My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Life in the Beldangi refugee camp

troels — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:31:38 GMT

I moved to Nepal from Denmark earlier this year and for the last few months, I have been getting up every morning to photograph the daily life in my new neighborhood. It has been an immensely rewarding experience as I have gotten to know my neighbors in a far more intimate way than I would normally.

I often have to force myself to get out there with my camera. Photography is hard. It takes a lot of effort to meet new people straight on, to make an effort to understand their lives, pleasures and worries, and at the same time opening myself up to them. But once I get to it, there is no activity more fulfilling, and so I keep getting up early.

For me, more than the technical act of exposing and composing correctly (even though that is hard enough in itself), photography is about the personal relationship between the photographer and the subject, and the experience of those seeing the photograph afterwards.

One day, I hope to tell strong, honest stories through photographs as a profession. This is what I would wish to learn from Jason the most: How to best, technically and personally, connect with people and share their life experiences with others through great images.

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

troels — Fri, 4 Jan 2013 06:15:31 GMT

I want to make the world closer.

That is why I went to journalism school. And that is why I realised, when I finished school this summer, that I need to put a “photo” in front of my title.

I seek to understand people, especially those overlooked by others, so I can tell their stories and make others understand, too. As a travel photographer and photojournalist you have a unique opportunity to experience and show different worlds.

My aspiration is to combine the power of good text (sharing facts, context and understanding) with the visual and emotional impact of good photography (sharing emotions, moments, experiences). That is the strongest, most impactful combination I can imagine.

The length between the photographs I imagine and what my jpegs show is what drives my lust for learning. I have a vision for what I want to share, but also know how much I need to learn first. For many years to come I will fail to reach my own ambitions. But in the meantime I want to fail better.

“Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work,” photographer Chuck Close wrote.

I am ready to get to work. In Oman, especially.