Undergraduate /
Personal Statement, taking pictures as my hobby. [8]
EH?
how about this vers,?
Photography, Art, Life, Science
Photography is a versatile art. It's about freezing a moment; putting a vision onto paper, with emotions and feelings. Photography is a tool used to bring out elements unseen by the eye and capture them on film, with a perspective that is often overlooked. It's an art, and a science complete with rules. The art is finding a subject. The science is getting that subject onto paper.
A picture tells a story and uncovers details much the same way as a microscope yields clues about a tissue in its glare. When I look at the tissue of a chicken heart, I see the image with the eye of a photographer. As a photographer, I see art in the cadence of its rhythm; I see beauty in the random amalgamation of muscle strands. At the surface, I see the whole heart, and as a scientist, I look for the secrets locked within its walls that can save human lives. To unearth these secrets, I've recently used tools such as optical coherence tomography to reveal critical information about the blood flow velocity behind those rhythmic, beating muscles. More and more, I'm becoming an ardent student of biology. It is my passion. From the rhythm of the heart to the symphony of neurons in a spinal cord, I see art in biology just like I see science in photography.
The science in photography is an artifact of the methodical process of capturing a picture. There are controllable variables: when the shutter speed slows, the brightness of the picture always increases; when the aperture becomes wider, the range of focus always decreases. From each imperfect picture I learn, reconfigure, and try again. A good photographer needs patience and persistence to capture the perfect image. Persistence is second nature to me; my work ethic compels me to try again until I'm satisfied. This ethic extends to other parts of my life as well. One such parallel was my resilience in AP Chemistry during sophomore year. I didn't do well and I wasn't proud of the results. So I tried again and relearned the subject last summer, enrolling in organic chemistry at my local community college with dogged determination. My perseverance is paying off and I'm already applying the knowledge regularly in advanced research at Oregon Health and Science University.
Each component of the camera serves a vital purpose; similarly, each of my experiences lends itself to my personality. The friends I made and the people I met from around the world at the International Science Fair taught me more about diversity than any other experience- Although I shared a common interest in science with my peers, our approaches were truly worlds apart. Through Boy Scouts, I learned firsthand about leadership, courage, and the strength of will - from leading my patrol through week-long backpacking trips in the Oregon Cascades, to braving blizzard conditions digging snow caves on Mount Hood. My volunteering experiences at the local hospital reinforced the values of compassion and the importance of extending a helping hand. There is nothing more rewarding than the heartfelt thank-you's I received as I assisted patients in the hospital. These experiences form but a small fragment of the collage that is my life and I intend to continue to enrich this picture as I expand my horizons and pursue my passions in college.
[Im still working on the transitions and the conclusions]
Photography helps me put things into perspective; it forces me to look deeper. I rarely accept issues at face value, I enjoy dissecting them - sometimes I over analyze. There is a vagabond artist within me as well as a passionate scientist. I am a leader and always first to take initiative. I enjoy the outdoors. I feel that the only shooting on this planet should only be done through a camera. I want to, and will, someday, change the world. It will be on my terms. For now though, I need to learn and explore. Photography is the vehicle of my exploration.