Angkor Wat Photography Tips + 5 Things They Don't Tell You About Angkor Wat Sunrise - ItsAllBee

When planning a trip to Cambodia, right at the top of that list is an Angkor Wat Sunrise photography. I shared a post on this recently, this post is all about Angkor Wat Photography tips. From things, you need to know about Angkor Wat sunrise camera settings, the best spots for an Angkor Wat temple photo, to the best tour options for Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat offers the perfect place for photographing beautiful ancient architecture and natural surroundings. So in Many people dream of seeing the temple of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia and the beautiful pictures that we see floating around make it seem so serene, peaceful and calm.

That is until you actually get here and the place looks like a zoo for humans. Okay, there are times when it’s not so crazy, providing you avoid the place at certain times. So below I will also be sharing certain things people don’t tell you about Angkor Wat so that you can prepare, especially if you are visiting for Angkor travel photography. Below was my experience and having not found a lot of information on Angkor Wat photography tips I actually didn’t expect the massive crowds hence why I wanted to share my travel experience at Angkor Wat.

Below are some of the things I wish people would have warned me about when I was planning a morning shoot for an Angkor Wat sunrise, which I hope will help you. Also, note that this post is only intended to assist in setting your expectations when you visit and perhaps prepare you for it. Particularly for an Angkor wat photographer making their way to Siem Reap.

Also See:

5 Angkor Wat Photography Tips | Siem Reap Photography Guide

Below is a mini Siem Reap photography guide for those wanting to take amazing pictures of Angkor Wat at sunrise as well as surrounding areas in Siem Reap and Cambodia. Further below I will cover where you can find photography workshops in Siem Reap as these offer hands on Angkor Wat photography tips while you are on location and in the best spots to take great pictures of the temples in Cambodia.

1. Visit During The Day If Possible

So how do you know just what is the best location for photographs in Angkor Wat Cambodia? To know this you really need to explore the area during the day if possible. There are apps you can download that will also tell you just what the sun will be rising from and some with great accuracy. Visiting during the day allows you to see the building’s architectures so you can plan your shots. Many professional photographers do this. Not all the time if you time poor but if you are taking commercial shots, the only way to know the best location for photographs in Angkor Wat for sunrise or sunset shots is to visit the place and sometimes you may have to visit at sunrise for a dry run and return again if you feel you didnt get the shot you wanted.

2. Prepare You Camera Equipment Before Arriving

As I will illustrate below just how popular Angkor Wat sunrise photography is, this means in addition to know the best location you also dont want to miss the opportunity to take the best shots by fumbling through your shots as the sunrise. So make sure you arrive with the write equipment. If you can bring a tripod then even better otherwise not always necessary. If you are bringing a tripod then I would advise you to arrive really early so that you can grab the best location or spot right at the front. Also in terms of lenses for Angkor Wat, this really depends on what you have and making the most of that. For more tips on how to capture Angkor Wat at sunrise, check out the link.

If possible though make sure you bring a versatile zoom lens to Angkor Wat. Depending on the location you manage to get you, also just so that you can vary your shots a little bit you can take pictures at different focal lengths. For those that know more about their camera lenses, you will note that some lense can add a little distortion to images at different focal lengths and to counteract this, you can use a tripod to limit this as much as possible. For a lot of my shots in Angkor Wat, I had an 18-55mm Nikon lens with my D53300 DSLR Nikon camera.

Most DSLRs starter kits will have this if you are one of those wondering if an 18 55mm lens enough for Angkor? I would say you will be fine with this but in some cases, you also have the option for 16-300mm which allows for even more flexibility. I have Nikon, Sigma and Tamron lenses. I got my 16-300mm Tamron lens with a Nikon mount. This superzoom lens is perfect for travel or walkabout shooting as it allows you to take a wide range of shots. It’s also available in 18-200m I also have a Sigma wide lens in 10-20mm perfect for shooting inside some of the very narrow alleys within the temples. So yes, prepare your camera equipment. Learn about what your lenses are capable of, their limitations, what shots they are suitable for and the best ways to get the most of your you camera lens.

