Discus Awards

Jason van der Merwe, the February 2011 Discus Scholarship recipient, is a talented artist with his own local photography business. He snaps shots for both work and pleasure, and he's even donated his services for charity events. In this post, you will find the thumbnails and corresponding descriptions of Jason's favorite pictures from his 10+ years behind the lens. View the full gallery at Jason van der Merwe's Photo Gallery.

1) Egyptian Boy - This young boy was the helping hand on the Felucca, an Egyptian sail boat, that my family and I took a short trip in. We visited Egypt for almost two weeks, traveling all across the country. This image is especially special to me because I can see the despair and lack of hope in the boy's eyes. The captain of this vessel explained to us that the government cared nothing for its people. He hated living there, but had no hope to escape it. I could already see the beginnings of a revolution, and this was three years ago. Now, as we see Egyptians rising up, fighting for freedom, I think back to this moment. A moment of mixed beauty as I watched the sun disappear over the horizon.

2) Captain Arthur - This boat resides on the peaceful shores of Honduras. I visited Honduras in the summer of 2009, spending time on the mainland as well as Roatan, a small island just off the coast. The experience was incredible; it was the first time I had visited a country in Central America and this opportunity meant I could utilize my Spanish. Honduras is a beautiful country and I encourage everyone who is able to visit and explore both the resort side, and the country itself.

3) Lincoln Memorial - I have traveled to many all over the world, but one of my favorite places remains Washington D.C. As an immigrant from South Africa, I am honored to call myself an American now. DC is the icon of American freedom, a symbol of hope and democracy. It is full of rich history and I love visiting. This photo was taken last summer when I visited DC to compete in National History Day. The competition schedule left me with a lot of free time, so I spent several days walking around the city by myself, taking photographs of many great structures. Unfortunately, it was cloudy the entire time, but I found an opportunity to use the weather to my advantage. I turned the photo into black and white. I managed to capture the high dynamic range, so this photo looks antique, but modern. Very little editing was actually done on it. It remains one of my favorite photographs.

4) A Glorious Graveyard - This is photo of a Native American cemetery in Taos, New Mexico. My trip to New Mexico occurred directly after my Washington D.C. trip. This was a wonderful vacation. My family and I basically drove around New Mexico, exploring the many natural wonders in the state. As a photographer, this excursion was fantastic. The scenery that I captured was amazing and breathtaking. New Mexico is a fascinating and gorgeous state and I will never forget climbing on the red rock, hiking down into giant canyons and hiking up into a volcano, then immediately descending into an ice cave.

5) Sarah and Kid - A large amount of my photographic work is philanthropic. I have worked closely with SOAR Youth Ministries in Knoxville's inner city. From teaching photography classes, to translating for Hispanics at events, I find myself at SOAR often. I snapped this shot at SOAR kick off day. I brought a couple of friends along, and together we simply played with young children for two hours. I love this photo not only because of its aesthetic quality, but because it represents the joy shared in this precious moment. Often these young children come from broken homes, so when I see them laughing and having a good time, I am encouraged.

6) Parke Ruler - This is definitely an odd photograph. It is also one of my favorite portraits I have taken. Parke Cottrell heads up the band Seeing Skies, in Nashville Tennessee (http://www.myspace.com/seeingskies look them up, they're amazing!). I started doing photographs for Parke on a whim. He was natural and goofy in front of the camera, and he played guitar at the church I am an employee at (technical assistant). We did a couple serious photographs, then a friend of ours began throwing random objects into the mix. One such item was this tape measure. The end result was amazing! I call it pop object photography. Of course, it is very silly, but who said I can't goof off a bit? When I look at this photo, I remember all the great times I have had with Parke. I also laugh - this photo was blown up for a poster to advertise a concert Parke did. How random.

7) NYC Building - I traveled to New York City for the first time in the summer of 2008. I was with my choir, Rejoice! Youth Choir, and we were performing at various venues, such as retirement home and rehab centers. We spent a lot of time walking through the city, so I had the opportunity to take many photos. The architecture in NYC is very intriguing and I managed to capture one such example in this shot.

8) 4-H Clover - 4-H has been a huge part of my life for the past four years of high school. 4-H has opened an array of opportunities to me, not only to grow as a citizen and leader, but also to make lasting friendships. Many of the 4-H'ers I know, both in the state of Tennessee and around America, are friends I know I can always depend on. 4-H is an amazing youth program that is "keeping with the times". I have been involved in many technological activities such as computers and photography.

9) Laos Kids - This was shot was my "breakthrough" as a photographer. I shot this picture in Laos, where I visited for three days. My main vacation was centered around Thailand, but this impromptu side excursion was exciting and eye-opening. Laos is a communist country and one of the poorest in the world. This photo captures the poverty of a small village, yet it conveys emotion to viewers.

Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Meet the Discus Winner