2013, Day 121 - Gallery

This is one of the many crumbling courtyards in the sprawling complex of Beng Mealea.  Today the temple is held together and torn apart by the jungle.  Architecturally, as my friend Araceli pointed out, it lacks the sophisticated reinforcement and redundancy found in the later temples but the artistry is exquisite.  Being that this temple seems to have been something of an experiment it is a little startling to find it so exceptional.  It is like a study that would be the foundation for all other and, as such, it possesses a splendor that is exceptional in this land of ancient architectural marvels.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f8, merged layers of 1/100, 1/25, 1/13, and 1/6 sec @ 100 ISO