The Life of a Khmer Woman

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | flickr photos

I’ve known for quite some time about the tragic statistics of human trafficking but it wasn’t until I saw the victims with my eyes that it became real for me. In Cambodia, where children are often openly sold into the sex industry, the story does not usually have a happy ending. I could obviously not document the life of one girl over the course of the contest but hope to show what the life of a Khmer woman could look like. As my story of hope unfolds, the woman leaves of her own accord, but too often girls remain trapped in this life forever. This is a problem that the world greatly needs to see.

I don’t believe one person can change the world. I do believe that those most fortunate, with access to media containing beautiful imagery, can be inspired to help impoverished populations. A truly artistic photographer can use a camera to capture a feeling, an emotion, and a passion, instead of just an image on a piece of paper. This ability to transport viewers to another place using first their eyes but then engaging all the senses, is incredibly rewarding because when emotions are stirred, people look for ways to help those in need.

I want so badly to learn how to do this. I would love the opportunity for Jason Edwards to teach me to use my camera to capture a smell, a taste, a feeling. I could learn how to use images to move people to change and travel the world in search of those in need of sometimes simply being noticed. I hope to start fresh and learn much about capturing images that inspire others. This experience could teach me something that might, someday, somehow, help to change the world.