Healing and Hope

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | 4 photos

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to go to Haiti and help with relief efforts following the earthquake of January 12. As I observed the devastation and the reactions of the Haitian people, I was amazed by the resilience of humanity and the ability to carry on in the face of such tragedy.

There are many things that distinguish us as human beings and hope is one of them; it lies at our core in an inextricable way. This is what I saw. Sure, there was horrific devastation, loss and chaos, but when I looked into the eyes of the children, I saw another story, one of healing and hope, of a hunger for love. This is the story I wanted to tell.

I have had a love of photography for about as long as I can remember and this love grew as I began to travel more. I wanted to not only capture what I saw, but share it as well. The more I travel, the better I understand and the more I grow. I love how travel gives you such perspective. Perspective of the world, perspective of your life and your connection to those around you.

I graduated from college last year with a degree in international rescue and relief and while I have never had any formal training in photography, I keep coming back to this as my calling. I love adventure, and beauty, and the simple things in life; capturing moments great or small that will remind us of what it means to be human, what it means to be alive, to hurt, to triumph, to survive.

I believe there lies within each one of us a desire to change the world, to see a need and do something about it. My duty as a photographer goes beyond documentation to making a difference through visual media. For me, it’s all about people. Telling the story of those who can’t do so themselves and enriching the lives of those around me.