Monkeys of SEA

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Monday, November 7, 2011 | flickr photos

It is difficult for me to put into words exactly how much this travel photography scholarship would mean to me. If given the opportunity, I will embrace it with enthusiasm, hard work, and determination to not only better myself as a photographer, but use this experience as a stepping stone to embark on a new path in life - to turn my love for photography into a career.

I currently use my photography as a means to share my experiences with friends and family back home, and as a reminder for me of the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met. And while this is satisfying on a basic level, I feel I have the talent and desire to contribute a lot more. Over the years I have become more comfortable with my camera with each trip, using exposure, light, shadows, and depth of field to capture the emotion and mood of the scene. I am really looking forward to building upon that foundation, while gaining invaluable field experience with Mr. Jason Edwards in South Africa. I feel that I have a lot to offer with my photography, but I also recognize that there will always be a lot I can still learn.

There’s nothing quite like being removed form your comfort zone and immersed in a new culture. Taking the time to embrace the differences can reinforce the idea that while on some levels, we are a world apart, on a more basic level, we are all quite the similar. And that’s one thing that a great photograph can convey. The people in South East Asia have the perfect saying: same-same, but different.