January 15, 2016, by Lisa Chin
My experience participating in the Graduate School photography competition
This post is contributed by Wei Ling Chow, 3rd year PhD student, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
It was really an exciting experience participating in last year’s photography competition. This is because I am neither a professional photographer nor do I have a deep passion for photography. However, I do love to casually capture photos as I think that a photo can convey emotion, mood, narrative, ideas and messages. These are the elements that make a statement and tell a story. This competition had encouraged me to foster my creativity and ultimately enrich my enjoyment of my PhD experiences. The submission of entry was relatively straight-forward where participants captured a single photographic image accompanied by an abstract that expressed how the image relates to the postgraduate experience, easy peasy! Obviously, the procedure was very hassle-free and almost minimal efforts were required. The photo entry can be anything and it can vary widely, hence came the challenging part — brainstorming for ideas.
If one image summarises my postgraduate experience, what would it be? Would it be sipping a coffee and spending endless nights behind the computer or enjoying the conferences held in beautiful cities or counting the days of the thesis submission? Everything and anything around seems to be very representative. I allowed my mind to wander for a day or two to gather a collective ideas. In the end, I chose a colourful theme where I portrayed how I enjoy being a researcher and how my research has impacted the world. I rearranged a few symbolic props with a good mixture of colours in the most attractive and interesting way as possible. When the photo was taken, I was consciously thinking “I want this photo to tell a story” and there you go! A standout candid photo was produced.
The photo shows me enjoying a flash of inspiration when I found an energy source. My research focuses on turning wastewater into energy. In my studies, I have developed an innovative solution through an effective cost-saving treatment method. This ground breaking method known as co-digestion is used to generate renewable energy by treating wastewater from the oleo chemical industry. The impact of this study allows me to generate green energy and spread “beams” of enjoyment to the world.
I was certainly very grateful to receive both overall winner and people’s choice awards and the whole event had been an inspiring experience for me. For this, I sincerely thank Dr Tissa Chandesa for his patience, guidance and endless encouragement which helped me to make the best use of my talents, and to my other half, Daryl for his digital single-lens reflex camera that gave a plus point to the excellent pixels and his constant supports. I also truly appreciate every moment I had and every experiences I gained in UNMC. I am constantly inspired by this quote: “A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.” — Eudora Welty.
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