The GDPhotoWorkshop site has now all the latest info on up coming Photo workshops in 2008, for Cambodia everything is in place, Palau and Tibet will follow shortly, just go to the link and make your reservation if you interested. http://www.gdphotoworkshop.com/home.html
Thank you.

We have also up dated our Blog page on the GDPhotoWorkshop site and this one, we made it easier for you now to search and navigate through articles and information, just check below the YouTube Logo and you see the changes. You might have noticed also that Gunther Deichmann's main site and the GDPhotoWorkshop site have now been cross linked, you go to either one of them and you can get to the other direct from the front page.


For Gunther's Bio and main website please go to:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

© Gunther Deichmann, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 1992

Sometimes when you go through your old images you come across some amazing things, the other day I went trough my files from 1992 looking at Cambodia, it was at that time that Pol Pot had just been outsted and the UN arrived the same day I did.
I was on an assignment for Animan magazine to cover the Mekong River, Phnom Penh was one of the stops, it was just like the “Wild West” back then, guns everywhere, Angkor Wat was still off limits due to the heavily mined area and many other places, shooting in Phnom Penh proved to be quiet something during that time.

One morning near our Hotel I saw this busted large water pipe, flooding the entire area with muddy brown water, a few minutes later some young boys appeared and jumped right into the muddy “current”, having real fun on this hot and humid day in Phnom Penh.

The original image was taken in color, (not much color anyway since everything was muddy and brown) so when I came across it the other day, I imported the scanned tiff file into Aperture and converted it into a cool looking B/W. As mentioned in one of my earlier Blog post I love contrast and strong colors, however once in a while or on these rare occasions the
B/W looks just as good.
Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate good B/W in particular from the famous Master Ansel Adams, but personally I shoot color 99%.

So there you have it, a rare 1% from GD.

______________________________________

It happen last night, after I finished at the Power Mac Center in Makati with another seminar on Photography and Aperture, I met up with Bebet Gaudinez one of the participants from the Cambodia Workshop. We had some beers at the Havana and from there we went to the artist hangout the Penguin Cafe in Malate.
We had spend some time together in Cambodia during our Photo Workshop but never realized that we had so much in common, Bebet is the first Filipino I met and I know who plays the Australian Dideridoo, and knows one of my favorite bands Yothu Yindi from Downunder, Bebet actually played in the Band who performed during this years Australian Day at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, I attended the function but had no Idea who was playing the Dideridoo, now I know.
What a small world!
We had a great time, listening to some cool sounds at the Penguin Cafe and chatted about Photography, Music, Cambodia and Tibet all night, we also talked about getting together for a Jam session soon, his friend who plays the flute, Bebet on the Dideridoo and myself on the Mac mixing and recording on GarageBand, I am really looking forward to this one, that is going to be one hell of a session. These guys are very good, let's see what we can came up with, I am sure we do a cool podcast after. I like to thank Bebet for all the drinks, food and entertainment, I had a real great and relaxing evening, thank you so much.
Music and Photography... how well they go together, I cant be with out it, and after last night I guess I am not the only one, Bebet will join me next year in July/August on my photo workshop to Tibet, lets see if he gets the chance to play the big Horns the Monks are playing during festival time at 3800 meters.
GD
Click this link for information on the GDPhotoWorkshop More information on Gunther Deichmann please go to: www.deichmann-photo.com

Bebet at Bayon Temple, during our Cambodian
GDPhoto Workshop, September 2007

Bebet caught by my Cell Phone at the Penguin Cafe
Malate, Manila, October 12, 2007

Just received this interesting information from no other than our good old Walter Ty, thanks Walter.
For more stories related to Angkor Wat and Siam Reap in Cambodia please go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7015647.stm

The Images from the workshop participants during our last trip in Cambodia you find at: http://gdphotoworkshop.com/images.html

© Gunther Deichmann, Cambodia 2007
Selected images by GD

Cambodia bid to protect treasures

By Guy De Launey
BBC News, Siem Reap
Statues with no heads in Angkor Wat
Looting is evident even at protected Angkor Wat Cambodia has invited international law enforcement agencies to help protect the country's ancient temples.
US homeland security and FBI agents are among those who may be advising the new national heritage police force. They are hoping to put an end to the rampant looting that has seen many monuments stripped of their statues. Peace has not been kind to many of Cambodia's ancient monuments. As decades of conflict ended in the 1990s, looting accelerated dramatically. The local authorities and the United Nations' cultural organisation, Unesco, moved quickly to protect the world-famous Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples.
But more remote sites were left to their fate.

