Cambodian village kids run off with my camera -- and I'm OK with that

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Our young photographer and his friends gather around as he snaps his first pictures.

I gave my my Canon Elph to a Cambodian village boy for three hours and asked him to take pictures. Here's the story of how it happened, and the pictures (gallery above) he took while charged with being the next Steve McCurry.

I've taken thousands of pictures of magnificent Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples. But it's the welcoming and friendly Cambodian people I keep coming back to see again and again.

One morning on my most recent trip I stopped along the river on my way to visit the floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake. Within seconds of crossing a small footbridge I was swarmed by a group of cheering kids excited to have their pictures taken. Between takes they gathered around me to see glimpses of themselves on the camera's digital screen.

I showed one of the boys how to use the camera and I stepped back and watched while his friends posed for shot after shot. They were falling over themselves in laughter. I began to wonder what would happen if I gave the kids my camera for the day. After weighing the risks (I lose my camera) vs. the rewards (I get a kids-eye view of Cambodian village life) I decided to leave the camera behind with the boy for a few hours while my friends and I ventured on to the lake.

The risk paid off. These are the boy's pictures.

Do you have a story of a time you creatively interacted with the local culture while traveling? We'd love to hear it.