Varanasi

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

India | Thursday, January 3, 2013 | 5 photos

I am a student at Sussex University studying English Literature and History. I started to take a real interest in photography in school as part of studying art and I've wanted to be a journalist since before I can remember. My interest in photojournalism began towards the end of my school career and was sparked by an interest in representation. How people are represented in the media and how photographs can be appreciated as a means of universal representation; everyone can 'read' a photograph.

I am inspired by photographers like Don McCullen and Steve McCurry who are able to tell a complex story in each of their photographs. What interests me most in photography is people and culture. Trying to capture the atmosphere and 'feel' of a place in a fraction of a second is not always easy. Especially with portraits as a person's expression changes as soon as they notice they have a camera pointed at them. This can be irritating, but i feel it can also give a new dynamic to the photograph, like their expression is in someway trying to tell the viewer something.

Since travelling around India my heart has been set on giving people a voice and celebrating diversity through photography.