Stolen-to-order
US agents and local officers have been meeting in Siem Reap to discuss ways of protecting what is left. US special agent Ann Hurst said their experience of dealing with stolen artefacts from Iraq will be crucial.
"We can provide training in how to prevent these types of violations. There were stolen paintings and stolen coins being taken out of Iraq and smuggled in to the US," she said.
"What we did in those cases was prosecute the people who smuggled the goods in - and the people who accepted the goods in the US." Many Cambodian items have been stolen to order for private collectors.
Others have turned up at international auction houses, so expertise in intercepting illicit shipments is badly needed. Technical assistance in detection and policing will also bolster the thinly-stretched and poorly-funded local forces.
For Cambodia, stopping the looting is partly a matter of pride - the towers of Angkor adorn the national flag - but as tourism grows, so does the economic importance of preserving ancient treasures.

I am writing this blog from Cambodia, the group has left and I stayed behind for a few extra days, I have provided a direct link to my Aperture Web Gallery of images behind the scene. Images of the participants in action, our Hotel and rooms plus a Buddhist blessing right at the Hotel for the whole group on our last day.
I have to say this group or I call them just a great bunch, have been real cool and some of them booking for Tibet already, we are also planning some more Workshops in Cambodia and of course stay at the Heritage Suite Hotel, again my special thanks to the management in particular to Sylvie and Fabrice for arranging a real Buddhist blessing on our last day.
Many thanks to all and see you soon again for some great Photography, Aperture of course made my life easy during the editing and going direct to the Web Gallery without any problems.
For more images, go to my Aperture Gallery, just click here.


© Gunther Deichmann, after the Workshop,
the things you see on the road

APERTURE Designed for professional photographers.
http://www.apple.com/aperture

A quick time saving tip for Our Aperture Users who will join me on our photo workshop to Cambodia.
You dont have to wait until we get there, not at all, take a few minutes and set up your Aperture Library now, before the Journey begins.
You all know we are going to Cambodia; just create a project now with the name Cambodia and create some Albums within, e.g.. landscapes, temples, people, traditional, personal etc., etc. and when you ready for importing each day you are all set to go. Another quick tip is to prepare some presets e.g.. your name with Copyright, Country; e.g.. Cambodia, location like Angkor Wat, Siam Reap, Monks, Temples etc.,etc. this want take long at all, just a few minutes before the trip, you can also prepare some common keywords the same way, you be amazed how much time you save later and have more time after the shoot for a relaxing beer or two. For those who are not familiar with these set ups dont worry I be there to guide you trough it, ok only one beer for you.
GD
The GDPhotoWorkShop is supported and sponsored by the following:




Apple Singapore, The Power Mac Center, Makati, Manila, Heritage Suites Hotel, Siam Reap, Cambodia, Sam's Tours Palau, Micronesia, The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance and the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging.
For other photo workshops in Bali, Indonesia, Palau, Micronesia and Tibet please go to the events Calendar at:
http://gdphotoworkshop.com

