West Marin

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | flickr photos

These images document West Marin, the largest rural region of Marin County in California. I was struck by how sparsely populated this area is, even though it is so close to San Francisco. This is testament to the historic strength of the conservationist movement there, which has meant that the Bolinas lagoon and the areas that are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area have been protected. The images document a particular attitude of the local community to the land that surrounds them: one of preservation and care.

I am a 29-year-old Londoner, half-French and half-English. Following studies in modern languages and psychology, I have worked in market research for the past 5 years, continually taking pictures on the side. I want to win this scholarship to be able to work alongside such an experienced photographer and to be in Bhutan, such an interesting and usually inaccessible place.

During the scholarship, I hope to learn about the reality of travel photography, to improve my technical skill, to take more control of the documenting process, and to better get across the variety and complexity of a place and culture through images.

I will use what I learn in the scholarship to further my aim of becoming a travel photographer. I hope that the experience will instill in me a new way of looking at, approaching and interacting with another culture, and that this will give more depth and punch to the pictures that I take.