Angkor Photography Tours
Angkor Photography Tours
5
Historical & Heritage ToursBike ToursWalking ToursPhotography Tours
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
Join Laurent Dambies, professional photographer and long-time Siem Reap resident, for private photography tours that help you master your camera - whether you use a DSLR, mirrorless digital camera, or even just your smartphone. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the basics or an advanced shooter wanting to take your skills to the next level, Laurent offers personalized instruction tailored to your needs. During a one day or multi-day tour, you'll learn pro tips and techniques for composition, lighting, settings, and more. With Laurent's guidance, you'll be able to capture stunning portraits, landscapes, architecture and detail shots that tell the story of Angkor. Tours are available in English or French and can be easily customized based on your goals. Experience the magic of Angkor as you improve your skills and create photographic memories that will last a lifetime. Also, explore the temples by e-bike for unique photographic opportunities.
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5.0
120 reviews
Excellent
117
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2
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Andrea Louise G
Singapore, Singapore11 contributions
Mar 2022
Whether you are just learning, an amateur or professional photographer Laurents tours cater for everybody. If you are keen on photography and wish to see parts of Cambodia that you may not necessarily get to see otherwise, I highly recommend him. I went on the Tonle Sap Lake - Beng Melea Temple private tour and the Angkor Wat sunset tour and I can honestly say it was worth every penny. Laurent gives you one to one guidance and has tons of tips and tricks of how to get the perfect picture. He is able to read his clients well and allows you to take your time, ask questions and leave you to click away at your own pace. There is no need for rushing at all. He is friendly, non-intrusive and approachable with an ability to make you feel relaxed. I was so happy with my shots and have come away with so much more than what I started with at the beginning of the tour. Even at the end of a beautifully creative day Laurent is always on hand if you need advice on post-production. He offers great tutorials on Lightroom. Overall you get more than what you bargained for, great advice and a real feel for the culture of Cambodia from the Temples to the people. I more than highly recommend him.
Thanks for making my trip to Cambodia even better than I anticipated. Also thanks to the driver who was always on hand with ice cold water and ready to drive us to the next location. All in all I loved it. :):)
Thanks for making my trip to Cambodia even better than I anticipated. Also thanks to the driver who was always on hand with ice cold water and ready to drive us to the next location. All in all I loved it. :):)
Written 19 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Andrea,
Thank you for your great review and feedback I am glad you enjoyed this 2-day photo tour with me and learnt new things in particular about wide angle photography. It is indeed a special time to visit Cambodia at the moment as the tourist number is still very low and an unique opportunity to enjoy the temples of Angkor without the crowd. Hope you can visit again for more photography adventures in other parts of Cambodia! All the best Laurent
Written 25 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
spideylover
fort worth, TX55 contributions
Dec 2019
Holy crap was Laurent worth it. I actually booked a sunrise photo tour with him after my temple guide picked me up too late and I was stuck behind everyone for the sunrise tour. That and lots of others he helped me take turned out great. Lots of tips on composition and especially lighting and angles really helped my photos stand out. Even if you're a beginner he gives great tips with settings and whatnot. Our countryside tour involded a lot of people so it was very different from the temples, something I don't have much experience with and they came out great.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jimena Medina
Siem Reap, Cambodia14 contributions
Oct 2021
I was looking for a photographer to guide me while shooting at the Angkor Park in Siem Reap, and I couldn't have found a better photographer in town. We did the tour by mountain bike, which was simply fantastic, as he took me through hidden jungle and countryside trails, which was perfect to discover the non-traditional Angkor Wat 'hidden treasures'.
From the beginning, he made sure I had the correct settings on my camera, he helped me find the best angles for taking the pictures, and he took me to some amazing spots, which I've never visited before, despite that was not my first visit to the park.
His pictures are simply fantastic, and he makes sure you get the best shots you can.
I would definitely book another tour with Laurent, and I 100% recommend him if you are passionate about photography, and you want to take amazing pictures from the temples and rural Cambodia with you.
