Jennifer Janviere Photography Photos from a 2010 educational and cultural trip to Havana and Pinar del Rio, Cuba.

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Monday, November 7, 2011 | 5 photos

I briefly dabbled in the dark room in high school, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered my ambition to become a career photojournalist. The revelation came after I was hired as a web specialist at a local university and began taking photos for the site that I was tasked with running. Beginning with a Canon G10, I learned the basics of exposure, depth of field, shutter speed and composition by pouring over websites and library books. The more I learned about photography, the more I wanted to understand.

Working with the limited abilities of this first camera was a valuable experience, teaching me that the capabilities of the tools available are less important to creating a successful image than the skill and vision of the person behind the lens.

Since then, I’ve had many opportunities to tell stories visually, including volunteer work with a non-profit media organization that covers news throughout Milwaukee’s central city neighborhoods. I also recently had the opportunity to visit and document Cuba while learning about the lives of its people firsthand. Upon returning, I displayed images along with the personal narratives that I collected in a local art space so that others might look beyond the many stereotypical images of the country. This trip was a life-changing experience that further solidified my love of both travel and visual storytelling.

Although I arrived to the field of photography later than many of your applicants, I’ve worked hard at understanding the craft over the past several years. My goal is to make a living as a photojournalist, and I will continue to explore the world through my camera lens, to share these images with others, and to always continue the process of learning in pursuit of improvement as a visual communicator.