Discover Julia Nimke’s Outstanding Travel Photography

Explore the nature-inspired work of this German photographer as she takes us on her travels around the world

We all live in the same world, but we do not always manage to honor its beauty when it comes to capturing it on film or in photos. Specialist travel photographers know how to connect with the wonders of our surroundings through their lenses. The images they capture enable us to experience the magic of those places, even if we’ve never been there.

Julia Nimke (@julia_nimke) is a German photographer who specializes in travel and lifestyle. She has worked with clients such as Adobe, Mercedes-Benz, Lufthansa, and Sony. She knows how to represent the emotion and beauty of our planet.

Read on to learn about her fascinating professional journey.

Nature, her inspiration

Julia Nimke grew up in a small village near Berlin, by the Polish border. She was surrounded by nature from an early age and spent her childhood climbing, hiking in woods, and cycling along lakes and forests. Her holidays were also spent in full connection with nature, on the Bavarian mountains.

When she was 11, her stepfather gave her an Olympus camera: a light and compact device that she could take anywhere with her. From this moment, Julia began to document everything around her as if it were a game. She became fascinated by the process of this activity, which allowed her to capture the landscapes she was so fond of.

Discovering her vocation

Aged 13, she took her first photography course. Her teacher taught her many valuable techniques, but what most fascinated her was the process involved in developing her films in the darkroom. In this process, Julia found a sort of gratifying ritual. There, in the darkness, with a red light, she spent hours concentrating on a single image so that it would convey the perfection she had experienced taking it in the real world.

Her philosophy

These learning stages and her fascination for analog photography would forever mark Julia’s work philosophy. Even later, when she started working with digital cameras, she would wait until her framing was just right before pressing the shutter: in other words, in the moment when she would feel fully connected to the beauty of a space or setting.

Throughout her career, Julia has avoided over-photographing, one of the big temptations in the digital era. She claims that having had to limit herself to take the 36 photos allowed in a film roll helped her become a better professional. Her motto is: every image you take must be meaningful.

Starting her career

When she was 16, her family moved to the city of Dresden. Besides going to school, she began to collaborate with one of the city’s newspapers in a segment made for and by teenagers. Julia joined the staff team as a photographer and started charging for her work. When she finished school, she knew that she wanted to dedicate herself to photography full time. She moved to Berlin with this in mind.

In Berlin, she started as an intern in a photography studio. Nature and movement, however, were the things that inspired her the most in the world. She began studying geography at university until she realized she found her actual calling in the street, the woods, and the mountains.

She got a part-time job as a photo editor and spent the rest of her time going out exploring and building her portfolio. A collection of personal projects contributed to creating a name for Julia and gave her the confidence to apply for an Adobe Creative sought-after residency. This prize enables six photographers to dedicate themselves to a project for a whole year.

Folktales project

Julia won the residency and spent a whole year on her dream project called Folktales. The project’s goal was to document natural spaces in Europe, following the trail of the stories and legends that the local residents attach to the extraordinary landscapes they inhabit.

Julia created video snippets in which people explain why certain mountain rocks have acquired their names or giving details about certain myths surrounding various natural parks. Julia spent a year driving around and sleeping in her van, capturing every magical corner of the Old Continent. She spent a year perfecting her style and following her creative instinct.

The photographer says that the past year has been key to her creative development and profoundly marked her as an artist. She is now ready to share all her knowledge in her Domestika course, Lifestyle and Travel Photography. She explains how to start a personal project and teaches you the necessary steps to complete it.

English version by @acesarato

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