Women working in bars in Cambodia. Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 12/05/2009.
HELLO DARLING by Eric de Vries takes you inside a few of the many girly-bars around Streets 104 and 136 in the popular riverside-area of Phnom Penh. Most of the bars are packed with girls waiting to provide expats or tourists with some engaging female company.
Providing a neck-massage in the hope of earning a ladydrink, these girls keep smiling even when no one enters. Playing pool with each other or climbing atop the bar to strut their stuff, with their eyes focused at the mirrors behind the bar, not only to look at themselves, also to watch the door. You never know who will come in and when.
And when the guys walk in, they all sing in choir-formation… HELLO DARLING. Then its time to party with some chat, flirting and massage, all geared towards getting that ladydrink and enjoying the moment. They get a dollar for each ladydrink so it’s an important addition to their monthly wage packet.
Most of the time it ends with a goodbye-kiss as the customers head out the door on their way to the next bar along the street but sometimes a few have more luck…































































New: good work,keep it up.
good work,keep it up.
New: Eric Well done, appreciate
Eric Well done,
appreciate your effort and work.
Thanks for sharing,
Greetings from Pakistan.
Kazmi
New: Hi Karolina, Good point! I
Hi Karolina,
Good point! I agree but there's a little difference there. In a series like this most or maybe all the photographers are voyeurs. By putting my own face in makes it completely different. And why not....! Think about that. Snowing in Greece?
New: Eric, many of these shots are
Eric, many of these shots are great.
But while I do agree with you that for a good series you need to capture everything, I'm not entirely sure how posting a photo of yourself helps that in any way?
In fact, I find it a little distracting in the same way I wouldn't want to see a photographer posing with a firebomb during a riot.
New: 2 selfportraits? Please get
2 selfportraits? Please get some glasses, strong ones!
I don't have to explain anything to you, you know, but I still will do and you're complety wrong, sorry. I'm not ashamed to put my FACE into this series. And there's something to say for that.
And about criticism... I can have it, no problem, if it's right. I didn't start this in the first place. You did.
I will give you some very good advice, for free. Go outthere and come up with some stronger pictures than you did before instead of trying to be a pain in the ass. You're a photographer or not...?
New: no, it shows you just did
no, it shows you just did before, and the 2 self portraits help prove that. anyway, i don't know what it is you are arguing about. If you can't take criticism, you shouldn't post in public.
New: I think you need a closer
I think you need a closer look cos the last pictures don't show that I'm having sex. So I don't know what your point is...
New: having sex with your subject
having sex with your subject is crossing the line in the journalism world. your last few photos show that clearly. For example, the photo of the girl naked in bed.
New: Reality! gskphoto. This is
Reality! gskphoto.
This is the way it goes and happens and not only in Cambodia. This happens everywhere.
To make a good series with a beginning and an end you must show all.
I know a lot of bargirls personally but I don't cross the line. And when you know these girls, you can make a series like this...
New: How does taking part of the
How does taking part of the exploitation of women for money help tell the stories?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but from the last few pictures, it seems that the story is about you as a client of Cambodian bar girls.