Nothing attracts attention like a red dress.
Laura Bush
With a challenge from Amy (The World Is a Book) to post juxtapositions of old and new, we were reminded of our day touring Angkor Wat near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Unexpectedly to us, a number of visitors had arrived onsite with the express purpose of having their pictures taken against the dramatic backdrop of one of the world’s most interesting ancient structures.

And clever these locals and tourists were, as well. They evidently all got the same message: Red is the color that shows up best against the grays of the aging sandstone blocks.

Between takes, those to be photographed situated themselves in various positions or checked their email on new technology.

If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.
Peter Drucker
But not all were posing for a photographer. As this quick capture reveals, monks, too, take selfies at the largest religious monument in the world.
And why not? There’s no better place than this for a little new with a whole lotta old.

Keeping our eyes open,
Rusha & Bert
gallivance.net
Rusha, I absolutely love this post! When we were at Angkor Wat, the only people in colorful clothes were the monks and performers. Your photos are so striking. But what I love most is how I GOT to this post – from the photo of the monk on your homepage footer. Very creative … and excellent marketing. Well done! 🙂 All the very best, Terri
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks! That monk may be one of my favorite folks I photographed since I saw him quickly , fumbled with my camera, and then caught the shot, albeit a bit blurry. Glad you like where I posted it. I’m still trying to figure out how to draw people to older posts. You do a good job of that, by the way.
pattimoed
Love this post, Rusha. And it’s so true about red. Great captures. My favorite is the monk. Wonderful!
Oh, the Places We See
He’s my favorite as well!! Thanks for commenting. We just have to remember: next time at Angkor Wat, wear red!!
Leya
Glad you found these! Excellent for the challenge – and red will always be red!
Oh, the Places We See
You are soo right!! Red shows up nicely almost anywhere!!! Thanks for commenting. Here’s hoping your weekend is a good one!
Leya
Thank you – a great weekend to you as well!
Leya
Thank you – the same to you!
Leya
Wishing you the same, thank you!
Anonymous
Love the contrast of colors you’ve captured!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much! It was quite interesting to see so many people having their photo made!!!
maristravels
Yes, red is always eye-catching in a photograph. I learned this years ago when I went on my first photographic day-school. Actually, it’s about the only thing I took from the day course! Oh, one other thing. I was advised to always carry something red that could be attached easily to a tree, a bush, a car, anything, to give that burst of colour, and that’s something I still do, carry an easily-foldable and creaseless, red silk scarf with me.
Oh, the Places We See
How interesting! I never would have known about the “something red” to carry. So glad you took the time to comment. Seeing the people dressed in red was fascinating, as if they all knew what to wear but the rest of us had no idea! See what you learn when you travel?
CompassAndCamera
What a fantastic post for the theme! And I had no idea wearing a red dress at Angkor was a thing. I’ll have to pack accordingly if/when I return. 🙂
kzmcb
Clever capture. I’m impressed by both your initial impulse to take the photos and your recent recall that you had!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks! I’m surprised that I could find them, and I’m still missing one — a girl who posed from a window. But I had fun reliving the too-brief time we spent at that marvelous place. And I love people watching, especially in red!
Tina Schell
Oh dear Rusha – It made me a bit sad to see all of those people ignoring one of the most important architectural finds of the 20th century. I was SO very overwhelmed by the amazing sites there that I cannot imagine anyone paying attention to anything else. They DO make for some great images tho!!!
Oh, the Places We See
I see your point, but I’m thinking these are locals who have visited so many times. It would be similar to us having our photos made on the beach. To someone who has never been to the beach, that might seem like a waste of great moments. But if you’re there every week or so, it just becomes another place. It was a surprise to us, though. We never expected to see so many. And truly almost all were wearing red!
Oh, the Places We See
I’ve been thinking if your comment for a couple of days. And now I think I know to what you were referring. You were upset by the people walking on this ancient treasure, as am I. At first I thought you were just talking about the act of Beijing photographed at Angkor Wat. But you are so right to be upset. We saw many tourists and locals climbing in areas that we thought should have bee roped off and protected. In many places, the heavy stones are being worn down with little or no regard for preservation. It seems that the government would want to do more to save these structures, but we saw few signs and almost no patrols. It is a sad sight to see.
Tina Schell
Exactly Rusha – it was the lack of respect that made me sad. Have you seen the Nat Geo articles about how much more they’ve discovered underground? Incredible.
almeidadepaulo
Wonderful!!!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much. It was a big surprise, but the more we saw people posing and taking photos, the more the idea seemed like a grand one. Who wouldn’t want to do this!?
Amy
Thank you, Rusha for the tour of Angkor Wat. These beautiful photos tell stories of the old and new, The image of ladies in various positions is my favorite. 🙂
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks, Amy, for a good challenge theme. It was fun looking for these photos that I remembered taking.