From the beginning, he made sure I had the correct settings on my camera, he helped me find the best angles for taking the pictures, and he took me to some amazing spots, which I've never visited before, despite that was not my first visit to the park.
His pictures are simply fantastic, and he makes sure you get the best shots you can.
I would definitely book another tour with Laurent, and I 100% recommend him if you are passionate about photography, and you want to take amazing pictures from the temples and rural Cambodia with you.
Written 20 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack
Phnom Penh, Cambodia12 contributions
Apr 2022 • Solo
Could not have been happier about my tour with Laurent. His wealth of knowledge of photography and his experience with the breathtaking ancient city of Angkor was immediately obvious from the very beginning, from knowing all the hidden gems in each of the temples, to knowing exactly where the light was going to hit just perfectly at a certain time. I was continually amazed with his ability to direct us to deserted corners of even the most crowded temples, so that we were alone in such tranquil surroundings that it felt like we had rediscovered the temple ourselves, despite the unseen thousands of people around us. Would not hesitate to do this tour again, and can’t recommend it enough. Be warned though: given the amount of ground you’ll cover and the jungle heat, it is not for the faint of heart!
Written 18 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Jack, thank you for coming to this full day temple photo tour, it was great to be able to show around the temples in a different light:) I Hope you will find many more good shots in your SD card!
All the best and thank you again for taking the time to write this review!
Written 21 April 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Womble99
London, UK47 contributions
Sept 2024 • Family
Our full-day photography tour with Laurent exceeded expectations. His deep knowledge of photography and the temples of Angkor was evident from the start. He guided us to hidden spots, away from the crowds, and often we had the temples almost to ourselves. Laurent’s understanding of light and composition was impressive—he knew exactly where to position us for the best shots as the light hit the temples perfectly.
Our group of four included two young adults who were unsure about spending the day exploring historical sites. However, Laurent’s focus on photography made it such a fun and engaging experience for all of us. He helped us master manual camera controls and showed us how to get creative with composition, turning the day into an amazing experience.
Laurent captured some wonderful shots of us as the sun set, which we will treasure. His passion for photography and in-depth knowledge of the temples made this tour truly unforgettable.
Highly recommended for anyone looking to experience Angkor in a unique and captivating way.
Our group of four included two young adults who were unsure about spending the day exploring historical sites. However, Laurent’s focus on photography made it such a fun and engaging experience for all of us. He helped us master manual camera controls and showed us how to get creative with composition, turning the day into an amazing experience.
Laurent captured some wonderful shots of us as the sun set, which we will treasure. His passion for photography and in-depth knowledge of the temples made this tour truly unforgettable.
Highly recommended for anyone looking to experience Angkor in a unique and captivating way.
Written 22 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PandVCorris
Newcastle, UK4 contributions
Feb 2020
We had a great time with Laurent going around the temples and countryside , markets and villages including around Angkor and also further afield. He spent a lot of time with us making suggestions for angles and composition and also explaining some new techniques . He helped us with camera settings and making the best from the lighting conditions.
He arranged a model shoot one afternoon with a University student who had modelled for previous clients. She was a great model and we had a fun afternoon in different locations.
Laurent provided the driver and transport and also a tripod for the sunrise shot at Angkor. He also arranged for. E-bikes on one day which was a great way to see the lesser visited areas and we enjoyed. In hindsight a full day in the saddle would be better for more regular cyclists. This was our choice though and still really glad we did it. He also had a spare Canon wide angle lens that one of us could use to help with the temple shots.
The best thing was the one to one tuition that Laurent could give us and excellent advice to help us take some super photos. Recommend the model shoot as well.
Patrick and Valerie, New Zealand
He arranged a model shoot one afternoon with a University student who had modelled for previous clients. She was a great model and we had a fun afternoon in different locations.
