Coleslaw

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Peru | Wednesday, October 6, 2010 | 5 photos

I love traveling and I love adventure. The pictures in this journal represent one of the more operose situations I have found myself in. They were taken with a dying camera battery and a full memory card and demonstrate some self-made luck and a quick glimpse into the first of a three day ordeal stuck in the town of Aguas Calientes during the Machu Picchu landslides earlier this year. (http://www.stateofplace.com/tips-to-walk-out-of-machu-picchu/)
They are my attempt at capturing the drama of a spectacular situation under self-inflicted technological constraints whilst also having to maneuver my personal safety. To me, this is all a part of the fun and all a part of the beauty of photographing life and the experiences around.
Normally, my pictures attempt to document the interaction of my senses with self definitions of attractiveness and importance. This leads to interesting framing, off center focusing, and unexpected subjects; far from your average vacation snapshot.
I have a solid understanding of the aesthetics of different types of photography as well as the sensitive nature of taking photos in various cultures. I feel at peace and energized waiting lengths of time for the perfect shot. I believe that an opportune, well framed, touristy picture does not guarantee a better photo than one taken respectfully and unobtrusively from two or three feet to the left.
I am currently finishing my master’s degree in Environmental Mgmt at the University of Queensland. Any contribution I could make to National Geographic would fulfill the passions of a creative flame of mine that exists in the paradigm of my environmental interests. I see this internship as the perfect opportunity for an amateur like me to take a chance I might never otherwise have at developing a life-long hobby for the delight of readers and travelers across the globe.