When I began my career over ten years ago as a photographer in Siem Reap, I didn’t imagine I’d one day be building websites. My focus then was entirely on composition, lighting, and telling a story through images. Over the years, I’ve worked with hotels, restaurants, and small businesses across Cambodia, creating the kind of images that help them connect with travelers and guests.
During the last low season, I had some extra time, so I started updating my own websites. Around the same time, I began building a new site for a small business idea I’d been working on and experimented with different website platforms just to see what was possible.
Somewhere in the middle of that process, something clicked. I felt a creative rush that reminded me of the early days of photography — that same excitement of seeing an idea come to life visually. That’s when I realised I’d found another creative outlet and decided to dive deeper into web design.
After building a few sites and experimenting with different layouts, I began to notice how much photography and web design overlap — and how understanding both makes such a difference when creating websites that truly work.
Understanding How Images Work on the Web
As I began designing websites — first for my own photography brands, then for local clients — I started to see images in a completely new way. A great photo isn’t just about lighting or color; it’s about how it fits into a layout, supports a message, and guides a viewer’s attention.
For example, a restaurant might have stunning images of food, but if the shots are too dark or all taken vertically, they don’t translate well into a homepage banner or menu gallery. A hotel might have a beautiful garden image, but it doesn’t show the rooms that guests actually book.
As a Siem Reap web designer who also shoots professionally, I’ve learned to bridge that gap — to plan photography with design in mind. It means thinking ahead about website orientation, text placement, and the emotional tone the brand wants to convey.
The Overlap Between Photography, Design, and Branding
Over time, I became fascinated with the design side itself — typography, spacing, color balance — all the small decisions that make a website feel cohesive and trustworthy. I started studying graphic design and visual branding, and I quickly realized how much it connects with photography.
Composition in photography teaches balance. Lighting teaches contrast and focus. Color grading teaches emotion. These same ideas are the foundation of effective web design. When a designer understands photography (and vice versa), the result is a much more integrated brand experience.
This crossover is what I love most about what I do now. Whether I’m photographing a chef in their kitchen or building a new site for a boutique hotel, I’m always thinking about how the visuals will live online — how they’ll look on different screens, how they’ll load, the emtion they will convey and how they’ll represent the business to potential guests or customers.
Why It Matters for Businesses
In places like Siem Reap, where visuals are everything — from temples and culture to hospitality — your website is often the first impression someone has of your business. Beautiful, well-planned photography instantly communicates professionalism, while poor or mismatched images can hold a great business back.
I’ve seen it many times: a small layout tweak or a set of new hero images can completely change how a site feels. When photography and web design work together, the result is not only more attractive — it performs better. Pages load faster, the layout feels intentional, and the content connects emotionally.
Bringing It All Together
My work today sits right at that intersection — combining commercial photography and web design to help businesses present themselves in the best possible light. Every image I shoot is created with purpose, every design layout built to highlight what makes each client unique.
It’s been a rewarding evolution from pure photography to creative web design in Siem Reap, and it’s one that continues to teach me how visuals, layout, and storytelling all shape the way people experience a brand.
Written by Geoff Greenwood — web designer and commercial photographer based in Siem Reap, Cambodia.