Travel nominee

Nearly 1/2 of the world’s population — more than 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. Common People is a photo project that captures the lives of those living in extremely economically disadvantageous conditions.

I took a lot of pictures depicting melancholy and hopelessness that reflected very diverse people and selected images of those working in the tourism industry. From selling pictures and merchandise to physical labor and travel, etc. many beneficiaries of tourism can't even grasp the idea of the income difference between themselves and their consumers.

While tourism is an important economic sector that allows for increased participation from those living in poverty, it reflects the massive extent of income inequality that exists in our society today.

I am currently a high school student living in Seattle, Washington. Ever since I was little, I have always yearned for a way to express myself artistically. I had a difficult time finding a way to convey my creative side, but that all changed during my sophomore year.

After visiting my grandparents in China amid the New Year in my second year of high school, my sister and I both received a hong bao (red envelope) of $5,000 - it is a Chinese tradition for elders to give children red envelopes during Chinese New Year. I agonized over how I would spend my money but I ultimately decided to get my first DSLR camera, and ended up falling in love with capturing the feelings and aesthetics of the world through images.

My passion for photography has changed the way I view the world. I see photography as a language that anyone can understand and I focus my work on expressing the feelings and stories of people and the beauty of the natural world.