The Western Highlands

The Western Highlands

Papua New Guinea | Tuesday, January 8, 2013 | 5 photos

Photography has gone viral. Countless photos are taken every day, yet a beautiful photograph is still as valuable as ever. To me, that’s because photography isn't about applying a pre-designed filter, 8fps bracketed bursts or 64GB of hope; it’s about having the vision and awareness to interpret and share the reality around me.

As an exploration geologist, I've had the pleasure of combining my passion for travel with the opportunity to learn about and photograph some extraordinary people and places. I get a huge buzz from taking a portrait of someone at the edge of the non-industrialised world, printing the image and watching their face light up as they hold a photograph for the first time.

I am applying for this scholarship because I have a goal to one day drive around the world with my 4x5 Shen Hao, some Ilford FP4 B&W sheets, C76 chem's, a scanner and printer and take photography off the screen and into the hands of those that, to me, make travel photography beautiful: the people. Working next to Jason in Oman would be an invaluable step in helping me accomplish a lifetime ambition to become a professional travel photographer and I would not let a single lesson pass me by.