Afghanistan

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Afghanistan | Friday, July 5, 2013 | 5 photos

A desire to tell other people’s stories has been my North Star for most of my adult life. This aim has led me to all sorts of interesting jobs and places – mostly things I never dreamed of doing until they actually happened, such as going to Afghanistan.

However, despite my intention to master photography as a tool to tell those stories and taking it more seriously in the last three years, I have only managed to maintain it as a hobby. The pictures I have taken have only been shared with family and friends. Nevertheless, capturing an evocative picture remains one of the most satisfying experiences I know.

When it comes to telling stories with powerful images, who does it better than National Geographic? As a kid, I could never afford to buy the magazine but I would collect editions others were discarding just so I could gaze at the pictures. I’ve no doubt this has shaped my ideals on photography.

But reality is always the best teacher. A 10-day mentored shoot with Jason Edwards will be grueling and awesome in equal measure. But above all, it will finally reveal if I have what it takes to realise the dream of capturing compelling images that are worthy of publication.