Laurent provided the driver and transport and also a tripod for the sunrise shot at Angkor. He also arranged for. E-bikes on one day which was a great way to see the lesser visited areas and we enjoyed. In hindsight a full day in the saddle would be better for more regular cyclists. This was our choice though and still really glad we did it. He also had a spare Canon wide angle lens that one of us could use to help with the temple shots.
The best thing was the one to one tuition that Laurent could give us and excellent advice to help us take some super photos. Recommend the model shoot as well.
Patrick and Valerie, New Zealand
Written 10 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greg F
3 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
Angkor Wat temple and the surrounding temples near Seim Reap, Cambodia have been on my list since the 1980's while I was studying to be an architect. I am also a serious photographer. I decided to go and photograph the temples for five days. I wanted to make my efforts count and not knowing precisely where to go and what time of day to shoot the best images, I googled "photography tours".
Angkor Photography Tours popped up, so I signed up for a sunset and sunset shoot. I am so glad I did! They picked me up at my hotel and ended up having a spectacular time! I scored some of the best shots of my life!
Well worth the money and an easy five stars! Just sign up if you are thinking about it.
I literally shot thousands of images.
Angkor Photography Tours popped up, so I signed up for a sunset and sunset shoot. I am so glad I did! They picked me up at my hotel and ended up having a spectacular time! I scored some of the best shots of my life!
Well worth the money and an easy five stars! Just sign up if you are thinking about it.
I literally shot thousands of images.
Written 22 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pete A
Slough, UK23 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
Laurent is a very experienced and talented photographer who knows the temples inside out and will show you the most interesting and unusual things to photograph. You get off the well-trodden tourist path to see corners and courtyards that 99% of tourists will never go to. I thoroughly recommend him and his tours, worth every penny.
Written 26 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tanya
Singapore, Singapore4 contributions
Apr 2022
I would absolutely recommend using Laurent when in Siem Reap. I am a beginner photographer and with Laurent's help and guidance I now have the most incredible photos of our trip. It is very evident which photos I took before we did the photo tour and I regret not having done the tour on day 1.
We did a solo tour with Laurent which included the rice paddy's as we have young kids and didnt want to join a group. Laurent helped me with my camera settings showing me tips and tricks to take good quality photos of my family. We got some amazing family pictures in the process which I can now print and keep. Absolutely fantastic.
We did a solo tour with Laurent which included the rice paddy's as we have young kids and didnt want to join a group. Laurent helped me with my camera settings showing me tips and tricks to take good quality photos of my family. We got some amazing family pictures in the process which I can now print and keep. Absolutely fantastic.
Written 18 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stacey S
Charleston, South Carolina, United States44 contributions
Dec 2017 • Solo
I had take another tour with a different photographer the day before my tour with Laurent. I was very excited about the tour since my hotel had recommended it. I have a very hard time sharing negative reviews because I know this is the persons livelihood. However, I feel very strongly that for some people, this may not be the right tour guide for them.
I will start by saying that there's no doubt that Laurent is a great photographer and knows a lot of photography and cameras. His English is quite good and he's easy to understand. This was a private tour and not in-expensive.
My problems began when our first stop was to a children's primary school. We wandered around the school, I told Laurent that I was very uncomfortable taking pictures of children. He didn't seem to care and said "it's Asia, it's okay" and "get over it". I don't think children are tourist attractions and I don't think wandering around a school (unannounced, unplanned and not authorised) is not ok. That was the start of the tour and uncomfortable.
Throughout the tour, he would help set the camera settings depending on the location. He gave a ton of information. In fact, it was way too much information because I couldn't remember most of it by the time the day was over. (In comparison, the pervious day the photographer focused on 1 thing and teaching me how to master that aspect of the camera - which was a new way of shooting for me.) During the day, Laurent would look at each photo and almost every single time, would say what was bad, wrong or why he didn't like the photo instead of being encouraging. I'm sure this is a style some people would like and be happy with but something to keep in mind when picking a tour.
