Andeol Cadin likes taking pictures of windows.
While that might sound like a superficial pastime, one look at the images Cadin produces reflects otherwise.
Cadin shoots windows with the intention of capturing what is both inside and out. The result is often a captivating collision of realities, where random ideas meet on the photographer's impossible stage.
Yet for all the city's store-front windows -- in France, at least, if not Phnom Penh -- such scenes remain hidden beyond the awareness of most passers by.
"Everybody sees that every day, but you either look inside or at the reflection," the Paris native explains. Cadin's photos, which were all taken in his hometown, go on display at the Equinox bar and restaurant on Street 278 starting Aug.7. Some of his work currently adorns the walls of Jup.
One of those photographs shows images of buildings and man sitting on a chair. What's fascinating about the picture is that it's difficult to determine which of the images are the reflection, and which is the reality inside.
"You get lost in the picture," Cadin says.
Another photo shows an intertwining of interior plants against the facade of city buildings.
One of the most interesting pictures is a reflection Cadin captured on a window of a boutique that sells Asian ornaments and other items in downtown Paris. The end result is blend of hanging ornaments that appear almost ghostly amid the architecture of Paris.
The images Cadin produces with his camera cannot be achieved with any type of computer software, such as Photoshop, he says.
"That's why I like this: It's the magic of being natural - It's not possible to reproduce," Cadin says.
Cadin always made a living in France as an architect. It was when he ventured into some graphic design work that he frequently found himself behind a camera. That was when he discovered his passion for taking pictures of window reflections.
"I began to notice that the natural light was predicting my pictures," he says.
While all of Cadin's photos are of images in Paris, he says he wants to start taking pictures of window reflections in Phnom Penh. However, Cadin stresses that trying to capture such images in Phnom Penh is more difficult than in Paris, where storefront windows in immediate proximity to sidewalks are everywhere.
"In Phnom Penh it's difficult," he adds.
It's also difficult for Cadin to find time to take pictures, as he's busy working as an architect on a house in Kep and another one in Siem Reap. Cadin, who also holds a master's degree in sustainable development, is also preoccupied with coming up with ideas for sustainability projects to help Cambodians.
"I really want to make some nice projects for Cambodian people," Cadin says.
Still, Cadin is intent on capturing window reflection images in Phnom Penh.
"I'm trying to find the time to make the same kind of style in Phnom Penh — I really want to," he says.
Cadin is also interested in taking regular photos of day-to-day life in Phnom Penh.
"In Phnom Penh, if you take your time, you can see all kinds of crazy things," he says.