Planting a Prairie

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

USA | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

I am a 25 year old artist/photographer, and currently a proud employee with The Nature Conservancy, doing prairie restoration. As a nature lover, a lot of my inspiration is drawn from my time spent outdoors and it is wonderful to be able to work somewhere that I truly care about. But this situation is temporary. I started working at Nachusa Grasslands after graduating with a BFA in photography and a BA in anthropology, and really fell in love. But now, my season there is ending and I am ready to put my energy into what I really want to pursue - a career in photography.
I’ve always been an artist, but found a true calling behind the camera. The challenge of capturing the essence of a moment, place, or person in a thoughtful composed image is fun and quite addicting. Photographing allows me to see and experience my surroundings at a different level. Suddenly, the dirt and seeds collecting on a coworker’s sweat drenched shirt start to tell the story of hard work on the prairie. The thrill of creating a photo that is interesting to look at and thought provoking is what drives me to keep shooting. I like to share my experiences of the world with the world through photography.
My immediate career goals are to build on my portfolio, do some freelance work, and progress towards getting a job with a newspaper, magazine, or some other kind of publication or organization. Perhaps The Nature Conservancy! There are many things I need to improve on, and this scholarship would help me. I want to see how a professional approaches assignments, improve my technical skills, and generally learn more about how the world of photojournalism works and how I can get my foot in the door.