World Nomad Competition

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Monday, November 7, 2011 | 5 photos

As a photographer, the people and places around me are what inspire me to photograph. I have moved around a lot growing up, and therefore been inspired by different places. Living in the Philippines for eight years is what made me want to be a photographer. Photographing the people in the Philippines allowed me to process and understand an otherwise foreign world. The process of photographing allowed me to build relationships. The people who allowed me to photograph them taught me so many things – to be grateful, to love, to accept. In return, I try and help them by telling their stories through my photographs. I feel as though I have only scratched the surface of what the world and the people of the world have to offer. I want to breathe the air of a different culture – smell the smells, see the colors, meet the people. The world is such a beautiful place; I want a chance to see it and experience it through my camera. It is a huge undertaking and responsibility to photograph the world and do its beauty justice. I feel as though National Geographic photographers achieve this successfully and I would be beyond honored to win this scholarship. I want to bring my photography around the world; I want to tell the story of the world, and I want to learn what the world has to teach me – as well as what Jason Edwards has to teach me. I would have to agree with Diane Arbus when she said, “My favorite thing to do is to go where I have never been.” I would be so grateful to win this scholarship and have the opportunity to go where I have never been and to learn from the very best.