Eye on a Lens, Hand on a Brush

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Morocco | Friday, August 13, 2010 | 5 photos

For years I treated photography like a relative that I didn't know and didn't care to know. Despite the distance I created between myself, a painting student, and photography I could not help but acknowledge a strange similarity and subsequent rivalry between us. It wasn’t until I studied abroad in Spain for a semester and was stripped of my brushes and paints that I gave photography a chance. Deprived of a creative outlet, I attempted to digitally capture the enchanting, vibrant world around me. I grew frustrated. My photos were mere depictions and despite the range of subjects, from cathedrals to flamenco clad dancers, they reminded me of catalog entries, void of emotion and lacking substance. It took the sheer rugged beauty of Morocco during a week long side trip, to change my method of taking pictures. I was surrounded by a stunningly exotic country and more than ever I wanted my friends and family back home to understand its uneasy quietness, its abnormal chill in the air, and the hurried steps of a mother and child through its whitewashed alleyways. I was delighted to find that everything I had learned about painting was abundant in Morocco. Composition, color, space, and subject ran rampant, and I finally understood the importance of these concepts in photography. Instead of focusing on the famous mosques, the king's palace, and the 'essential' tourist shots, I became obsessed with capturing the colors, people, textures, and moods--all key concepts in my paintings. These photos represent a turn in my attitude towards photography. They represent an understanding and appreciation of the art form and the beginnings of what I know will be a lifelong interest, struggle, and learning. I no longer see photography as a rival, but as a force that helps me as an artist.