My Place- Scholarship 2011

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

My name is Melissa Stocks I am 22 year old from NSW, Australia. I grew up in a country town abundant in native Australian wildlife and was taught from a young age to appreciate my surroundings.

I have a dream to work for National Geographic - combining travel, media and photography seems too good to be true! My love of the natural environment and its inhabitants has been a catalyst for my ambition. I am compassionate and impassioned about not only ending human suffering but also human’s impact on the environment.

I would love to go on this trip because I believe photography is the most superior form of creating and delivering a message- a simple, single image can carry profound emotion. Photography has the capacity to teach and engage an audience like no other form. My particular interest is using photography to persuade- with a goal to aid in conservation worldwide.

I have a basic understanding of photography as I have completed a university elective course based on black and white photography including the composition of shots, creating feeling and printing my work.

I know there is still much to learn. I am known for always willing to learn, I have an interminable thirst for knowledge. I am incredibly determined because I know I would not only learn about the art
of photography, but about South Africa’s environment and its occupant’s lifestyle.

I always make the most of any opportunity I am offered, I am not afraid to try new things and I believe that is an essential characteristic of one who wishes to be a photo journalist.

Location- Long Point, Macquarie River, NSW

The Macquarie Orange Pipeline is a proposed project to build a 37km below ground pipeline from long point to Orange’s Suma Park Dam to “improve water security” for Oranges citizens.