My Travel Photography Scholarship Entry

Quiapo: A Vicious Circle

Philippines | Monday, January 14, 2013 | 5 photos

Making photographs is one of the most mesmerizing things in the world for me.In many ways an image is a chance encounter,but there’s so much more to a powerful shot than happenstance. Every element is juxtaposed to convey a message, like doing a puzzle--one that I will never get tired of solving.

My passion for photography was ignited by a book,where the art of making (not just taking) photos was described so vividly that it changed the way I saw things forever.Suddenly, every place, every object, everyone has something to say.Everything is a photograph.

It’s amazing to me how a split second captured on a piece of paper can tell a story of such depth without words.And I’m awed by the way images can inspire such strong emotions that it creates solidarity between strangers: the photographer and his audience.And it has been my desire to spark such a connection through my photographs for as long as I can remember.

I’ve been a cubicle rat for all of my professional life, and this opportunity came just when I’m trying to take bigger steps towards my dream. The chance to learn has fueled my desire to make bigger changes in my life, and to start making a longtime goal come true.