Why I came

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | 4 photos

Something magical happens every time I arrive someplace new. As I enter a world different from what I know I find myself wondering how this place will change me. People travel for many different reasons, and the travel industry has exploded with tours catering to those specific wants. One can choose to go wine tasting in Patagonia, or a yoga retreat in Bali, or scuba diving with sharks in Belize - a person's passions truly come out in their adventures. The pictures I have presented here tell the story of why I chose to travel to Morocco. My personal passion is immersing myself in the culture of a place as much as I can. This comes primarily from engaging with locals and embracing their uniqueness. A local's story is one piece of the puzzle, and everybody's stories come together to create the essence of a city, town or even country. Whether I am buying a unique gift from a local jeweler, or trying pigeon grilled to perfection by a local chef, these stories and our interactions are what create a memory. I marvel at a place's history to appreciate how it came to be, but it is in the people that I get the experiences that I take with me and bring back to share when I return home.
Photography has the power to make a story come to life, and also immortalize fleeting moments. I realized its potential while in high school and have never put down the camera since. My work with photography is mostly recreational, but I am certain that an opportunity to learn and develop a greater skill set would give me the courage to make a hobby something more. I am eager to experience something new, and bring back stories that show what makes each place special.