1/9
1/9
By the Mekong
By the Mekong
Greg Mo
April 28, 2026
Greg Mo’s series reveals life along the banks of the longest river is South East Asia, at a 200-metre-long stretch within the Cambodian capital. It is defined by a constant hustle and bustle, coming and going. Consequently, the Mekong not only stands as a symbol for a country and a society in transformation, but also for continuity and the deep cultural connection that the Khmer (the people of Cambodia) share with the river. It is precisely because of the radically limited approach Mo chose for his work, that this complexity becomes strikingly apparent. His precise observations raise questions about time, belonging and change, and appeared as a book published in 2025.
LFI: You live in Cambodia. What is it about the country and its people that fascinate you?
Greg Mo: I fell in love with this country, both visually and spiritually. I really like the Khmer people, whom I find very distinctive and deeply affectionate. I think this also comes from their history, from what they have been through. Compared to the local population, I have a different perspective of the country, which I’m excited to explore. These years spent here have been like a kind of dream, a slightly surreal connection with a new world that I continue to discover.
Why did you choose this place in particular? Is there a personal connection?
I walk almost every day along this small stretch of the Mekong, especially at sunset. It’s a very particular place for me, as it was the first area I discovered when I first visited Cambodia. My house is just next to it, so it has become a very familiar, very intimate place.One day, in 2023, after one of these walks, I looked at the images I had taken and I felt that there was something there, a real coherence between them. That’s how the project started: by accumulating these daily walks and trying to understand what this place was really saying.
Taking pictures repeatedly in the same place must require a lot of patience and stamina. Did this approach limit your work, or did it it liberate it?
That’s where the appeal of photography lies for me – the time, the mistakes and the repeated visits. This project was very natural and closely tied to my everyday life. Without any pressure, I would simply take my camera with me, to explore and almost meditate in this place. Images would appear regularly, sometimes when I least expected them. I always had this curiosity to see what was going to happen. And in the end, every day was truly different.
How do you deal with picture composition?
I work in a very instinctive way. I react to light, to an attitude, a gesture, an object, a precise moment. When I photograph, I really try not to think, but to let myself be carried by what’s happening. I place shapes and volumes in the frame almost without thinking, looking for a simple balance, something readable. The analysis comes later, in front of the computer. That’s when I see whether my intuition was right or not. At first, I mainly select the pictures I feel an immediate connection with. Then time does the sorting.
What does the series reveal? What patterns did you discover, or were there none at all?
One re-occurring motif in the work is birds, especially pigeons. They’re everywhere and they create a very particular atmosphere. Sometimes, when looking at the images, I almost feel like I can hear the sound of their wings. As for what the series really says, I prefer to leave that to the viewer’s eye. This isn’t a classic documentary work; it’s more of an exploration, almost a dreamlike experience of this part of the Mekong riverbanks in Phnom Penh.
Pauline KnappschneiderLFI: You live in Cambodia. What is it about the country and its people that fascinate you?
Greg Mo: I fell in love with this country, both visually and spiritually. I really like the Khmer people, whom I find very distinctive and deeply affectionate. I think this also comes from their history, from what they have been through. Compared to the local population, I have a different perspective of the country, which I’m excited to explore. These years spent here have been like a kind of dream, a slightly surreal connection with a new world that I continue to discover.
Why did you choose this place in particular? Is there a personal connection?
I walk almost every day along this small stretch of the Mekong, especially at sunset. It’s a very particular place for me, as it was the first area I discovered when I first visited Cambodia. My house is just next to it, so it has become a very familiar, very intimate place.One day, in 2023, after one of these walks, I looked at the images I had taken and I felt that there was something there, a real coherence between them. That’s how the project started: by accumulating these daily walks and trying to understand what this place was really saying.
Taking pictures repeatedly in the same place must require a lot of patience and stamina. Did this approach limit your work, or did it it liberate it?
That’s where the appeal of photography lies for me – the time, the mistakes and the repeated visits. This project was very natural and closely tied to my everyday life. Without any pressure, I would simply take my camera with me, to explore and almost meditate in this place. Images would appear regularly, sometimes when I least expected them. I always had this curiosity to see what was going to happen. And in the end, every day was truly different.
How do you deal with picture composition?
I work in a very instinctive way. I react to light, to an attitude, a gesture, an object, a precise moment. When I photograph, I really try not to think, but to let myself be carried by what’s happening. I place shapes and volumes in the frame almost without thinking, looking for a simple balance, something readable. The analysis comes later, in front of the computer. That’s when I see whether my intuition was right or not. At first, I mainly select the pictures I feel an immediate connection with. Then time does the sorting.
What does the series reveal? What patterns did you discover, or were there none at all?
One re-occurring motif in the work is birds, especially pigeons. They’re everywhere and they create a very particular atmosphere. Sometimes, when looking at the images, I almost feel like I can hear the sound of their wings. As for what the series really says, I prefer to leave that to the viewer’s eye. This isn’t a classic documentary work; it’s more of an exploration, almost a dreamlike experience of this part of the Mekong riverbanks in Phnom Penh.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Greg Mo
EQUIPMENT: Leica M10, Summicron-M 35 f/2 Asph
By the Mekong+-
100 pages, 50 colour images
19 x 21 cm, English
Self-published
Greg Mo+-
Greg Mo is a photographer based in Cambodia who has specialised in street photography. His work deals with the mundane, social spaces and urban tales, and is defined by its surreal approach. The By the Mekong photo series was published in 2025. In addition to his personal work, Mo teaches at the Phnom Penh School of Photography and runs regular workshops, some in collaboration with Leica. More
