Exhibition Showcases Students’ Photos Taken Abroad

Hong Kong meat markets met Harvard yesterday, as the Center for Government and International Studies became a showcase for images of students travels to locales near and far.

Also featured in the second annual International Photo Contest and Exhibition, sponsored by the Office of International Programs (OIP), were photographs of scenes ranging from European fashion runways to Indian street markets.

The diversity of the images on display clearly reflected the breadth of students’ experiences abroad. Each photo evoked an emotion, whether the exuberance of schoolchildren playing in a fountain or the awe of an expansive landscape.

There were over 220 submissions this year, according to OIP Assistant Director Giorgio DiMauro. He said the strong interest in this year’s show maintained the trend started with last year’s inaugural event.

“This isn’t supposed to be a professional photography competition; it’s for students to share their experiences abroad,” DiMauro said.

Although each photo had a story, some stories were more compelling for contest judge Deborah Martin-Kao, the Curator of Photography at the Fogg Art Museum. She found winning visions in four categories: landscape, sense of place and culture, people, and architecture.

“I looked for photos that created a visceral sense of being in a place or worked against a stereotype,” Martin-Kao said. She added that she was conscious of picking photos that “weren’t the postcard of a place.”

The best in show went to a unique depiction of typical Mongolian dwellings against an illuminated night sky, shot by Dustin M. Saldarriaga ‘06.

“Mongolia’s definitely an exotic and exciting place,” Saldarriaga said, adding that the country lent itself to photography.

Saldarriaga took over 900 pictures during his four months in the country, but he had to pick only two to submit to the contest.

He described the experience that led to the photo’s capture as somewhat happenstance, noting that he and a friend simply noticed how interesting the light was around them. This combination of skill, luck and interesting surroundings was a common feeling among many of the photographers. As the caption below Jorge Abugaber’s ‘08 photo of tango dancers read, “Sometimes things just fall into place.”

There was a palpable sense of excitement and pride at the reception, as contestants enthusiastically shared their photos and their experiences abroad with one another. Most students at the event felt positive about their time spent away from campus.

“Going abroad was the best decision I’ve made here at Harvard,” Saldarriaga said.

The exhibition allowed everyone to share the photographers’ exotic experiences.

“It was great fun for me to spend a whole afternoon being an armchair traveller,” Martin-Kao said of her judging experience.

The event kicks off the OIP’s International Education Week, which highlights opportunities for study and work abroad. The photos will be on display for the rest of the week in the lower lobby of the Center for Government and International Studies South building. In the spring, DiMauro hopes to put the photos on display in Lamont Library.