Photo Journal: Photographer Aaron Williams Makes Pilgrimage to Cambodia

Photographer Aaron Williams recently took his first vacation in three years to Thailand with his partner for a 17-day vacation. But before heading back to the states, he set off on his own for a pilgrimage to Angkor Wat, a temple complex in Cambodia, the largest religious monument in the world. He referred to it as his "Eat, Pray, Love moment."

"My first sunrise in Cambodia was over the world famous Angkor Wat," he said.  "I took hundreds of photos, and I don’t normally do that, but as I did, I noticed a pattern. Every place in Angkor Wat offered perspective that would shift and change as I explored the once thriving metropolis. I felt re-energized. My story-telling was flowing naturally, nothing felt forced. It was about changing perspectives and shifting ideologies. It was changing what I thought about myself, thinking about the the things I wasn’t to all the things I was. It was a shifting of the self and a rebalancing."  

What was a spiritual experience for Williams became a beautiful series of photos of the religious ruins. His dramatic editorial vision captured a gritty, yet majestic perspective of the temple, preserving a peaceful quality. 

Photos by Aaron Williams