Photography Talk Scholarship

Christmas 2008. The beginning of everything.

Under the tree was a Kodak camera. I was ecstatic, pressing the ON button before it was even out of its box. I spent that whole morning aimlessly snapping pictures of anything and everything that my seven year old self deemed worthy. Soon after that, my free time became occupied with arranging silly photoshoots, forcing my friends to act as models, and dipping my feet in various types of editing softwares. The photos I took at ages 8, 9 and 10 were definitely not Ansel Adams or Annie Leibovitz material, but I knew that I liked the idea of being able to document a moment in time that would never be the same ever again.

By the time I was 12, I was well into exploring different realms of photography. Whether it was practicing long exposure in my room, or using a macro lens to capture the miniscule details of the flowers in my backyard, having a camera in my hand at all times always felt so natural. It was like having my own little portal that I was able to express myself and tell different stories through just at click of a button.

Each time I pick up my camera and look through the viewfinder, I get a glimpse into all the different worlds that surround me. When I shot a Bar Mitzvah, I tapped into a new realm of culture, watching a family do a dance called the Horah and trying various foods I didn’t even know that I liked. When I photographed a punk show for a documentary I worked on, I found myself humming along to a number of punk songs that I never even thought would get stuck in my head. And when I volunteered to take photos of the feminist club at my school for a project they were working on, I noticed myself diving head first into meaningful conversations with different members about society’s expectations of women, feeling way more aware and educated with the now. Through photography, I have been able to not only learn more about the world around me, but also about myself. I am constantly changing, growing, and discovering new things about myself that I didn’t know before, almost like uncovering a new layer of my personality each time I capture a specific moment.

I believe that everything tells a story that deserves to be heard, no matter how long, short, simple, or complex it is. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and honestly, it’s cheesy but very true. So many emotions, feelings, thoughts, and ideas can be evoked from just one single image, and that fact is amazing in itself.

Through my art, I am changing the world one picture at a time, making people “feel stuff” to put it in simple terms. I aim to highlight the most honest and raw moments of life that I feel need to be appreciated more; all the happy moments, all the sad moments, all the proud moments, and everything else in between. I used to feel like I was restricted from doing that because I found myself getting caught in the trap of thinking expensive equipment meant excellent work. I would get in these creative ruts where I thought my work wasn’t up to par just because I didn’t have the most expensive camera or editing software. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that photography isn’t about the gear — it’s about the story that the photographer wants to tell, which no amount of equipment could amount to. I do still struggle with it sometimes, and notice I’ll compare my photos with other people’s photos, but at the same time, I have really honed in on fully developing the message I want to send to my audience with each picture I take. Whether it’s of a man on the street in Oregon who appears to be as happy as can be despite his lack of materialistic items, or the bride and groom on their wedding day locking arms and crying tears of joy because of how much love they have for each other, as long I’m conveying some sort of feeling or idea, that’s all that matters to me.

This Fall, I will be attending Chapman University as a film production major to advance my creative abilities and nurture my love for storytelling. I plan to pursue a career in the arts, and hope to keep photography as one of my main expressive platforms, whether that’s spending my weekend at the beach shooting random surfers, or booking actual gigs for different events or gatherings. I am very thankful I even have the opportunity to apply for scholarships, let alone one about my passion, and winning $1000 would definitely be a huge game changer when it comes to expenses. College is expensive, as everyone already knows, and having that extra money to help out would be absolutely amazing (obviously!) I feel like it is way different for me specifically though since will be entering a creative industry. I could use the money to open my own production company, pay for extra camera equipment, or put it towards my education at Chapman, which will be worth every single penny that my family and I will pay. I will be surrounded by like minded individuals who will constantly inspire me and push me to be the best version of myself that I can be. I am going to find “my people” after having none of my friends be interested in what I’m interested in. I sometimes tend to feel alone in my uniqueness and life path, but at Chapman, I will feel at home.

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