Antarctica in 5 words

My Scholarship entry - Antarctica in 5 words

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 11, 2014 | 5 photos

My photography is an unexpected partnership of the two halves of my brain. My left brain - which led me to earn engineering degrees at Stanford and Berkeley - loves the technical details, from light to camera to final framed print. My right brain - which led me to excel in creative writing and ceramics - loves the challenge of visually expressing emotion. I am proudest of my images when these two halves work in concert; both are necessary and neither is sufficient.

In 2013, I tagged along with a film crew on an expedition to Antarctica; it was my first dedicated wildlife photography adventure. Each day I went out with the earliest boat and came back with the last. By the end of the trip, my passion for capturing the beauty of wild and remote locations had fully coalesced, and I am eager to return to such places.

Like many travelers to Antarctica, I left with a profound desire to protect it and the other untouched environments. As my abilities progress, my measure of success is shifting from pure aesthetic excellence to convincing others that these places are worth protecting. Crafting a visual story that drives people to action is what I am most hopeful to learn from Jason.