Well, time has come, we are all set for our Cambodian Workshop, a few more days and then I try to report from Siam Reap, Angkor Wat, provided I get a good connection. We are leaving this coming Friday and our first shoot is on Saturday early morning, all the participants are very excited about this trip, including myself, even I have been there many times, but there are always some great and new opportunities In Siam Reap, a Photographers paradise.
The shooting is our top priority but seeing all the images later in Aperture on our Computer is going to be really exciting, as mention I try my best to do some blogs direct from the location, however our Gallery with the best images will be up on the GDPhotoWorkshop site up on my return.
Of course I am also looking forward to see my old friends and my guide Savuth again who is guiding us through this unique place, and having the Heritage Hotel as our base is just fantastic.
Thanks to our supporters/sponsors: Apple Singapore, the Power Mac Center in Makati, Manila, Sam's Tours Palau and the Heritage Hotel in Siam Reap we make this Gallery very interesting and a challenge for our participants, we have a lot of surprises in stall for the best images but more on these later.
My gratitude to Jun Miranda from the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging for all his support and hard work.
Reporting soon from Angkor Wat, Siam Reap, Cambodia,
All the details for Bali, Palau and Tibet workshops will be posted on the GDPhotoWorkshop site up on my return, Tibet is becoming very popular you can make some temporary reservation on the reservation page now, just to make sure, of course this is non committal.
Cheers Gunther or GD

© Gunther Deichmann, Cambodia 2007
Our Workshop to Cambodia, Angkor Wat is now very near, we are off on the 7th of September, fully booked and we are ready to go for some very exciting photography and exploring the great world heritage sites in and around Siam Reap. For those who could not make it, dont worry we are already scheduling another one for Cambodia soon, just keep checking the GDPhotoWorkshop website and under the Calendar you find all the up coming events. The next workshop is going to be in Bali, Indonesia in November, all the details for this one will be on our site shortly. If I have a good connection I be sending out blogs from the Heritage Hotel in Siam Reap our base during the workshop, for more info on the Heritage Hotel please go to: http://www.heritage.com.kh


© Gunther Deichmann, Tibet 2006
By the way I am getting a lot of interest for the workshop next year in Tibet, (July/August 2008), make sure you contact us soon, since this one has only a limited number of participants (10 max), preparations and bookings have to be made early for this one. Again, for more information and details check our website, stay tuned or subscribe to our blog for the latest NEWS and up dates. For Images on Cambodia, Bali, Palau, Micronesia and Tibet please go to:
deichmann-photo.com
Palau, Micronesia is scheduled for April 2008, with a Marine Biologist and underwater photography in one of the best dive destinations in the world.
Thank You,
GD

Hi everybody, in particular to all the participants who will join me on our Cambodian Photo Workshop, I have just received this very interesting information
from my "information friend" Walter Ty, thank you Walter, for bringing this to my attention, please read on below to view the maps and other info go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6945574.stm


Photos: © Gunther Deichmann

Map reveals ancient urban sprawl Angkor Wat
The researchers disovered at least 74 new temples

In pictures: Angkor Wat
The great medieval temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia was once at the centre of a sprawling urban settlement, according to a new, detailed map of the area.
Using Nasa satellites, an international team have discovered at least 74 new temples and complex irrigation systems.
The map, published in the journal PNAS, extends the known settlement by 1000 sq km, about the size of Los Angeles.
Analysis also lends weight to the theory that Angkor's residents were architects of the city's demise.
"The large-scale city engineered its own downfall by disrupting its local environment by expanding continuously into the surrounding forests," said Damian Evans of the University of Sydney and one of the authors of the paper and map.

Urban complex
Working with researchers from Australia, Cambodia and France, the map was produced from ground surveys, airborne photography, and ground-sensing radar from Nasa's AIRSAR satellite.
Cambodia map
"The radar can sense differences in plant growth and moisture content that result from topographical variations of less than a meter," Mr Evans said.
The data allowed the researchers to peer through the vegetation that now shrouds the World Heritage site.
It suggests that the medieval settlement surrounding Angkor, the one-time capital of the Khmer empire which flourished between the ninth and 14th centuries, was at least three times larger than previously thought.
The team believes it could have covered 3,000 sq km (1,150 sq miles), the largest pre-industrial complex of its kind.
Its nearest rival is Tikal, a Mayan city in Guatemala, which covers between 100 and 150 sq km (40-60 sq miles).
The detailed survey also allowed the researchers to map at least 74 new temples as well as more than 1,000 manmade ponds.

