Varanasi

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | 5 photos

I am fascinated by the way people interact with their environment - how we live; what we believe; what we build. The infinitely varied interaction between people and place is what drives my passion for photography and travel.

These images are from Varanasi, India, the most concentrated city of human/environment stories I have ever been to.
Shot1: Bodies being cremated by the Ganges at the burning ghat.
Shot2: Morning worship on the banks of the Ganges.
Shot3: A bull blocking the entrance to a back-alley hotel.
Shot4: Chaos in the alleys as people, motorbikes and cows compete for space.
Shot 5:The dim lights of high-density housing stretch for kilometres.

Bhutan's king once declared that Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product. I want to know if this attitude exists among the people of Bhutan, and if so, how such a radical mindset shapes their environment and society. If not, then the story will be just as fascinating, perhaps even more so. Either way, an important story exists there, and I hope to tell it.

I work as a retoucher. I have always found photography a meaningful and rewarding counterpoint to an occupation that I have lately been finding increasingly irrelevant to my life.

I've never pursued photography as profession because I love it so much; commercial shooting seems to stifle the creativity and passion of many photographers.

For the past two years I've worked in front of a screen. For 18 months before that I traveled; not working - shooting and learning. I now understand that it is in the field that I thrive. I believe this trip holds amazing rewards for me; the opportunity to learn from a passionate professional; the opportunity to develop the themes I explore; and to take the next step toward a fulfilling career.