Travel Photography Scholarship

My Scholarship entry - Survival in Southern Africa

Botswana | Friday, November 21, 2014 | flickr photos

A few years ago, photography became more to me than just pressing the shutter. I’d taken a photo, but not captured what I'd seen: where were the smells, sensations, thoughts, feelings? Since then, I've been striving to pour everything I experience into my photos.

Initially I was obsessed with portraits; I spent hours trying to depict the personalities and quirks of family and strangers. Then I travelled to Africa in search of animals I'd always dreamt of, and my two biggest passions collided: in wildlife photography I found my calling.

Photographing animals is a joy because they fascinate me, and I’m always on a mission to convey individual behaviour. I love the challenge of working in the wild. The subject moves, there’s too little light or an obstructive leaf, yet this makes succeeding even better. But above all, I photograph wildlife because I want to change minds. People watch documentaries or visit zoos, but the world’s creatures are still critically threatened. Creating difficult and arresting images is my way to help.

I lack training but I love learning and seeing myself improve technically and stylistically. The opportunity with Jason would be an incredible next step.