TINY PARTS OF THE WORLD

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Vietnam | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

Not sold that day at Bac Ha markets, this sad family had to return home. The wooden saddle, reminiscent of ancient times, meant the stallion would also carry extra weight.
The timber shed with its shingle roof contrasts against the government building in the background. Though open, the gates remind passers-by this is Communist land, keep out.
Bac Ha Marketplace: An elderly Flower Hmong woman, her modern day umbrella a reminder this is the 21st century.
Near the China border, this baby boy sits on a cloth on the dirt floor in his home. The illumination comes only from the flash and the dim glow of a clay oven fire.
Sapa: vehicles, pedestrians, motorbikes and animals share the street, blaring horns announcing who has right-of-way.

Who Am I?
I mother, work, study, write, sew, read, love music, silence, fish. The camera always ready. The mako’s dorsal at the gunwhale blurred but memorable!
My father’s 4000 slides as an example, I spent decades chasing the elusive ‘shot’. 1966: monotone of the family dog in a dress; 1978: motorbike ride across the Nullabor. 1982: half-naked friends lathered in coconut oil; 1990s: my three little ones laughing, 1997: my mother. 2000s: official photographer at school discos.
I carry my Canon daily, battered, loved, waiting for the great, fantastic, never-to-be-seen-again moment in time! Memory-maker. That’s what photography means to me.
A trip to Africa, precious moments of hope captured while these species still roam the planet. What wouldn’t I gain from the experience? How much I could learn. Get a real camera and show the world. The philanthropist, the historian, the adventurer in me, waiting, a life spent back to front. It's my turn!! David Attenborough, watch out!