Thursday 5th May 2011 marked the beginning of the Photography Open Workshop Series at Kinyei, taught by Mr André Vandam. Andre is a freelance photographer who is interested in the history of Cambodia and capturing that history through photography.He start to follow his passion as a photographer and traveler in a couple of years ago. He changed the direction of his career from teaching to photography a couple years ago. His passion for photography has grown into a full time career while living abroad in China for 2 years and now Cambodia. In China he enjoyed photographing many beautiful landscapes. He will stay here (in Battambang) for two years as a photographer with his wife who is a volunteer at the Battambang’s Provincial Education Department.

This workshop series catered to organizations in Battambang needing to up skill their staff in how to take quality photo’s. This enables us to visually share our programs and community initiatives online with supporters and stakeholders.

15 participants attended the workshop series from many organizations around Battambang. Half the participants were foreign volunteers working in Cambodia who brought a Khmer counterpart to ensure the skills were passed on sustainably.

I am Untac, a participant in this amazing workshop and want to share what we learned. I got something that I never expected I would get from this workshop. That is taking a perfect picture by knowing how:

• To use shutter speed, appeture and ISO,
• The camera balances light,
• To use the rule of thirds and
• many more useful photography principles that we never knew.

For the last workshop session we had a photography contest and I got second place for the photo below. What do you see? This is what I see when I look at this photo:

“While I am sad this picture makes me better. If I am glad this picture reduce it because when I am sad this picture tell me that not only you who sad, I am also. And when I am glad this picture tells me that No… you have to help somebody to get them as happy as you because there are still many people around you who want happiness.”

This is a photo in Battambang along street 2 that I took for the contest

Because the photography workshop became so popular, Kinyei and Andre are running another one this month for those that missed out first time round. We still keep practicing and sharing our photography with each other on our very own Facebook Page called Battambang Photography. Be sure to check out the awesome photography coming out of Battambang by following us on Facebook.

First things that I found at the Kinyei Cafe Shop

Cappuccino at the Kinyei Cafe Shop

Kinyei cafe is a social enterprise where the profits go towards Kinyei’s Community Based Organisation Open Workshop program and other community initiatives. I have worked at Kinyei Cafe since early May 2011. I saw a job announcement at the University of Battambang. I felt interested so I applied for a job at Kinyei. After I have worked there, I got the cafe skill that i can run my own business and have developed other skills such as English, communication, the ability to interact with different cultures and work experience in making coffee. I think that the cafe shop at Kinyei is a good place for Cambodian people and foreigners learn about eachothers cultures. We will learn together and share the education. Because Kinyei opened the shop and other programmes, I get more education to develop myself. I share this learning with young people in the community who don’t have a job to do. I use my salary for my studying and social living. It’s a good idea that the managers pay some English school fees for the staff here. So, there are many wonderful things to do at Kinyei Cafe Shop.

Kinyei Cafe shop located in Battambang city, Cafe opens from 7: 00 am until 7: 00 pm, Monday to Sunday. We serve the espresso coffee drinks , tea , baked goods and others such as fresh spring roll, hommade yogurt, fruit, honey milk….We also provide free fast speed Internet.

I have learnt to make a lot of things both drink and snack. The drink I most enjoy making is the Cappuccino. “Cappuccino is very popular for the customers here like to drink it” said by Mr. Sean who is the supervisor at Kinyei Cafe. Here is a video of how we make Capuccino at kinyei. So if you want to try a delicious drink and snack which is served by us, we welcome you to come and pay us a visit!

Sean teaches new staff how to make a cappuccino at Kinyei Cafe from Kinyei on Vimeo.

Kinyei Cafe’s characteristics and specific policies are a very important part of my work. I think that if we don’t have good characteristics, it is hard to work as a team or group. Today, I work at the cafe with Sean, Palla, Utac, Sakana, Sakhey, Sothearak, and Chenda. Our characteristics have similarities which are:

• Friendly and welcoming,
• Hard working,
• Attention to detail,
• Taking initiative,
• Willingness to learn,
• Happy to share what we already know and
• English competency.

Staff celebrate Khmer New Year at Kinyei Cafe Shop

My colleagues and I have an idea about the policies and that is to provide excellent espresso coffee drinks, fast professional service and high quality products. So the cafe team really enjoy taking care of our customers with delicious coffee, fast service and friendly smiles.

Working at the Kinyei Cafe shop is a good place for me to learn, share education and culture between Cambodians and foreigners, access learning work shops,and develop my skills. Kinyei bring me brightness life in the future!