Causing Trouble in Koh Tao

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Friday, August 27, 2010 | flickr photos

Stuck for inspiration on a brief trip to Thailand in July, a chance sighting on a random page of a Lonely Planet guide brought me to Koh Tao to do an underwater (SCUBA) photography course. While I have played around with cameras my whole life, I had until this point never received any practical lessons, and before we were to head underwater, I was given 10 minutes instruction and a day to take as many pictures as possible with just a few pointers on composition.
The four photos that form my entry are all from that day. While I have taken many pictures in the past that I'm proud of, that day was when I first learned some practical tips on what makes a good photo, and how to combine this with my own way of seeing, so the photos I have entered are special to me for that reason also.
The place for my entry is Sai Ree on the west coast of Koh Tao. Like much of Southeast Asia, the locals are very laid back and this results in a very friendly, fun atmosphere, so I decided that “causing trouble” would be a sub-theme to tie it all together. Please see the captions of each photo for more specific details.
Photography has been a hobby my whole life, but as I explained above it is only recently that I feel it has really started to come together for me, which has only increased my passion. I would love to go further with it, and would love to be able to make it my career. I feel the World Nomads scholarship is a fantastic way to really give that a shot.