At the end of 2016, I bought a Honda Wing motorbike in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Phen and spent 3 months exploring Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam. One of my first stops was the town of Siem Riep famous for the temples of Angkor. One morning I was photographing some shrines in a monastery when I was approached by a novice monk. He was really interested in photography so obviously, we got chatting, it wasn’t long before the conversation moved on and we were chatting about life, education, hobbies, and all that other good stuff. My new friend already spoke good English but he was keen to practice and improve. Over the next week or so I would stop by every day and we would spend a couple of hours sitting in a shady corner of the monastery’s courtyard chatting and reading. It was fascinating to have such an insight into the life of a young monk from a completely different culture to my own. Despite being much younger in years I was in awe of his maturity, knowledge, and outlook on life. Our time spent together had a huge impact on me and certainly changed how I approach my own life.
I was due to depart Siem Riep in a few days when I started telling him about some plans I had for my final days photographing the temples. I don’t know how it hadn’t come up before but he informed me that he’d never visited the temples. I wasn’t going to have that so the next morning I invited him to join me on my sunrise shoot after which we could go on a tour of the temples. I had planned out a route for us to follow that would avoid us having to bump into the group tours and leaving us in the very best temples in the later afternoon when the majority of visitors had left for the day. As it got quieter I was asked if I wouldn’t mind taking some shots of him in the temples. I hadn’t requested this before as I wanted him to enjoy the sites and not feel uncomfortable despite the potential being obvious. It was at this point as he calmly stepped over a rope that I found out monks could go anywhere in the ruins, even if they were closed to the public. This particular doorway is one of those closed areas due to the fragile nature of the structure. He disappeared off exploring and as he came out he held the most perfect pose. I was anticipating the moment as I thought it would make a nice shot as he reappeared but what happened was better than I had expected. I never did ask if he struck this stance for my benefit but I think his cheeky smile tells me all I need to know.
As anyone who knows my work will recognise the use of bold colour is ever-present throughout my body of work and this piece is no exception. I love the way the bright orange of his robes and cheeky expression give the feeling of hope and joy despite being surrounded in contrast by dark and unforgiving elements. The combination of our history so richly intertwined with the present gives me a strong sense of positivity each and every time I look at this image.
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Title: Novice
Location: Ta Prohm temple, Angkor Watts, Cambodia
Photographer: Jordan Banks
Exposure date: 4th November 2016
Size: 6857x4576 @300dpi
No image manipulation
License: Can be used to display privately, in commercial and non-commercial settings, or in groups with an unlimited number of participants. The license includes unlimited use and display in virtual or physical galleries, documentaries, and essays by the NFT holder. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise, commercial distribution, or derivative works.
The image (Novis) will never be replicated as an edition, in a collection, composite, or in any form of digital art.