messthetics

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Kyrgyzstan | Monday, January 14, 2013 | flickr photos

It's the element of chance that's always struck me as the most amazing aspect of photography, unlike in other fine arts where one has full control over the work. Of course you need practical skills and a well-honed eye, but the best shots usually also involve something special - fortuitous timing, unexpected beauty - not quite luck, but a leap of faith.

Photography had always been a part of my life, but I'd relegated it to an irregularly practiced passion and made do with the thrill it brought me on my frequent travels, both as a means and an end: a reason to learn more about my environment, and a way to get closer to those within it.

My career has been made of images, ideas, and stories, but for brands instead of myself. Now, I'm starting from scratch. I just quit my full-time ad job for freelancing and the flexibility to start pursuing photography. As I sort out my new role, more fundamentally I am trying to tackle the challenge of thinking beyond individual images to a holistic, connected expression of something bigger and more meaningful. And through perseverance and hopefully quality time with such a talented and accomplished photographer, I have faith I can make this work.