Down the Amazon on a River Boat

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Brazil | Sunday, August 22, 2010 | 5 photos

My name is Alina. I graduated from college in 2009 majoring in Media Studies. Because I still feel that for me traveling hasn’t been fully explored, I decided to postpone ‘the real life’ and keep living until the next adventure.
I am presently working as a dog walker in NY. Job not related to Media but helping me save up for traveling, and be out on the streets with my camera. What I like about traveling is not only getting to know new cultures, and places but also being able to experience life as it is- with all uncomfortable aspects of it, helping me become more humble.
This year I decided to see Amazonas, part of Brazil that’s still relatively unexplored. Because it’s the wettest part of South America, the only way to really see it is either by plane or by boat. I decided to spend 5 days on the boat going down Rio Madeira. By living very modestly, sleeping all cramped up in hammocks I could feel the local energy.
Photos I took during this trip tell a story about a place, which was my ‘home’ for almost 5 days. They show people’s daily and monotonous existence. For me going down the river and passing by villages was a metaphor- about all that passes us by in life.

I think I should be chosen for this scholarship because I have huge adventurous spirit and will to learn, and improve my skills both as a photographer and human being trying to reach others through that medium.
Although I am still undecided about ‘what to do with life’ I know travel photography would help me explore all my artistic aspects, learn about world, get closer to understand people from remote parts of the world, and hopefully make an impact on people’s lives and opinions.