When I was 8 years old, I mail-ordered a Kodak Instamatic camera with the help of two box tops from Cap’n Crunch and a few dollars out of my piggy bank.

The camera lived up to its marketing slogan: “You press the camera, we do the rest.” Like a magic wand, a little finger pressure on its shutter button allowed me to capture any subject or event.

This sense of wonder drew me to photography. I veered from this childhood obsession to a double major in economics and German, but after college I instinctively turned back to photography for postgraduate solace and discovery.

Years later, it’s clear to me that photography, moreover photojournalism, has provided me an exceptional opportunity to experience being fully alive in the moment and attuned to my surroundings. Simply having a camera around my neck has enhanced my awareness of the moment.