Yes, it was tough light to expose. The ruins in the back were in blazing sunlight and the rocks in front were in the shade. I exposed for the foreground and shortened development, and managed to squeeze the image on G3 paper. Today I would have developed it in PMK, without having to adjust development time.
Interesting about pmk not needing the adjustment. I'm still very much sorting out development, so I tend to hang on to that tidbit for future/further experimentation.
I use PMK Pyro for my church images, where I often have a 10+ Stop range, from dark interiors to sunlit windows, and use normal developing times. The staining bath after fixing gives the negatives the final density, and my processing times yield negatives that print on G2 in 8x10 and G3 in 11x14.
The only downside to this developer is its high toxicity and difficulties of disposal.
That light again, masterfully captured and exquisitely printed. I especially like the dual tonal themes and subjects in a single picture here. The soft glow and lower contrast of the temple, palace or city wall in the back and the strong reflected light and deep shadows of the path and steps up to the entrance. Are those Banyan trees in the fore? It all seems so perfect and captivating everywhere in this print. The heavily forested jungle of SE Asia peninsula, in the midst of which populations existed, is also very nicely featured here. I do wonder where the cultivation was sited - the Mekong delta is rather far from this! I have always been fascinated in images from Cambodia, of these imperial, sacred sites that led and guided peoples for centuries. That mostly because of the Vietnam War era in which i grew up. The courses, mystery of daily life and tragedies of human history just seem palpable in these images, even in their mere remnant.
I visited Angkor Wat because it is the world's largest spiritual site, and both, country and ruins, transmitted exactly what you described: a fascinating country with a heartwrenching history.
Reading your comments, I realize there are no coincidences. I usually take most of my favorite images before 07:00 A.M. This was taken around noon. It shows the place the way I remember it: hot and humid and full of contrasts. My usual early morning images wouldn't have shown that, and I usually don't like photographing at noon. Too contrasty ! But I reached this site at noon, after visiting other areas, and it yielded photos that depict the images and impressions and memories I remember from those days.
Interesting to realize it through someone else's comments. Thanks !