Hard at Work

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Myanmar | Friday, June 14, 2013 | flickr photos

The first thing I ever saved my own money to buy was a camera. I must have been 8-10 years old and saved my money coin by coin to buy a Polaroid. I don't remember how long I used it or exactly how many cameras I've had until now, but photography has continued to be a passion for me ever since.

My passion for travel was also inspired early on, by a wealthy great aunt who once told me she'd been to 80 countries. From then on it was a goal for me to visit 81. At this point in my life, I've only visited about 10, but I've come to realize that the number of countries isn't as important as the richness of my experiences. Rather than follow a scheduled tour, I want to go where my interest is piqued and linger there with my camera.

When I look back over my photos, I can see a gradual improvement, but what would help me greatly is professional guidance. I want to take my current photographic abilities and kick them up several notches. The best photographers can take even the most ordinary subjects and change them into extraordinary pictures. I hope that with enough time and training and practice, I can be included among those photographers.