Writing on healthcare delivery, public health, and other things
Photography
Giant Tortoise on Floreana Island in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador – 2015
Giant iguana on Isabela Island in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador – 2015
Corcovado, Costa Rica – 2015
Corcovado, Costa Rica – 2015
Corcovado, Costa Rica – 2015
Corcovado, Costa Rica – 2015
Corcovado, Costa Rica – 2015
Avenue of the Volcanoes near Quito, Ecuador – 2015
Great blue heron on Isabela Island in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador – 2015
Baby turtles on a farm on Isabela Island in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador – 2015
Blue-footed booby on Isabela Island in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador – 2015
Corcovado, Costa Rica – 2014
Corcovado, Costa Rica – 2014
My dear friend Cynthia
Piece from high school AP photography portfolio
Piece from high school AP photography portfolio
Piece from high school AP photography portfolio
The drive across central India – from a tiger reserve in Bandhavgarh to the ancient city of Khajuraho – was rather dull. After several hours, we came to the town of Satna. Our driver, an Indian native who was intrigued by my camera, suggested that we walk over to the busy railway station to get “good picture.” On the platform, I feasted on the aesthetic elements of the railroad, but a few feet way was an old man wearing bright red and beige robes. He had flyaway silver hair and a marvelous beard, the archetype of a holy man. I scrambled to take his picture, fearing that I had missed the prime shot. Later, I was astonished to see his hair’s richness, his dark wrinkled face, and the bright colors of his clothes.
Sulfur clouds from bubbling geysers have decimated the lone trees in Mammoth Hot Springs. I walked around this post-apocalyptic scene for a couple of hours one morning, in disbelief that an area could be so deadened by natural forces. This photograph was published in the Winston-Salem Journal.
Reeds of grass bend in the breeze with a meadow in the background. I wanted to capture the many shades of green present in the field and the strong lines leading the viewer’s eye from top-right to bottom-left.
Purple flowers emerge from the ground like a futuristic city skyline at Butchart Gardens in Canada. For this photo I crouched down to eye-level with the flowers and captured the differing heights of each flower, and communicated depth of field with high-focus contrast. The name of the flower is “Osteospermum” and its nickname is “Flower Power Purple.”
I spent 30 minutes at this interesting water fountain in the middle of downtown Montreal, experimenting with different light sources and camera settings. When I reviewed the photo set, I was surprised to find that one splash looked exactly like a snake in mid-bite.
This shot was taken at Niagara Falls during the 4th of July fireworks show. This was the first time I had ever photographed fireworks, and I had no idea how to go about capturing a compelling shot. I tried high ISO and low ISO, flash and no flash, as well as different shutter speeds. The results, especially in this photo, were surprising.
During a trip to Virginia with my family, we stopped at Luray Caverns. One of the coolest rooms contained a cave with a reflecting pool. My goal was to capture the illusion that the reflecting pool created. At first glance, it appears to create a bowl where there is nothing but a ceiling and shallow water. It was difficult to shoot in the low-light cave, so I made use of flash while trying to keep the light organic and the shadows strong.
This is a shot looking down from the top floor of the Le Méridien Hotel in New Delhi, India. The leading lines in this photo are very important because they frame the image and guide the viewer down in a spiral to the strange pattern on the lobby floor. This photo won a Silver Key Award in the Scholastic Art & Writing competition.
These are silhouettes of leaves in the late afternoon sun. I was struck by the golden hue of the sun, so I maneuvered into a position where I could capture silhouettes in front of it. I also wanted to put the background out-of-focus to emphasize the relaxed evening feel. My vision realized, I took about 300 photos in a few minutes and selected this one, which has the strongest juxtaposition. Among the rest of my portfolio, this photo is my favorite from an artistic standpoint.
Mt. Grinnell looms over Swiftcurrent Lake in Glacier National Park.
We came upon this spotted deer, which cannot be found in North America, with amazing antlers in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in India. My goal was to capture the symmetry of the deer’s face and antlers as he fixed his gaze toward me. I was delighted by the sun burning bright against the back of the antlers, as well as the thousands of small orbs of light fading out of focus into the background.
This is a freight train barreling through the Canadian Rockies near dusk. Just before the train arrived, a grizzly bear was walking slowly down the tracks in the distance. Luckily he saw the train, froze for a moment, and scampered into the woods. Standing just a few feet away, I was stunned by the raw power of the freight train as it roared down the tracks. I managed to capture the high beam lights and the mountains in the distance.
Intertwining Japanese maple branches create a natural window through which to look at the sky. My goal was to create layers of leaves by using shadows and high focus around the edges of the window.
My dear old friend, Cristian
These pigeons loitered on the grounds of a famous Jamamasjid Mosque in Old Delhi, India. Every once in a while the loft of pigeons would collectively fly into the air and settle down in another location. The blurred wings together with the still bodies creates a “frozen-in-time” feel.
One morning I was walking through the Sequoia National Park in California when I caught sight of the light filtering down a hill laden with giant, fallen trees. My objective was to use the horizontal and vertical lines to guide the viewer’s eye up the hill toward the source of light.
Visitors read the names on the wall of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. This picture communicates both the sheer number of lives lost in the war and the impact that the war still has on young people.
My old friend Nate
On Christmas morning on the small Caribbean island of Anguilla, we drove a small two-wheel drive vehicle down a rocky road for several miles – a road that the toughest jeeps would hesitate to traverse. The end result was more than worth it: We discovered a lonely beach called Captain’s Bay with towering, 20-foot waves. I shot 700 pictures in 2 hours.
The rare wild Bengal Tiger looks back at me. This photo was taken on a jeep safari in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in central India. The story behind this image is the subject of my main Common Application essay.
Imran Cronk 