If I Could Bring Only One Photograph to a Desert Island

It’s a thought that’s impossible to truly bear — but fun to play with. If I could bring only one photograph to a desert island, which one would it be?

There’s always one image that rises to the surface when I think back over my massive archive of moments captured across the world. One image that stands apart — not just because of its composition, but because of the story behind it.

I remember being exhausted that day — the heat, the humidity, the endless stairs of Angkor Wat, Cambodia’s legendary temple complex. Back then, few tourists ventured here; it was a time when the ruins still felt untouched, almost sacred.

As I climbed through the ancient corridors, suddenly a monk appeared. He smiled, motioned for me to follow, and led me up to the very top of the temple. There, he sat down — cross-legged, calm — and gazed out over the vast temple grounds, surrounded by the dense, living jungle.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The air was heavy and still, and I quietly raised my camera.

For me, it was one of those rare moments where everything aligns — light, emotion, and human connection. Perhaps it was the same for him.

This image, of a Buddhist monk sitting atop Angkor Wat, is the one I’d take with me to that imagined desert island. A fragment of serenity from another time — a glimpse of stillness that, even today, reminds me why I travel, and why I photograph.

by Christian Nørgaard,

Photographer and Founder of Better Moments