On the steps of Varanasi

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Saturday, October 9, 2010 | 5 photos

Travelling is fascinating, especially in countries which have a very different culture compared to one’s own. I have only really come to photography about 10 years ago via travelling. Before that I rarely made any photos, but if so mostly during short holidays in neighbouring countries. And still I was considering my small camera more like a piece of unnecessary ballast.

This has entirely changed when I made a 7-month trip through South America. From the out-of-this-world landscapes of Bolivia to the rainforest of the Amazon, it was such a wonderful world full of different impressions, colours, sights and people. Definitively a very strenuous trip on a budget, but such exceptional experiences I was so lucky to make and which others might never see in their lifetime. I started photographing to document my travel and to show the beauty of other parts of the world to my family and friends.

Since then photography has become my primary hobby and a very important part of my life, next to travelling (and my job of course, completely unrelated to photography). This goes so far that today I might select a travel destination based on photographic opportunities it might offer or that I might get up at 3 o’clock in the morning just to be in the right place at the right time to get the best shot.

Bhutan has – mostly for the sense of mystery surrounding this secluded country – long been on my list of (probably never fulfilled) dream destinations, next to places like Spitzbergen, Tibet, Namibia, Antarctica or North Korea. I would love to win the proposed scholarship as it would allow me combine my 2 biggest interests, to gain additional experience working together with a renowned photographer and – possibly – start a career in photography.