Warmth in a Cold Land

Warmth in a Cold Place

Iceland | Wednesday, October 13, 2010 | 5 photos

My photograph series was taken when I studied abroad in Iceland. It represents the story of Icelandic settlement and survival in an extremely rough environment, and simultaneous adaptation to the modern world.

I am applying for this scholarship because I love noticing things. On hikes without my camera, I don't lament the fact that I won't be able to show someone a picture of me on the top of a cliff, rather that I won't be able to share the feeling I get when spring finally manifests itself in bright green landscapes, or when I suddenly cross paths with an animal that regards me as intently as I regard it. Being outdoors in particular can pull me out of the deepest slump (the Icelandic winter, for example). I can find joy there no matter what, but there are always things that I want others to see. When hiking with friends, I point out some small detail every three seconds- recently, the way a birch bark skeleton remains after the inside of the tree has decayed. Alone, photography can stand in as a delayed companion who will share my excitement.

I am not terribly knowledgeable about photographic techniques. Lately, I've been using a pocket-sized digital camera with virtually no control over exposure, focus and shutter speed. I pride myself in my abilities of composition, an aspect of photography that highlights the grace of the mundane. I am interested in this opportunity as a chance learn the more technical art of photography in a dynamic context. I like the idea of a sort of high stakes, immersion lesson, of being thrown into the unfamiliar beauty of a place I have never been. If the photos are the only things I can bring back, I want them to be good.