Finally, this was a "sunset" tour and at our last stop we waited over an hour just standing around waiting for the sun to set. After asking several times if there was something else to see, or somewhere else to go, Laurent said no, this was it. He said we could walk around the village more, but again, I had told him I didn't want to walk into villagers homes and take photos of them. Perhaps that what some people like to do, and many people maybe very comfortable with that, but I was not and as it was a private tour, i think the guide should accommodate the guest - not the other way around.
I would not recommend this tour, or this guide if you like a customized approach to tours, and if you aren't comfortable with taking photos of children and families, I would stay away from this one.
I will start by saying that there's no doubt that Laurent is a great photographer and knows a lot of photography and cameras. His English is quite good and he's easy to understand. This was a private tour and not in-expensive.
My problems began when our first stop was to a children's primary school. We wandered around the school, I told Laurent that I was very uncomfortable taking pictures of children. He didn't seem to care and said "it's Asia, it's okay" and "get over it". I don't think children are tourist attractions and I don't think wandering around a school (unannounced, unplanned and not authorised) is not ok. That was the start of the tour and uncomfortable.
Throughout the tour, he would help set the camera settings depending on the location. He gave a ton of information. In fact, it was way too much information because I couldn't remember most of it by the time the day was over. (In comparison, the pervious day the photographer focused on 1 thing and teaching me how to master that aspect of the camera - which was a new way of shooting for me.) During the day, Laurent would look at each photo and almost every single time, would say what was bad, wrong or why he didn't like the photo instead of being encouraging. I'm sure this is a style some people would like and be happy with but something to keep in mind when picking a tour.
Finally, this was a "sunset" tour and at our last stop we waited over an hour just standing around waiting for the sun to set. After asking several times if there was something else to see, or somewhere else to go, Laurent said no, this was it. He said we could walk around the village more, but again, I had told him I didn't want to walk into villagers homes and take photos of them. Perhaps that what some people like to do, and many people maybe very comfortable with that, but I was not and as it was a private tour, i think the guide should accommodate the guest - not the other way around.
I would not recommend this tour, or this guide if you like a customized approach to tours, and if you aren't comfortable with taking photos of children and families, I would stay away from this one.
Written 20 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Stacey,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review. I believe it is a perfect opportunity for me to reply to it point by point and let the readers and prospective customers make up their mind about my approach to photography teaching and tours. I will also write a lengthy reply to expose few of your lies. I consider this review defamatory, and I am taking it very personally.
Even if tipping is customary in the US, I really do not understand why you gave me a GENEROUS tip of 20 % at the end of this tour and seemed content about it?
Choice of the Tour
You clearly made a mistake choosing this tour due to your lack of interest in people. As described on the page and with the pictures posted on it, this tour is clearly geared towards people photography and a little bit of landscape at sunset. Looking at the pictures of your blog I can see only pictures of food, hotels, animals. I am not sure if it would have been more interesting for you if there were animals instead of people. But then again, this is the Cambodian countryside tour, not the African Safari! Although you seemed quite pleased when a group of water buffaloes passed by close to us. So why did you book this tour at the first place?
I quote you in your review: "I was very excited about the tour since my hotel had recommended it".
I do not work with the hotel you stayed in, so it is impossible that they recommended me. When I asked you, you told me that you found my page on a travel blog. So which is which, please get your story straight.
Camera Settings
What you are saying on this review is contrary to what you told me during the tour. You mentioned that you learned to shoot manual the day before. As a Canon user a especially for beginners like you, I always recommend to shoot Av (which you did before coming to Cambodia). If you were using Sony or Fuji (with electronic viewfinder) I would have told you to shoot manual instead. I remember that you thanked me showing how to your use your LCD flip screen to take pictures, thing you did not do before but it is conveniently missed in your review.
For beginners, I tend to advise about settings for each pictures especially during the first hour of the tour and lesser as the tour progresses. This is what I did during the tour. My point is, if you are not willing to learn about the settings of your camera why take a photography tour?