3. Arrive Early At Angkor Wat

As I said above and as you will see in the images below, you need to arrive early to Angkor Wat and by early I mean, in some case you may need to arrive by 3 am to get the best Angkor Wat photo spots. This is especially important for professional photographers coming to Angkor Wat. You will also need to come prepared with a head torch as there isn’t any lighting at Angkor Wat. Again, for the pros, prepare to do this at least twice, especially if taking the shots from the best locations for Angkor Wat photography is. What you can do is also combine your trip with Cambodia photo tours as you will also get tips on the best spots, the best time to visit. You can then return on your own and do your own thing while taking some of the advice from the tour guides.

4. Vary Your Shots | Angkor Wat Sunrise Camera Settings

Vary your shots, from potrait and landscape shots to those that are zoomed in, with and without people in the shots. This way you have a variety to choose from when you get back to your hotel. This avoids the possibility of 100s of pictures of Ankor Wat at sunrise that all look virtually the same. Have a rough idea of what Angkor Wat sunrise camera settings you need. There is nothing worse than fumbling through while the sun rises and realising that you came away from an early morning shoot with less than desirable shots of Angkor Wat sunrise. Especially if your trip is much photography focused.

Make sure you put the settings to a rough setting of what you expect the weather to be like this way you only have to make minor adjustments. Also, bear in mind that Angkor Wat doesn’t have a lot of lighting so you will depend on your head torch to see the setting so the last thing you need is panicking while fumbling through Angkor Wat sunrise camera settings, for beginners and pros, you also opt for a tour which will give you a foundation on getting the most of an Angkor Wat sunrise or sunset shoot in Siem Reap. This includes getting local tips on the best Angkor Wat photo spots. There are plenty of options for Angkor Wat photography workshops and tours to choose from.

5. Shoot Raw (If You Can!)

For a lot of my shots, I prefer to shoot RAW. This way I can manipulate my photos any which way and I will still have plenty of detail in my shots. So make sure you check your Angkor Wat sunrise camera settings before setting out. There have been occasions when I have taken several shots only to realise that I was shooting in JPG also make sure you check your shots frequently because again if I was doing night shots the day before and I am shooting again in the morning those I cannot just start shooting. I will need to adjust my settings. So make sure you know roughly the settings you need for the time and weather you shooting in but also for YOUR particular style. I actually take to under process my pictures because I can make adjustments in LightRoom. So also knowing your photography style is equally important.

5 Things They Don’t Tell You About Angkor Wat Sunrise

Below are things people don’t necessarily tell you about Angkor Wat Sunrise.

1. The Moat Is Artificial (Fake) – Sorry!

We have all see those beautiful pictures with a beautiful reflection of an Angkor Wat sunrise or sunset with the beautiful towers and palm trees reflecting off the water. Well, guess what the moat has dried up and now has to be artificially filled with a pipe connected to the water supply from the main moat at the entrance of the temple’s outer entrance from the road.

The scenery itself was beautiful and the reflection perfect. As you do this you are also in clear view of this large blue pipe that was supplying water to the moat. This is so that these tourists who have paid hard earned money to view the world-famous Angkor Wat sunrise reflection can get their money’s worth and get that money shot reflection picture. Well, let’s just say I felt cheated a little. I arrived in the summer so maybe it does dry out and refills during the rain season, but just the thought of this thing being filled up while we were there, rubbed me the wrong way.

2. Relentless Vendors and Touts

Many people set off from Siem Reap hotels at the crack of dawn so you will most likely not have had breakfast. Hotels usually make breakfast for their guests if they have any part in arranging your tuk-tuk to take collect you at 4am from the hotel to the entrance of the temple. When you arrive ready for your Angkor Wat sunrise, you will soon notice that they have set up small stalls with small cafes. These cafes send out their waiters to drum up business and take breakfast orders from the many tourists that stand and wait for the sunrise to hit the fake moat and produce the reflection shots that they have all waited to tick off their bucket lists.

These vendors are relentless and the moment you fend off one, another comes out of nowhere and it now appears you have entered some kind of ‘whack em all’ game with the vendors. When the Angkor Wat sunrise appears, soon after the tourists start to disperse, many people go back to the hotels to sleep with a few heading to explore the inside of the temple and others staying behind for breakfast.

