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Ryan Chappell

"Through photography, I share the world around me and I strive to create photos that show the similarities in people's experience of life, rather than the differences between cultures.

"I was born and grew up in Calgary, Canada and was fortunate to have parents who instilled in me a love of travel and seeing new places. I was also given the ability to accept other cultures by my parents who fostered early in me a sense that we are all interconnected and that people everywhere – while having differences – share an essentially similar experience of life.

"My parents split up when I was ten. Though times were not always easy, I look back at my childhood and know that I would not be who I am today without the experiences that I have had. And so, good and bad, I am thankful for all the experiences that I have lived through. I earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Victoria. I am a self-taught photographer; my training comes from reading as many books as I can get my hands on and speaking with other photographers. I also learned much of my photography from my family. My grandfather was a photographer, my brother is a photographer and so too is my father. For a long time, my uncle was a professional photographer before becoming a teacher and so I look up to my family for my learning and inspiration.

"I really value the moments when I am out with people, both other photographers and people I am photographing, and we have a connection and it brings a smile to everyone's face. I would have to say that the biggest change in my life was when I came to Thailand for the first time. It opened up a new world for me and allowed me to see the world in a different light.

"It took me a while, but the people in Thailand are so friendly and the culture so lively that I knew I had found a place where I wanted to stay and make my home.

"I work very hard at the things I love and at giving to others. In the last few years, I have been very lucky in my role as a teacher and I feel honored to have had the opportunity to bring a love of learning to my students. As a photographer, I feel that I have a unique ability to share some of my beliefs and values through my photography and I believe that photography and photos are simply an extension of my role as a teacher.

"I love my work. I love everything about being both a teacher and a photographer. I know I am very fortunate to be doing something I love and giving back to the community at the same time. As a teacher, it is seeing the smile on students' faces as they learn and giving them a sense that learning can be fun. I know there are far too few teachers who do this and too many students that never learn to have fun when learning.

"I spend a lot of time interacting with people when I am taking photos. In order to show a culture, one must first have an understanding of it. I really believe that it is the people who make a photo come to life.

"Photography is not just about pointing a camera and shooting. I spend a lot of time getting to know people and places. My work is special because I get to share something creative with people and to me, that is the greatest gift. I feel very proud when I am able to show a common subject in a new way and change the way that people think about things. It makes me very proud that through my photography, people are able to see the world in a way that they have never seen it before.

"I believe that my photography brings the world closer together and helps people better understand other cultures and places. I would like to think that through my photography, people are gaining a better understanding of Asia in general and Thailand specifically.

"I hope my work inspires people to have a better understanding of the world in which we all live. We all share a similar human experience that transcends place or time. We all laugh and cry, feel pain, hunger, fear, and love. If there is one thing I hope that my photography can bring to you, it is a shared understanding of the world that surrounds us all.

"May my photos bring a smile to your face and transport you to a different place, if only for a moment."