My job is to make sure that clients learn something from the tour so I try to stay objective with my comments on shots. If your intention is just to solicit compliments with the shots you took, then you came to the wrong photography guide. I will not say that a picture is good if it is not. If you want someone to tell you that your pictures are great, awesome, wonderful, perfect, without critiquing your composition and settings, then this tour is not for you.
Pictures of children
I understand and I agree that children are not attractions. However you are lying once again when quoting me saying:"it's Asia, it's okay" and "get over . I just said that the thinking about people and children having their pictures taken is very different here.
The school where I brought you is a place I often go and people know me. I am always careful about not disturbing classes. I never use telephoto lens and usually children ask to take pictures of them. I saw that you were uncomfortable around children so we had to cut the session short. In another location along the river, where there were children in the water and there weren't any need for interaction since they are quite far from where we were, you were not bothered taking pictures of them with your telephoto lens.
Flexibility
As mentioned on many reviews I am very accommodating during my tours. For this particular tour, I normally use a tuktuk. But you requested for a car and changed your mind to go with tuktuk and for some reason changed your mind again and use a car. Therefore, we used a car to accommodate your special request.
I'll quote you from your email: "I’m very easy going and not worried about how much we see or what we see exactly." But, your attitude during the tour far from easygoing.
Motivation (or lack of it!)
Your lack of motivation during the tour to go take shots was obvious. Once again, you lied in multiple occasions:
First, we did not wait 1 h for sunset but 20 minutes to get a good shot as the sun was too bright. I asked if you would want you to walk down to get another point of view but you refused because you did not want to walk. You wanted to use the car to get to a better spot but as I told you this one was the best at this time of the year. You clearly enjoyed the sunset, it was a beautiful view as we were looking to have a fisherman throwing a net in the frame. It is was good enough for you to post it on social media by the way.
At one point I saw a photo opportunity with a fisherman down the road and once again you rejected the offer being more comfortable using your telephoto. What is your point of taking a photo tour if you are not ready to explore, walk, and take the best shot?
As you mentioned you seemed very uncomfortable with the people and children in the village, despite the fact that they were welcoming and friendly.
You had no interest whatsoever to learn more about the life of people in the countryside. Why take this tour if you are not motivated to take pictures of life in the countryside?
Use of Social Media
While you promote yourself as a published photographer and a travel writer, I could not find any single article in your name. You also call yourself a travel blogger with a large audience on social media. A quick look at it shows that you do not have the large audience that you claimed you have. You are classified as barely a micro-influencer. It looks like you are using social media to complain about services of hotels and airlines (probably for freebies or refund purposes as US companies are known to provide such benefits for whining customers) than creating useful content (I did not see any). This probably explains why you are losing followers.
To Stacey:
Next time you book any service or tour, PLEASE READ the details carefully. If you really want to improve your photography, you really have to change your mindset and interact with people around you. Please stop complaining on social media about hotels and airlines to get your money back, stop lying on your reviews. Stop as well exaggerating your credentials, it does not make you credible.
To Prospective Customers:
If you are not interested in interacting with Cambodian people, take portrait of people in their natural environment this countryside tour is not for you. Although this tour is less demanding physically than the ones in the temples of Angkor, you maybe have to walk a couple of 100 meters to get a better shot. Do not take this tour as well if you are not comfortable around children running around you and posing for pictures.
On the other hand, if you are into people/street photography or want to learn more about it, want to explore places out of the beaten path, I am looking forward to spend some time with you, I guarantee you that you will come back with better shots.
Thank you for reading
Laurent
Written 21 December 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Are there more than one photo tour options? And the cost for these tours?
Written 21 January 2017
Hi there, private photo tours start at US 70 for half-day. We offer more than 10 different photo tours at the moment, please google: angkor photography tours to learn more
Written 21 January 2017
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