Shipon’s Personal Statement:

Photography is taking a picture through a lens of a person, place, or event to show to others. And though this photography we can raise awareness when they are out to the public. Communities that would not otherwise know about these people, places, or events would now know about them. This year in Cultural Eye we learned that even with out diversity and the differences we face with race, gender, or age, we all have overarching similarities. A paradigm is emotion, all people share emotions; when people die, we cry, when people are born, we become happy. And through diversity we can learn more aspects of cutlure. By learning about different cultures, we learn another thing about another part of the world and thus, we learn more about our fellow humans.

In pictures we can transmit stories of other people and we become more connected. Especially nowadays, we are more connected than ever with social media. We can post a single picture and it can reach millions of eyes, millions of places, all over the world. When a picture of a tragic event is posted online, we sympathize with the victims and mourners. My photography reflects diversity in that it shows the relief effort for the Nepal earthquake, the performance of a Buddhist monk group in the most diverse place in New York City, the MTA, and a very diverse group of flowers from all over the world in one place. In each of my pictures, one can see that this is what one can find in one city, that this is the beauty that comes from Earth. Photography is a catalyst for unity among people and one picture can truly change the world.