If I recollect as to what remains sharp in my memory, in regard to my life in photography, my memories and photos clearly take me back to South Africa, 2008. It was my first international flight and my first digital camera, a Kodak EasyShare LS443. I learned a lot about myself and the world, while traveling as a nursing mentor in Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Hammarsdale Township, and Marian Hill, Durban. These notions are clear to me still, I learned to not take anything for granted and to be grateful for every opportunity that is presented. Here is the photograph that I submitted for the "Fight HIV Your Way" contest in 2009.
The barbwire in this photo represents the stigma of HIV/AIDS that entangles and strangles those infected and affected by the disease. The flower represents the will of the people who fight against it, everyday and win.
With the support of family and friends, I became a finalist, won a trip to NYC, and had the opportunity to discuss the STIGMA of HIV+/AIDS, not only in South Africa but world wide.
This blog is not about HIV/AIDS. But this is where my love for photography started. It is and remains the first clear image in my depth of field.
#1, my first clear image.
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