Kampot’s wet market: A photographer’s playground

Kampot’s central wet market is more than a place where locals shop for their daily fish, meat, and vegetables—it’s a vibrant stage of colors, textures, and everyday life waiting to be captured.

For photographers, the narrow aisles and buzzing atmosphere offer endless frames: the glistening silver of fresh mackerel laid on ice, sunlight piercing through roof slats onto rows of tropical fruit, or the weathered faces of vendors who know the market like the back of their hand.

Morning is the best time to explore, when the market hums at its liveliest and natural light sneaks through the tin roof. A wide-angle lens captures the energy, while a portrait lens lets you focus on the stories written on people’s faces.

Kampot’s wet market isn’t curated or polished; it’s raw, chaotic, and real. And that’s exactly why it’s such a rewarding place to photograph—the kind of space where every corner has a story worth framing.

The charm lies in contrasts—between old wooden stalls and bright plastic baskets, between the rush of buyers and the quiet moments of vendors preparing their goods.