Note that if you do stick around for breakfast, most of the vendors will not speak a word of English so don’t go thinking that you can have your eggs made to order just the way you like em. What you get on your plate will very much be what you have either pointed on the pictures of the menus or what the waiter and the cook assumed you meant to order. Neither will match your expectation of what your mind’s eye envisioned. Either way, don’t forget to bring your sense of humor!

3. Expect To Pay Buddhas For A Picture

There are many a buddha around the temple and all providing some sort of a service. You can either sneak in a few pictures of them but most will expect some sort of compensation for taking pictures with them or of them or for the bracelets that they put on your wrists. Either way, they have to eat, and I guess this is another way to ensure that.

4. Expect The Crowds For An Angkor Wat Sunrise

I knew the gathering for an Angkor Wat sunrise was popular but what I was faced with, I hadn’t prepared for. In addition to the moat being artificially filled, let’s just say I was less than pleased. The place is crowded!!! People probably embark to the spot at least by 3.30am. Also don’t be surprised by the micro-aggression of people as they fight to hold down their little spot in front of the moat so they can take the reflection shots they have been dreaming about for so long. The whole experience was not as serene or as peaceful as, perhaps, I had imagined it was going to be. It’s a temple and therefore I thought it would have some sort of peaceful and perhaps people would either behave a certain way or dress a certain way.

Let’s not get into my pet peeve of people who turn up half naked to religious sites. Just mentally prepare yourself for the crowds or prepare to get there at ridiculous o’clock to get a good spot. Another option is that you may have to revisit a few times if you are serious about your sunrise photography and their quality. If you want to avoid the crowds then visit Angkor Wat after 8am once the sunrise crowds have dispersed. Same goes for the sunset crowds, depending on when the sunset is that day, ensure you visit much earlier. This is also the best time to visit a lot of the other temples before the sunrise crowds descend back to the temple for further exploring after morning power naps.

The crowds circling the moat for an Angkor Wat Sunrise

After Angkor Wat Sunrise | Once the sun comes out the crowds disperse and disappear back to hotels or inside the Angkor Wat.

5. Kids Selling Items

I get that Cambodia is a developing country but it’s rather disheartening to see so many kids out here so so early trying to flog off items from some of the market stalls nearby. From magnets, to key rings and postcards. The kids also seem to be taught not to take no for an answer so will sometimes come as a group and expect you to buy, buy, buy! Whether you need it or whether you have repeatedly said “no thank”. The adults bank on you being guilt-ridden by their poor little faces that you will ultimately buy items.

There are so many of these kids about, selling items from 4am sometimes, which is just a sad case but what can one do? As much as I wish they were in school, I can’t help but think that buying items from them will help the situation. It only helps to prove to their parents that keeping them out of school is profitable for them. In the short run, it might be, not the long run.

Items To Bring With You For An Angkor Wat Sunrise

You can actually bring your own breakfast or grab something from the stalls near the moat.
There is water (much of which is stagnant) nearby so that means mosquitoes so bring Mosquito repellent or something to cover you with.
Bring some drinking water with you.
Head Torch

Angkor Wat Photography Tours | Cambodia Photo Tours

Who doesn’t want to take an amazing Angkor Wat temple photos. So, what is the best tour option for Angkor Wat? There are a few tour operators in Siem Reap running Cambodia photo tours that offer a Siem Reap photography guide whether private or group, depending on what you need. These guides will also help you with Angkor Wat camera settings if you are unsure about this. Tours like the Portraits of Angkor Half Day Masterclass takes you takes best locations for Angkor Wat sunrise photos. Also gives you a glimpse of the contemporary temple culture, also travel to surrounding countryside and into the lives of rural farmers.

Then there is the Full-Day Photo Tour Angkor Wat from Siem Reap Tour, the tour guide collects you from your hotel and takes you to the first photographically interesting point. From here, you will have a great chance to capture a beautiful Angkor Wat sunrise. You guide on the Angkor Wat photography tour will take you to the best spot to take the picture, and show you how to handle your best camera settings for an Angkor Wat sunrise. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, you will get to express your creative side through photography.

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Angkor Wat Photography Tips + 5 Things They Don’t Tell You About Angkor Wat Sunrise