New York, New York

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 4 photos

The assignment was to tell the story of a place. I chose a very simple place: the surface of a stump in a churchyard in Axminster. But I don't think the simplicity of this place makes it any less relevant. Japanese author DT Suzuki posed the question,"Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it?" Who would deny that when we traverse that tree stump we traverse the whole universe with it? As photographers, we have the opportunity to capture diversity - the people and places of this world are infinitely rich and varied. But as travelers I think that we are all the same. We are all of us like my friend the snail, so tiny, making our way through a world beyond our scope. The last photo is a self-portrait. I am the snail. So are you. We can each only scooch so far so fast. So we have to share our experiences to gain a grander scope, a more whole view of our universe.

I am an anthropologist and a photographer, and all I want is to travel and learn, and see the world from other perspectives, and show the world from other perspectives through photos. All I want is to tell the stories of the strangers I meet and tell them well. I hope this is my opportunity to do that.