Tibetan Tranquility

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

Capturing the deeply spiritual, traditional life of the gentle Tibetan people is an incredible task. One can feel their kindness by the simple, innocent look in their eyes. They instinctually trust, even though they have reason not to. That trust flows from their actions and permeates the world they live in. You can see it in their eyes… and their smile. Their photos are priceless.

Still wearing the long, woolen chuba with its colorful apron and endless braids, they exude tradition and deeply rooted customs. Embracing the simple life, living off the land, self-sufficiency in its truest sense, the Tebetan people are hardy, durable people who understand hard work and rough conditions. Yet, this life is a peaceful, unhurried life spent with generations of family side-by-side.

It is through my camera that I feel the impact of a culture. Photography is my passion. It allows me to capture that content look of an elderly, Thai vendor. It cries with the fearful look of a lost child. It captures the tranquil valley filled with vineyards. Photography preserves the rich, cultural lives of this diverse world in a way words and motion picture cannot. My focus is on nature, on an expansive and macro scale, and on people doing day-to-day things.

I have the ability to travel, the investment in the equipment, the passion and inquisitive nature for the art, and the insatiable quest to learn. What I don’t have is a mentor to take my photography to the next level - someone I can watch and learn from, someone who can critique my work in a way that inspires me to see beyond the lens. I aim to become a professional photographer but I recognize my current skill limitations. I would deeply appreciate working with Jason Edwards (love his last name!) on this opportunity!