2014 Contest Entry

My Scholarship entry - The Hill Tribes of Northern Laos

Laos | Sunday, November 23, 2014 | flickr photos

Photography was never the plan for me. I was supposed to study math, earn an ivy league degree, and get a high-paying job that would take care of my student loan debt and afford me a comfortable life.

I did exactly what I was supposed to do. Then after a couple of years of "real world" success, my steadily-growing discontent shook me out of autopilot and I realized - I don't want this life. I'm not meant to work at an investment bank, log exactly 8 hours of work per day, or rock business attire. With every passing day, my gut reminded me of this with a voice that grew louder, and ultimately deafening.

So finally I quit. I had no plan, but I knew I wanted to pursue travel and photography. I vowed to live deliberately.

I've done this dance 3 times in the past 5 years. Next month, I'll be leaving Job #3 and moving to Australia to pursue travel photography. I want my images to inspire people to leave their comfort zone and explore the world. Winning this contest would help give me the direction I've been lacking: the 'how' in building a career as a travel photographer. I'm entirely self-taught and would benefit greatly from working closely with a seasoned pro like Jason.