Dare to be Different

This photograph is one of my personal favorites due to the serendipitous fashion in which I captured it and the message it instantly conveys. Being the third of four children, the only member of my family to live or travel abroad and the only one in a creative profession, I have often joked about being the black sheep, or in this case black duck of the family. Appreciating diversity and embracing my unique qualities has always been something I have taken pride in and indeed, this duck seems to feel the same way. What's more, being a photographer, especially in the industry today, I feel that one of the most important factors for success is to be have a distinct vision and style and simply be different from the rest of the crowd. I often look at this photo as a sort of visual mantra to remind me of these aspects of myself and my career.
I captured these ducks one afternoon while I was riding my motorbike on a beautiful road that wound through some rice fields outside a small town in central Vietnam. I saw a farmer up ahead of me on the opposite side of the road walking his ducks home, an image I had seen before in Vietnam, but only from a train or a speeding van's window. Apparently farmers bring their ducks along to their rice fields to allow them to waddle and eat insects while they tend to the patties. I pulled over well before they reached me and prepared to capture this unique cultural and downright cute image. I took a couple of shots that included the farmer keeping his ducks in a row, another theme entirely, but when I saw this lone black duck I zoomed in closer and composed this photo. The title, Dare to be Different says it all and since it is one of my philosophies, I have designed a postcard using this photo that I plan on implementing to help market A World in Focus.