In the world of travel photography, capturing that special moment requires a combination of patience, determination and the eye of an artist. Photographer Nathan Horton has mastered these arts and is passing on his knowledge through photographic tours in Cambodia. Henno Kotzé was privileged to steal some of his sought-after time. Many people can recall a moment in their life when they realised their calling. Did you ever have such an epiphany? Not really. I was thinking of becoming an architect at school, but I joined the camera club, started taking pictures and I loved it. I certainly grew up wanting to find a way of earning a living that didn't feel like work. The irony is that I do something I love but work harder than anyone I know around me! Your photos emanate an acute awareness of form and light. How has your background in advertising and fashion photography influenced your work? With advertising and fashion photography, you spend all day constructing images, fine tuning small details, controlling light with various light sources. Everybody knows what you’re trying to achieve. Travel photography is more about spontaneity, capturing a bit of poetry in the chaos of life. The essence of travel photography is that you can only observe light, not control it. But after spending so much time fine-tuning details in commercial work I intuitively know what to look for in amongst the chaos. How would you describe your style? I have always been a fan of taking portraits of people in their natural environments. Cambodia really lends itself to this style because the people here are quite bold, not afraid of eye contact, and a little cheeky. I like to think of my work as a positive representation of a country that has quite a bad reputation but charms nearly everybody who visits. Your portfolio on Angkor is stirringly beautiful. What do 18 asialife HCMC
the temples mean to you? Architecturally, they are simply outstanding, but visited in the right way they still carry some of that ancient mysticism. My job is to show people the temples with that slight mysticism still intact combined with photographic opportunities of people interacting with the temples, the best angles and time of day. What is your favourite photo that you’ve taken? The photo of the nun praying at a stupa in Preah Khan at Angkor. It was the first time I saw her. She was amazingly dedicated to keeping vigil over her alter, and was there every day for years. I was glad to capture that dedication in this really beautiful light before she passed away. Cambodians don’t have a very long life expectancy and there are three or four people who make up my favourite pictures who aren’t around anymore. You’ve done a lot of work with NGOs, including the UNDP’s landmine clearance project. How has that experience affected you? I spent years at college learning that pictures and words combined is a very powerful medium to educate people. Unfortunately, in this world much more effort is usually put into combining them to sell products, but more effort should be put into creative solutions that sell ideas and awareness. I wanted to use my photography to do something positive. There are still a lot of unexploded ordinances, landmines and cluster bombs in Cambodia. Apart from your equipment, what do you always have with you when shooting? A little bit of charm goes along way. I come as I am. I don’t
dress up as a photographer. I’m aware that when I am asking to take pictures of people, I am intruding on their lives. Tell me about your photography courses. I run three different types of photography tours: small group tours for around 10 days and private tours for individuals and couples for four to seven days. I also do workshops and afternoon tours on a one-day basis. All are about imparting technical, aesthetic and ethical information about travel photography in stimulating photographic environments. What country is next on your wish list? I think photographically Burma would be a very stimulating country. Twenty years ago I spent a lot of time on the Thai border speaking to Burmese students, who were begging me not to go to Burma, suggesting that it would only support the military regime. Twenty years later not a lot has changed politically but finally tourism might be able to have a positive impact. Can you give the readers one tip when shooting in a foreign country? Treat people as human beings and not camera fodder. Be mentally prepared to be gracious and to engage with them. When I first started travelling, I was afraid that my camera was a kind of barrier impeding the experience. Now, twenty years later, I see the camera as the key to a culture. It’s not just about coming away with good pictures. Culture has enabled humanity to express itself in so many ways. Let’s celebrate that. You can see Nathan’s work at nathanhortonphotography.com.