The Freedom of Travel

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

I label the bulk of my photos "natural freedom", when we travel we get a sense of novelty that allows us to step away from our daily sense of reality. When we step foot in a new land, we become renewed as people and free to see our world for what it truly is. Our objectives become subjective, in that we become free to feel instead of think. We get to appreciate nature at its best, and see the things that are around us but take for granted in our "normal" lives. Humanity always sets out to reach the horizon, but often neglects to realize that our greatest assets are right in front of us. When we travel, we tend to reach a spiritual horizon to explore the freedom of our world through nature. As all that we practically seek in life is symbolized in nature. For example, when we mistake in life it is potential energy to learn from our mistakes and move forward faster in life. Analogously, when we pull an elastic back, we build potential energy for it to launch forward faster. Yet, if we pull the elastic back too far, it will snap and all the potential energy is lost. In life we need guidance to not have our elastic's snap from mistakes that are dire to our well being. Having a traveling and photographic mentor will launch a new sense of freedom for me which I will be humbled to receive the opportunity that this scholarship belays upon myself and humanity at large. This is a lot more than a photographic adventure. It is about learning how to communicate freedom of humanity through the elements of nature. The very things that make us and break us, that we often forget when caught up in the objective city lifestyle. My name is Shafik and I am honored to have the opportunity to take part in this scholarship and adventure of a lifetime.