Silence Inhales the Stair
Bakong waits, rain-washed and luminous, its sandstone tiers blurred by the last threads of mist. A monk appears, stepping from forest shadow into faint dawn. Halfway down, his dog rushes up, weaving joy through the hush. Their brief communion turns the stair into breath. My lens opens to what remains: the resonance left when presence moves on.
old stair drinks the hush
dog’s joy traces saffron shadow
dawn leans into stone
Also in Library
Those Who Keep the Way Open — On the Quiet Guardians of Angkor’s Thresholds
Quiet gestures shape the way into Angkor — a swept stone, a refilled bowl, a hand steadying a guardian lion. This essay reflects on the unseen custodians whose daily care keeps the thresholds open, revealing how sacredness endures not through stone alone, but through those who tend its meaning.
Multiplicity and Mercy — The Face Towers of Jayavarman VII
A new vision of kingship rises at the Bayon: serene faces turned to every horizon, shaping a world where authority is expressed as care. Moving through the terraces, one enters a field of steady, compassionate presence — a landscape where stone, light, and time teach through quiet attention.
Stone That Dreams
Bayon wakes like a mind emerging from shadow. Its many faces shift with light and breath, teaching that perception—and the self—is never singular. In walking this forest of towers, the pilgrim discovers a quiet multiplicity within, held together by a calm that feels both ancient and newly understood.
$280
Bakong Temple, Angkor, Cambodia — 2018
Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print
Edition
Strictly limited to 25 prints + 2 Artist’s Proofs
Medium
Hand-toned black-and-white archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo — a museum-grade fine art paper chosen for its quiet tactility and reverent depth, echoing the spirit of the temples.
Signature & Numbering
Each print is individually signed and numbered by the artist on the border (recto)
Certificate of Authenticity
Accompanies every print
Image Size
8 x 8 inches (20.3 x 20.3 cm)
The moat still murmured with last night’s rain when Bakong’s stone pyramid emerged into morning mist. Trees stood in quiet formation, their leaves damp with remembrance. The air was breathless, waiting.
Then—soft footsteps. A solitary monk stepped onto the path, saffron brushing shadow. His dog appeared at the stair’s base, bounding upward with familiar joy. At that instant, the ancient geometry of the temple seemed to inhale.
From across the moat, I opened the large-format lens. The exposure was long, silent—letting light and reverence gather in equal measure.
In the darkroom, chiaroscuro shaped the form until the stair held presence. Warm gold-toning followed—gently hand-applied to echo the robe, the dawn, the intimacy of this shared return.
Printed on museum-grade Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, in a strictly limited edition of 25 + 2 AP, each hand-toned print is signed on the recto.
Let this image enter your space as a quiet threshold between prayer and companionship.
Click here to walk further into the Artist’s Journal.
Previously titled ‘Monk and Friend, Bakong Temple, Angkor, Cambodia. 2018,’ this photograph has been renamed to better reflect its place in the series and its spiritual tone. The edition, provenance, and authenticity remain unchanged.