Water works
They also discovered that the city's water supply probably relied on a single complex channel that extended 20 to 25km out from Angkor city.
Radar allowed the team to peer beneath the vegetation

The researchers say that the system, until now thought to be purely decorative and ceremonial, was probably used to support farming, in particular intensive rice agriculture.
In all, the newly mapped terrain could have supported half a million people, the researchers believe.
The new analysis of the irrigation system also sheds light on the civilization's collapse in the 14th century.
"We saw signs that embankments had been breached and of ad hoc repairs to bridges and dams, suggesting that the system became unmanageable over time," Mr Evans told the AFP news agency.
In addition, deforestation, over population, topsoil erosion could have contributed to the population's sudden disappearance.

"Angkor was extensive enough, and the agricultural exploitation intensive enough, to have created a number of very serious environmental problems," he said.

For all the GDPhotoWorkshop information please click here.

The GDPhotoWorkshop in Cambodia is almost fully booked,
we have only 4 more vacancies, if you interested to join and participate in
this unique Photo Workshop, please make your reservations by no later than
the 31st of July, we cant except any more bookings after this date.
For all the information on the Workshops please click this link.

More info on Gunther Deichmann please click here.

Photo © Gunther Deichmann, Angkor Wat, Cambodia 2006

CAMBODIA
A Photo Safari/Course on Travel Photography

The Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI), in cooperation with GDPHOTOWORKSHOP, invites you to a photo safari/travel photography workshop on one of the most popular destinations in Asia: Cambodia. To be conducted from September 7-11, 2007, this workshop is opened to all serious amateur and professional photographers who want to explore Cambodia’s Angkor Wat while learning the complexity of travel photography.

This four-day workshop will focus on Angkor Wat of Cambodia. While it will cover the place, its people and culture, the course will also be a learning experience from one of the best travel photographers—Gunther Deichmann. He will cover all aspects of shoot: solving technical problems, working with the locals, gaining access to certain places, the digital workflow, etc. He will also discuss what makes a successful travel photography. In addition, he will also lecture on post-production workflow and techniques using Apple Aperture. Aside being a well-respected travel photographer, he is also an Apple Certified Instructor in Aperture.

The workshop will be preceeded by a cocktail at PCCI, two weeks before departure, to brief the participants and to give them the opportunity to know one another.  The evenings of the workshop will be spent in sharing, critiquing of the day’s shoots and planning of the next. 

At the end of the course, each participant will receive a Certificate of Completion from both PCCI and GDPHOTOWORKSHOP and a copy of Gunther’s book, Journey Through Colour and Time. Their photos will also be exhibited in the Participant’s Gallery in the GDPHOTOWORKSHOP website. Exhibited photos will automatically be entered in the Cambodia Photo Contest to be displayed at the PCCI Gallery. Winning photos will win major prizes like free trip (including accommodation) to Cambodia for two. 

The total package price is US$1,650 (or peso equivalent) which includes airfare transportation from Manila-Siam Reap-Manila; 4 night-/5 day-accommodation at the 5-star Heritage Suites Hotel, breakfast, ground transportation and guides; Angkor Wat Heritage site permit fee and visa fee for Camboida; lectures at the Heritage Suite Hotel conference room; and a signed copy of Gunther Deichmann’s book Journey Through Colour and Time. For details, please visit www.gdphotoworkshop.com.
 
Gunther Deichmann is one of Austral-Asia’s most accomplished travel photographers. Of German birth and a paleontologist by vocation, Deichmann settled in Australia when we was 21 years old where he got exposed to the beauty of the country. This led him to his current preoccupation, photography. His photographic opus appeared in different magazines such as the cover of Time Magazine (USA), Bulletin (Australia), Der Spiegel (Germany), Bunte (cover), National Magazine (South Africa), National Geographic, New York Times (USA), Sued Deutsche Zeitung (Germany), Grand Reportage (France), VSD (France), GEO (France), Terre Savage (France), and Figaro (France), and  in other major book productions such as The Racing Game, National Geographic, Time-Life, Reader’s Digest, BBC (London). He recently published his own book entitled Journey Through Colour and Time— a 30-year collection of photographs on Austrialia, Europe, Asia, and Micronesia. For more information on this multi-talented and multi-awarded photographer, visit www.deichmann-photo.com.