That was a nice suprise when i'd written 1200 words for the application only to read back and realise it was characters :(
Here's what i would have said (Don't read if you're a judge and this is breaking the rules)
I am applying for the Scholarship as a Contemporary Art and Photojournalism student. I have switched between the two courses still not finding what I really need, to pursue a career in travel photography. So with uni as my crutch, I’ve been working to save up so that I can travel between studies and expand my portfolio. Over the past year I’ve managed to visit 7 countries which I travelled to alone so that I could photograph. Iceland, being my most recent and favourite, has clarified to me that photography and travel are the only things I can see my self doing.
I’m enthusiastic and believe there is no point in doing something unless you’re going to do it right, so I take great pride in everything I do. I am patient, something I think I have gained from working with children and behind a bar, which has had a great impact on my photography as I am willing to sit for hours to get the shot. I am extremely dedicated, if I have set my mind on something I’m going to do it, whether it takes one attempt or 100, I’ll never leave anything half done. I love a challenge, hate not being busy and thrive when around people who can teach me something.
Over the past 2 years I’ve not only travelled abroad to build my portfolio but have also attended a number of workshops, talks, conferences and lectures in London. I’ve always been an avid traveller from a young age and so started looking into where I could meet likeminded people while in the UK. I first went to Travel Photography Of The Year last year after coming back form a small Eurotrip in October, where I learnt an invaluable amount of information about travelling and photography techniques, as well as being able to see the exhibition from that year which just inspired me more. I then found out about Explore; another weekend event held by the Royal Geographical Society where I met some amazing people; someone who made it around the world using only man power and a man who walked through the entire amazon. Not only did I get to hear their amazing stories but I also sat in on talks about risk assessments, mapping, communicating from the field and equipment. I just need to put these into practice now.
I’ve always been intrigued by The Arctic and Antarctica because it’s so different to anything I’ve ever seen. It’s a whole new way of living and its vast spaces just make me want to explore. When I told people I was visiting Iceland last month their reaction was always ‘why would you want to go somewhere cold’ which I found funny since they’re living in the North of England, but the cold was just something else to look forward to since it has such an impact of the landscape. The natural wonders I got to see their will stick with me forever and they’ve just made me want more memories and moments like the ones I had there. A place that hasn’t been manufactured by man but is breathtakingly beautiful, juxtaposed with the colourful homes of civilization, is what I imagine Greenland to be like, and is what I am desperate to experience.
I love the outdoors and going on adventures, seeking out hidden places and camping under the stars. The physical side of this assignment would not be a problem as I have been playing sport ever since I can remember, have been hiking, climbing and skiing many times and attend the gym, so I have no worries there. I am more than happy with my photography equipment and I have all the correct clothing. I always keep a diary when I travel and also write articles in my spare time so my experience with that I think will come in handy and anything I do not already have, I will get.
A travel photographer to me is someone who has a passion for life, to see and capture parts of the world that not only most people haven’t seen but the parts that people choose to ignore. When everyone’s photographing a sunset, they’re the one who’s facing the other way capturing the shadows cast by it. The person who is laid on the floor photographing the cracks in a pavement or standing on a zebra crossing at night photographing the headlights of cars in a long exposure. Someone who will walk and walk without a map, following beauty until they end up at the top of a mountain where they can look down on their journey and photograph it. A girl who can show just one image of a country but sum it up in all it’s entirety; it’s atmosphere, it’s lifestyle.
I am desperate for this opportunity to learn from a professional, in what would be the most remote place I’ve ever been. I’ve been trying to write this for weeks but just can’t put into words how much I want this. It would be a foot onto the ladder of my dream job and a much needed step towards my future. I’m finding it more and more difficult to break into the industry between working and studying; being able to save enough to go away and photograph but not being paid to do so if really hard, not that I’m not enjoying the challenge but it would be great to be able to accompany a photographer, and Jason Edwards of all people, on an assignment and be able to learn on the job from a professional. National Geographic is my biggest inspiration and who I hope to work for one day, and this could be my chance to make that happen. I would put everything into this assignment and know that I would excel. The itinerary doesn’t faze me at all, it just makes me more excited at the prospect that I could be doing it. Put me in a boat, throw me out of a plane, slide me down an Iceberg, I will get the shot! (It would also mean I’d be celebrating my birthday driving along the ice cap road, which would pretty much make me the happiest person alive).
So to sum me up, I’m a happy, free spirited 21 year old, with big dreams, a lot of passion and drive, who falls asleep staring at the stars through her velux window. I’m spontaneous, dedicated and appreciate the small things in life. I’m a good photographer but this assignment could make me great.
