The Hat

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Australia | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

I was given my first camera when I was twelve-- it was one of those cheap film cameras with a single plastic button on it. No shutter settings, color adjustments, or instant playback, yet the thrill of capturing an image that I could hold in my hand had me hooked.

When I go out looking for photos, I try to have conversations with people who then become subjects, or explore a site from multiple angles to gain insight and find little flaws that make it interesting. It helps to anticipate good images and get the timing right. I'll admit I can't always talk to a subject first and sometimes I arrive at a place mid-event and have to act quickly so as not to miss it. But overall, taking time out from shooting, even for a minute, makes me feel more connected, and I hope that it shows up in my images.

My photos are from a recent trip to the Dominican Republic where I visited the streets of Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo. Besides the harshness of the sun and its inky pattern of shadows, besides a stifling heat and the mix of car horns and bachata music, I was struck by the color-collages of saturated turquoise, rusty red, and rich marigold. Color seems to seep from acrylic layers peeling off of walls, the painted floor tiles, the hand-lettering in signs, even the public cars pieced together from spare parts. It's a Rothko painting that people live in and out of as if by accident.

Going on assignment in South Africa would be a turning point in my photography. Besides the adventure of a challenging trek, I'd love the incredible opportunity for mentoring in the field. I've only seen pictures of South Africa-- I'd like to take my own!