1point5million

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Philippines | Sunday, November 6, 2011 | 5 photos

I decided to start taking photography more seriously at the age of 30. I was working 10 hour days in a banking recruitment job, hating life. I’d spent most of my 20’s living and working overseas, and had visited close to 60 countries. I was travelling on the Trans-Mongolian railway and it finally hit me that photography was my great passion. I quit my job and started studying photography.

Wherever I go I now have a camera over my shoulder. My photographers eye is always on the lookout for the next shot. The excitement and anticipation I get when I am setting up, waiting for the perfect moment to press the shutter is what inspires me to keep on making photographs. There is no better feeling than when you know you’ve just captured a great image.

My world travels have inspired me to want to become a documentary photographer. I love making pictures of people and places. For my University Major project I did a photographic documentary on the homeless children of Manila, entitled 1point5million.

Walking amongst the slums and squatter camps, I spoke to the locals and got to know their stories. I felt this helped me to take better images as I knew the stories behind the people I was photographing. The focus of my project was the 1.5 million children that live on the streets of The Philippines.

This is the sort of photography that I would like to continue. I want my photography to have a conscience; to tell stories on behalf of people whose voices might not otherwise be heard.

This is why I want to be a photographer.