SIEM Reap’s trendy new nightspot, the Hip Hop Club near the Old Market, is the venue for an innovative Angkor Photo Festival happening called the Street Studio, where revellers can have their photo taken on the spot for free.

The Street Studio launched on Monday and will be alive with laughing, dancing and photography again tomorrow night.

Street Studio was a concept originally thought of by Angkor Photo Festival director Jean-Yves Navel, and put into action by some of the team from the festival. Angkor Photo Festival coordinator assistant and Street Studio organiser Jessica Lim said it aimed to involve young people from the Cambodian community.

“We want to extend the festival to young Khmer people,” she said. “We chose the Hip Hop Club because mainly young Khmer people go there and many of them aren’t aware of the photo festival.

“We want to make them realise the festival is not just for foreigners.”

India’s Kapil Das, the co-publisher of blindboys.org, was one of about eight photographers at Street Studio and he said he was “super excited” with how it went.

Street Studio was first run on Monday night and according to Jessica Lim the first session was a complete success and it was exciting to see so many young Khmer people having fun.

“We took over 100 portraits of people and we even had some of the tuk tuk and moto drivers come in to have their picture taken,” she said. “The street kids came too.

“We were already crowded very early and were swallowed by people wanting more than one photograph taken.”

She said she expected even more people to come on Friday because word of mouth was buzzing in town.

She said some people were not happy with their photo so they will be back for more.

“We are hoping to make the process smoother this time around. Canon is sponsoring it with two small printers.”

Street Studio at the Hip Hop Club begins at 9:30pm tomorrow.