Cuba

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Cuba | Thursday, October 14, 2010 | 5 photos

Since my first photographic experience abroad in Honduras, I knew travel photography was my calling. I’ve come to view the world through an imaginary lens; I jump at the chance to document everything I experience.

As a volunteer ESL teacher in Harlem, I encountered numerous Cuban refugees struggling to establish a new life in New York City. Their stories fascinated me; their hope and drive for a better future was inspirational. As an Anthropology major, I learned to appreciate variant forms of government, community and culture. I became determined to travel to Cuba to understand why coming to the United States was a dream for so many Cubans.

I saved my money and flew to Havana. On my arrival, I learned that the airline had lost my luggage. I spent the next two weeks traveling the island in a rental car with my camera and the clothes on my back. The experience forced me to interact with Cuba in ways that enhanced my understanding of the place and people I strove to document.

In my photography I attempt to unveil the underlying human connection that supersedes culture and language. Humans share the ability to communicate, experience emotion and interpret their surroundings despite cultural differences. Worldwide attention on natural disaster, war, and international tensions highlight how small the world really is. I want to bring social and international awareness through the power of images.

I have recently quit my job to focus 100% on making photography my full-time career. Winning this scholarship, at such a moment in my life, would greatly facilitate this endeavor. If chosen, I would direct my ambition, anthropological training, and photographic eye toward making a significant contribution to the field of travel photography.