Camino

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Spain | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | flickr photos

I went on the Camino de Santiago in September, and along the way, there were many spiritual places that connected deeply with me. The Cruz de Ferro after Forcebadon was one of those places.

We started off early in the morning, before sunrise. As we walked out of town, we saw our first cross of the day. This was the beginning of the end -- 10 more days of the walk left, and suddenly, every step became precious.

We arrived at the top of the mountain and the Cruz de Ferro was towering before us. I slowed my steps, and took my camera out to take a photo of the cross. The backpack tight around the hips and high above the head, slight sway as he lifts his foot and makes a mark on the dusty road. Thousands of people have walked this road before, yet every step is personal.

We spent a few moments to leave our momentos at this cross and turned around. The sun was above the horizon, and we could see it coming through the pine trees. What a beautiful morning.

I love photography and the way it can capture a scene and convey what you see, and see the amazing world around you. Sometimes it's all too easy to not look up. I have only picked up photography about 2 years ago and have been inseparable ever since. My friend once have said, "you use your camera like you breathe". But I'm still very much a beginner and there is much to learn, and this scholarship will be an amazing opportunity to learn about photography and go to incredible places.