Capturing Cambodia
Ian Kydd Miller’s photographs give us an up-close and personal view of Cambodia’s people and their fighting spirit.
Ian Kydd Miller, a freelance photographer based in Phnom Penh, conveys a sense of spirit with his mix of street photography and photo-journalistic styles, capturing emotional moments of the Cambodian people. The viewer is at eye-level with the subjects, seemingly in the crowd with the other protesters fighting for a common cause.
His latest stories include short documentations on protests against rigged political elections, and too little pay for garment workers. A very interesting read is his report on “The Women of Boeung Kak Lake”, which shows the trouble a small community of villages has gone through, trying to fight the impending eviction from their homes.
Throughout his work, a strong sense of hope and spirit is present in his subjects. In “Summer of Discontent” for example, he captures protesters’ anger and disappointment against the seemingly rigged National Government election result in 2014. Despite the circumstances, a glimmer of hope shines through from the protester’s eyes, leaving the animosity to pose simply as a shadow over the people’s fighting spirit. The transmission of these sentiments could only be made possible through Miller’s mix of styles and personal touch, by getting in with the crowds and not shying away in the distance.
Among his less political work, Miller includes small collections of photos taken on his many walks through the city, giving insight into everyday life.
When looking through Miller’s many photographs, one can’t help but come down with a serious case of Fernweh, gripped by the need to catch the next plane to Cambodia and get lost wondering around the streets of Phnom Penh, experiencing life first-hand.
But this alone isn’t the reason why Miller’s photographic work is so captivating — it awakens the viewer’s interest in the country’s history itself, fueled by Miller’s short yet informative summaries on the background of his subjects. Cambodia’s history, plagued by civil wars and political unrest, remains mostly unknown to the average Joe, but it’s thanks to photographers like Miller who highlight this country’s cultural significance and put it on the map for everyone to see and be a part of.
#To see more works by Ian, please visit Ian Kydd Miller’s Rinse Profile or his website.
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