Colombia

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Colombia | Saturday, October 16, 2010 | 5 photos

I returned to my father’s native country for the second time in my life. I had not been for 15 years, since I was 3-years-old. The large family that my father had spoken of many times but I had only fuzzy memories of greeted me with open hearts. Colombia was not only my chance to figure out the missing hair of my heritage but also my first chance to practice documentary travel photography. I have been an avid shooter for several years. For any photographer this was an opportunity of a lifetime but for me it meant even more. I believe photos are a powerful way of showing the world what they cannot see. Since I was very young my life goal has always been to make a positive difference in the world and help people. Then I found photography. I believe images bring people closer together by sharing experiences, cultures and ways of life. With more exposure to seemingly different ways, people might recognize their sameness and perhaps become more accepting. My trip was a chance to tell Colombia’s story. Colombia, you may have heard, is a country of diverse cultures and, unfortunately, negative corruption. I wanted to shatter the stereotypes and portray what most people don’t know about Colombia, the movement that for the past decade has transformed the old stereotype into a new feeling of hope. As important as it was for me to capture Colombia’s fresh face, I also wanted to show how all generations seem to have a place in modern Colombia.
To keep the story balanced, I needed to illustrate the remarkable spectrum of fast-forward youth and pensive and knowing elderly, two forces that seem opposing, but in Colombia create a harmonious energy.