About dawn_canning
As a child, I wasn't one for playing video games, or sitting on the couch and watch television. I spent most of my time, from the moment I could walk to the day I could finally travel, playing outside pretending I was in another world, another country. By the time I was barely 6, I had an “Africa Fund” in the hopes that I would be able to save up enough money to go to Africa to visit. I aspired to be able to feel sand beneath my feet, or to visit the markets of another land because that's what gave me life. The thought of seeing a foreign land, visiting, and learning about another world outside my own.
As I grew, and I learned more, I discovered that that feeling of wanting to be surrounded by new things, was an urge to observe and to see the beauty in everything, and everywhere. And when I discovered that, I was asking for my first camera. I took photos of everything. From my pet mouse, to the sidewalk on my way to school. I wanted the world to see the beautiful things that I saw every day, everywhere. As the years went by, it never faded. Just these past two summers, I've travelled across my own country, Canada, twice. By the time I got home, I wanted to hit the road again already, because I know there's still so much to see. So much beauty that I want to share with anyone who's willing to see it.
Our world has a lot to offer. In both sights, and experiences. As it's said, a photograph tells a thousand words. They also have the ability to bring tears of happiness, joy, anger, and sadness, as if the viewer was there on their own. Photographs are powerful and can speak to anyone. It's because of that that, that I've been driven towards photography. I can show, and share with people, the happy and joyous moments, the beautiful moments, and yet even still, the sad moments. There's a lot to share in our world, from the beautiful Himalayan Mountains, to the war stricken homes in Afghanistan.
Change starts with acknowledgment. And with photography, I can help be a part of that. I want to observe, feel, and photograph the world as it is now, so it can be what it'll be tomorrow.
My desire, and what fuels me, is to help make the world a better, happier place. And if bringing acknowledgement to people of the beauty of what we already have, or the places that could use some improvement to make us better as a whole, than that's what I'm dedicating my life to. Being a photojournalist is what I've been leaning towards, long before I even realized what a photojournalist was. There's been two constant passions in my life, that've stayed with me right from when I was a little girl. Photographs, and travelling.
When I saw a link to this scholarship posted on my facebook, from a friend, my heart jumped out of my chest with excitement. Currently I'm living in Labrador, Canada, where I'm working to be able to travel. Getting my license, saving up money, gathering some long-wanted photography gear that I couldn't afford when I was going to college for the past two years. An opportunity to be able to travel to the Peruvian Amazon, and learn from a National Geographic Photographer, would be an opportunity that would stick with me for a lifetime. It would fulfill a life-long dream, of a step towards working for National Geographic. Not a surprise to anyone who knows me, I grew up with the dream of working for National Geographic. Before learning about photography, I wasn't sure what I'd do, but I always had a magazine kickin' around my room inspiring me to travel and see the world.
If I were to have the lucky opportunity of travelling with Jason Edwards, it'd be the door I've been looking for to put me in the right direction of photojournalism. I may have earned a diploma in photography, at my local community college, but no amount of assignments or studio time, could teach me the skills I need to become a better travel photographer, and storyteller.
I can only keep all my fingers and toes, maybe even my eyes, crossed in the hopes that I'm able to have this opportunity to meet Jason Edwards, and learn from someone who's doing exactly what I aspire to do.
