In a world of Instagram and Snapchat, digital photography has (unfortunately) fallen to the wayside. It’s easy to forget the satisfaction of lining up the perfect shot or editing your images in Photoshop until they look juuust right when you’re distracted by the instant gratification filters and evaporating Snaps provide. Now, I love Instagram as much as the next semi-nerdy Graphic Designer (or anyone for that matter) but there’s something about plugging that SD card into your computer and rediscovering the wealth of high resolution photos you accumulated from your travels. Don’t take it from me though, see what the 3 winners of ISEP’s Spring 2013 Photo Contest have to say about the important role photography plays in study abroad.
Photography allows you to preserve your study abroad memories.
“Photography was extremely important to my study abroad experience. First it was a way to document all my experiences so that I would not forget anything as time passed. I was able to document things that were not necessarily just a tourist experience, but part of everyday Italian life. Now I can look back at my photos and remember specific details about my trips around Italy. The photos can transport me back to that moment in time.” – Kellie Quinn (San Diego State University to Università degli Studi di Pavia), Fan Favorite
Photography pushes you to see the world from a new perspective.
“Buenos Aires is a huge city in which I lived a “big city life”. I walked everywhere or took public transportation and got a sense of what is was like to rely on forms of transportation other than a car. With that I learned to not be stressed about time because with public transportation there is no “set” schedule. One major thing that impacted my perspective while living here is the beauty of nature. In California we have some of the best weather but I do not see nearly as many people outside enjoying the public parks as I have here in Buenos Aires. Every weekend all the residents are outside hanging out in the parks, drinking “mate”, going to the street markets, or just chatting with friends and family. I will definitely take this back with me because it is truly beautiful to see public parks and streets filled with people enjoying nature, something that most people take for granted.” – Katy Brust (San Diego State University to Universidad del Salvador), Most Creative
“Photography has been a passion I’ve pursued for a while now and it played a big role in my choice to study abroad in Iceland. I knew it was a very picturesque country and there would be a lot of opportunities to hone my skills and develop as a photographer. My camera was a motivator for me to get out and see the country, to go on adventures and try new things. I wanted to capture the essence of my trip and share my experiences with my friends and family back home but also have a way to share these memories with the friends I made while abroad. They were some unforgettable times and now we all have an extremely well documented trip and can relive those moments on nostalgia-filled rainy afternoons.” – Patrick Moriearty (University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to University of Iceland), ISEP Staff Pick
Do you agree with these students? Did photography impact your study abroad experience for the better? Enter your study abroad photos in the Fall 2013 Photo Contest! We’re giving away more prizes this semester than ever before, so be sure to submit your photos by January 14, 2014. Get inspired by looking through last semester’s finalists. Good luck!
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