SOA Protests World Nomad Entry

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

USA | Monday, January 14, 2013 | flickr photos

I have always thought of a career in photography as a naive child's dream: admirable and idealistic, but ultimately unrealistic. So, till now, I have relegated photography into the unsatisfying category of a hobby. But my passion for photography has continued to nag at me, providing occasional glimpses and signposts of the life I should lead. So last year I decided to go to the University of Missouri on exchange to study photojournalism for six months. It was the most incredible, eye-opening academic semester I have experienced. It not only confirmed that I should pursue a career in photography, but also informed me of what I like to photograph. Put simply - people. It is the people in the places I visit that inspire me to take photographs. Photography has developed into a means to explore people’s lives, to understand their motivations and to learn about their culture and way of life. The scholarship would be the most wonderful ‘next step’ in developing my photographic career. To learn from an experienced photographer about how to work in the field and how to interact with people as a photographer would be an invaluable, and humbling, experience. Sincerely, Emil Jeyaratnam