HOME DEPARTURES

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Australia | Friday, October 15, 2010 | 5 photos

These photos represent for me the story of transition. The experience of change is very different for everyone, and for me, it is the departure of my family leaving my childhood home.
There is the physical aspect, seen in the disruption and chaos of the boxes – the process of collecting them, packing them, moving, storing and unpacking them.
Next comes the acceptance of the change. There is the pain of goodbye and the excitement of something new, unknown, on the horizon.
I tried to capture in these photos the sense of connection that is for me most pronounced during a time of change. The connection we develop with a place and each other and how, very often they become indistinguishable from each other. Here is a father cradling his niece, an auntie resting, talking with his daughter, a boyfriend helping to burn what’s left and no longer necessary – family.
Lastly there is what is left behind, to show this I tried to capture the imprint that is left of our presence. The physical reminder is a discarded trailer and two empty bathtubs, but also the sense that this place – my home – holds countless memories of our time there.

Taking photos and traveling is what I’m passionate about. Magnum and National Geographic largely informed my perspective of the world as a child in Australia and an opportunity to learn more, to push myself further artistically as well as technically is something that I have craved for a long time. I aspire to develop my skills as a photographer to be able to work professionally in this field.
Extensive solo travel in Asia, Europe and the Americas confirmed my passion to discover new places, new people and cultures, their languages and ultimately to capture what I’ve learnt, witnessed and been lucky enough to have had shared with me on film.