Picture It: Malawi

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Malawi | Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | 5 photos

I have been traveling since I was a child, so I am no stranger to foreign lands and different cultures. I have already learned how to treat people with respect and dignity when I photograph them, how to show them as humans instead of specimens or victims. I have a very strong ethical code that I follow when documenting these people, and I believe that it shows in the resulting photographs. I also try to show a side of the country that is rarely seen, one that focuses on the everyday life without discussing the negative aspects that are too often the main topic in the media.

One of the major motifs that has woven itself into my photographs is details of hands at work. We always want to see what people look like in order to learn about them, but I have found that people often can't get passed physical beauty (or lack there of) in a human face. We can learn just as much about someone by looking at their hands and the kind of work they do with them. We can tell age, gender, class, career, and personality. Since we aren't distracted by notions of attractiveness or unattractiveness like we are when we see a face, we can get passed the superficial issues, concentrate on the person ,and begin to understand them better.

The biggest obstacle I have when photographing people is to capture their surroundings, their land, flora, and fauna, in as beautiful, truthful, and faithful manners as I do with the people. I believe that working alongside Jason Edwards will give me the knowledge I need to continue on my journey to become a world-class travel photographer.