Two sides

My Scholarship entry - Tensions and celebrations of Brazil's World Cup

Brazil | Friday, November 21, 2014 | 5 photos

“We all have to make sacrifices,” my advisor said as he packed personal medical equipment in a crate to send home while I stared incredulously at him. We were prepping for a science expedition to remote volcanic islands in eastern Papua New Guinea and had too much weight from our equipment. I added most of my clothes to the crate while stuffing my camera gear into my backpack to take with me.

No matter what, I was bringing that camera.

That mantra has been a mixed blessing over the years, as I’ve lugged a camera from one adventure to another. The resulting photos have also been mixed blessings- an occasional standout photo that captures the sights and sounds of the moment amidst a hundred mediocre ones. Nonetheless I keep bringing the camera because I enjoy the process of photography- how a lens makes you pay more attention to a critter’s movement, the sun’s position in the sky, and the geometry of the environment. In a similar dilemma, I’ll always send back that extra pair of underwear because a camera is essential.

Jason’s guidance would be a fantastic opportunity to learn how to better capture the joy of traveling in the photos that go home.