Looking in.

I read about a travel photography contest on viewbug and I was looking through my photos for something to enter. I've been to 18 countries now (currently in Iceland), seen many amazing parts of my country (Canada), photographed the auroras on different continents, and I've been fortunate enough to see and do some pretty amazing hikes and treks around the world. So looking through my photos for an image to enter the contest was tough. I wasn't sure if I should enter a photo that was technically perfect, or of a beautiful view, or maybe a cool part of Canada that I've traveled to that not many people know about. Then I started thinking about the photos that mean something to me, and one still stands out in my mind moreso than any of the others.

I was fortunate enough to travel to Haiti for 3 weeks to build a school. It was my first time in an underdeveloped nation and there was a serious adjustment period from my cushy Canadian life. We were staying in a compound (for our safety) and some of the street children would open the little window of the gate and peer in. Im not sure why they did it, maybe to see if someone was going to give them some food, or maybe just to see what a safe environment looked like. For some reason this little guy would always come look and I was compelled to take his photo. I spent the next few weeks hanging out with the street kids out in front of the orphanage playing soccer and taking their photos and getting to know them (as much as possible because my french and their Creole are a bit different). This happened 5 years ago, and I still consider it one of the most fulfilling experiences I've ever had. This image means more to me than any other image I've shot in my 10 years with a camera, and will probably always mean more to me than most things that I own. I doubt this image will ever win a contest, however I hope it touches at least one person who sees it as much as its' touched me. And remember, if you ever want to help an underdeveloped nation there's more ways than just by donating money. You can donate your time, skills, old clothes you're gonna send to valu village anyways, or even just by staying informed on what's happening in these countries and sharing it with others! Thanks for reading all this I promise I'll keep it shorter from now on!
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