela_sor (41847) 2009-05-26 22:25 [Comment]

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phwall (5396) 2009-05-26 22:50

Hello Alfred,
A striking profile capture. Me thinks a little post layering to throw the background even further out of focus. In any instance you've done it well either in camera or with a little help from post.
A dramatic capture, you've done credit to the ancient sculptors that created this wonderful face.
Regards
Peter

delpeoples (5260) 2009-05-27 2:08

Hi Alfred, I love things in close-up - especially when they are of such magnificent and ancient architecture as this. You have a beautiful sharpness to the image, and with that shallow DOF it combines to make one hell of a photo. Congratulations, after seeing your photos on this country, it is definitely on my list! Best regards, Lisa

sacimar (7013) 2009-05-27 11:18

Hi Alfred,

excellent picture! I like the composition very much, the stone face is impressive, great sharpness and details, nice work, congratulations!

Best regards

Sergio

kschanna (2573) 2009-05-31 4:25

Hello Alfred,

A good picture with strong emphasis on the intricate carving and a good choice of DoF to get the focus on the main object in the frame.

Thanks for sharing
Kamran

skippy007 (6717) 2009-06-02 16:15

Hello Alfred, A pin sharp image with the texture & every detail of the stones clearly visible. A strong image with the the age & significance of these structures well captured. I also like your well written note, not only interesting but also very informative.
Regards
Santo
(Thanks for your concern)

axiotea (15861) 2009-06-02 21:44

Bonjour Alfred
As you know, we did not make it till Siem Reap, so I am enjoying to see from you the famous faces of Bayon ;) for which I appreciate your choice of selective focus... its texture, color tones and the suitable framing.
I thought you had use the Sigma 50-500mm for this one...but not ;)
Have a nice day
Marilyn

macondo (12933) 2009-06-05 9:06

Hi Alfred,
...from the UK! Last day before heading to France again.
Great composition and superb use of the DOF. So sharp and detailed in the foreground, with an interesting note. I wonder how big these stone faces are. Your photo is an excellent close-up and the note is really interesting.
Regards,
Andrew

jusninasirun (9980) 2009-06-11 9:03

Hi Alfred,

Sorry that I was away from TE for quite a bit. This shot is amazing. The sharpness and details are so well seen. I like the close framing in keeping the depth really shallow. Pleasing image and thanks for sharing and best regards.

Jusni

shevchenko (9694) 2009-06-15 19:10

Hi Alfred,
Good shoot to show the face from it side, too many faces and eyes there watching on us, distinct photo to show the solemn face, well done.
Ally