a lush forest

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Australia | Wednesday, September 22, 2010 | 5 photos

“Rainforest Rhapsody” is a photographic journey through the incredible rainforest of Australia, Sumatra and Borneo. The unmistakeable sense of place felt within a rainforest eco-system goes to the core of our ancestral heritage. Even the most esteemed photographer couldn’t possibly ‘capture’ the absolute awesomeness of watching morning chorus from the canopy of a fruiting strangler fig.

My goal as a photographer is to give people a potent taste of these experiences that seed a desire to connect directly with the source of the image. Rainforest Rhapsody tells a story of community, ecological identity and interdependency.

It all began in 2008 when I rode my bicycle over 2000km into the wet-tropics of far north Queensland. This journey included extensive volunteer work with rare and endangered species such as the Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo, Mahogany glider and Pied Imperial Pigeons.

I feel this scholarship opportunity is the creative platform off which to launch myself onto the global scene of eco-photo-journalism. Having a mentor with such an exciting range of experiences in the field will be more valuable to me than $100,000 worth of photographic equipment. I plan to learn as much as possible about Jason’s perspective on not only photography, but the possibilities of using photography as a medium to bring about cultural change within human communities.

My current work is focused on restoration ecology and I intend always to integrate hands-on action with educating and inspiring our potential for positive sustainable change. Ever since hearing about the concept of Gross National Happiness and more recently the discovery of a new Tiger population above the tree line in the mountains of Bhutan, it has been my dream to explore this mystical kingdom, and I truly couldn’t think of anyone more inspiring to share the journey with then a national geographic photographer.