grainfedphoto's journal https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/ Mon, 6 Apr 2026 03:59:22 GMT World Nomads Adventures The reason I have entered this scholarship for the last three years is simple: there is no better way to learn than by doing and for me that means shooting on assignment. I am sure that I could learn more from one week with Jason Edwards than four years of photography school and that's what motivates me to keep throwing my hat in the ring. A bit of a late bloomer, I did not purchase my first DSLR until I was 27, after many years of shooting with a point and shoot camera and getting unsatisfactory results. I quickly made up for lost time by practising a lot, taking a few courses and studying other photographers' work in the hopes of becoming more technically skilled and developing my own point of view. Five years later, I am now an avid documentary/street photographer looking to break into photojournalism professionally. I get no bigger buzz than chasing life's fleeting moments when - for a split second - light, form, and shadow collide perfectly and I am ready to trap them in time. To be paid to do this or better yet, to potentially bring change to issues that I care about by doing something that I love, is what my dreams are made of. A week in Oman with a National Geographic photographer would bring me one step closer. https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/39139/Cuba/My-Photo-Scholarship-2012-Entry Travel Cuba grainfedphoto https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/39139/Cuba/My-Photo-Scholarship-2012-Entry#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/39139/Cuba/My-Photo-Scholarship-2012-Entry Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:46:00 GMT 0 It’s hard not to be inspired growing up in Saskatchewan, Canada. The endless skies, vast prairie landscapes and the friendliest people around are what make up this charming mid-western province. Looking back, it is easy to see how my interest in photography evolved. Known for its extreme seasons; including harsh -40 C winters and blissful +30 C summers, it is best to visit between May and September when everyone comes out of their shell. These images were shot on a recent visit to my hometown of Saskatoon, the province’s largest city with 230 000 people. The trip’s highlight was a visit to my good friend’s family farm in Meacham, SK. We spent a leisurely Saturday there with her two kids Micha and Finley, who are always very excited to see their grandparents and the newest addition to their family, a rescue dog named Ella. I believe that patience is often the greatest virtue in photography. When I put myself in the right place at the right time and exercise patience, beautiful moments unfold. I never try to force an image and rarely will I pose my subjects. Instead I prepare for that second when all the elements come together and with a click of the shutter something transcendental happens - I suddenly feel like I am exactly where I’m supposed to be and everything is in its right place in the world. It may sound lofty but this trip was full of these moments and it is connecting with them that keeps me shooting on a daily basis. Cue the Radiohead. I hope that I am chosen for this scholarship because as a photographer I know that I have not yet found my voice. I know that an experience working and learning under a professional of Mr. Edwards' caliber would awaken that voice and point me in the right direction to becoming a professional photographer. https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/31474/Worldwide/My-Photo-scholarship-2011-entry Travel Worldwide grainfedphoto https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/31474/Worldwide/My-Photo-scholarship-2011-entry#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/31474/Worldwide/My-Photo-scholarship-2011-entry Mon, 7 Nov 2011 07:59:00 GMT 0 I brought my camera to this Montreal music festival intending to shoot the performers but was instantly drawn to a different subject matter as I walked through the gates - the spectators! I was surrounded by characters putting out positive vibes and it dawned on me that it was them that I had to turn my lens on if I was to really capture the story of the festival. Although the music was definitely great, the people around me defined the whole adventure. I first heard of Bhutan about a year ago during a television special that proclaimed it as "the happiest place on earth." Ever since, I have started to question what makes a person - including myself - happy from day to day. I have found that it is different for everybody but I hope that by visiting there some day I will be able to identify some common threads that led to this declaration. Needless to say I was thrilled to discover your scholarship program and can't help but to have raised my hopes a little that exploring this idyllic oasis with my camera, while being mentored by one of the world's top photographers is actually a possibility. I hope that my photos will offer a glimpse of what I am capable of and that if chosen perhaps I would come away with new strategies to spread joy and kindness to those around me - which is exactly what the world needs right now, no matter how small the scale. https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/25951/Worldwide/My-Photo-scholarship-2010-entry Travel Worldwide grainfedphoto https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/25951/Worldwide/My-Photo-scholarship-2010-entry#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/grainfedphoto/photos/25951/Worldwide/My-Photo-scholarship-2010-entry Sun, 17 Oct 2010 16:58:58 GMT 0