Varanasi: Ritual, Tradition & Life

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | flickr photos

Varanasi is one of the most amazing cities I've visited. Its inhabitants live their lives according to traditions many generations old, and many of these are witnessed on the streets of this ancient, holy city. As a traveler and photographer I loved exploring the back streets, talking to the locals, smelling the food and admiring the often dilapidated, yet still colourful and beautiful buildings.

Varanasi captured the essence of why I love travelling and photography. I have a passion for finding out what's around the next corner, what that amazing smell is, how people live their lives and why they do the things they do. I love to record all these things to open people's minds to how the rest of the world lives and so I can learn to appreciate my own life. Every time I see something new I get a rush of excitement and can't wait to capture it in camera. The next best thing is the reaction of others when showing my photos and explaining the stories of the people and places I've captured.

I'm just an amateur photographer, but the true excitement and joy I felt photographing Varanasi (and other places in India) made me realise that my true passion is photography. To be mentored to become better at the things I love to do would be beyond fantastic, and something I'd take with me forever. One day I hope to use my photos to tell the stories of those who may not normally be heard, whether internationally or in my own country, human or animal, and I know the skills I could learn from this scholarship would help me achieve that goal.