>

Julia Nimke loves a challenge. Picture her kayaking through the 4am darkness to chase the perfect sunrise, or hiking up the Matterhorn — one of the tallest peaks in the Alps — on a magazine assignment. “I once slipped on a rock in Vietnam when I was trying to shoot a beach scene,” recalls the Lightroom Ambassador, from Berlin, Germany. “I was knee-deep in the water, I fell and dropped my camera. It made me get insurance for my equipment.” But the main peril of travel photography is the temptation to follow the crowd, she says.

Julia Nimke loves a challenge. Picture her kayaking through the 4am darkness to chase the perfect sunrise, or hiking up the Matterhorn — one of the tallest peaks in the Alps — on a magazine assignment. “I once slipped on a rock in Vietnam when I was trying to shoot a beach scene,” recalls the Lightroom Ambassador, from Berlin, Germany. “I was knee-deep in the water, I fell and dropped my camera. It made me get insurance for my equipment.” But the main peril of travel photography is the temptation to follow the crowd, she says.

Julia prefers to explore places without relying on a guidebook.

“Before I travel, sometimes I find it very refreshing not to check any blogs or travel tips sites,” she explains. “I go and explore the city by foot. It’s the best way to see any city, really. The speed of driving through a city by car will make you miss out on cool spots. To capture the soul of the city you need to feel it first. I always like to check out a food place, a museum, and some sort of viewpoint.” Among Julia’s favorite places to shoot? San Francisco, where fog can roll in and change an entire shoot. Or Asia, with its dramatic landscapes. Everywhere she travels, Julia learns to say “hello” and “thank you” in the local language. “Be respectful and open-minded,” she says. “Explore in a playful way.”

 

Whether she’s shooting a German street scene or a Vietnamese river, Julia likes to travel light. “Whenever I go on a hike or bike trip or just stroll around the streets of Berlin, I have my little Leica Q2 with me,” she says. “It’s the perfect camera for candid moments. When it comes to more thought-out shoots I have a Canon R5 with a fixed set of lenses.” Inside her camera bag, you’ll find a wide-angle 16–35mm f2.8, a 50mm f1.2, and a 70–200mm f2.8. “I love each lens for its very special characteristics,” she adds.

Julia thrives in challenging, low-light conditions.

One of Julia’s biggest photography challenges is shooting in the dark. “My ‘warm and dark’ preset is the perfect preset for low-light situations,” she says. “It works best indoors and handles artificial light with no problem. The reduction of noise and structure will help get the best out of your image.” You can use the preset to boost images shot in low-light situations, such as candlelit dinners, or predawn adventures in exotic locations.

Julia prefers to explore places without relying on a guidebook.

“Before I travel, sometimes I find it very refreshing not to check any blogs or travel tips sites,” she explains. “I go and explore the city by foot. It’s the best way to see any city, really. The speed of driving through a city by car will make you miss out on cool spots. To capture the soul of the city you need to feel it first. I always like to check out a food place, a museum, and some sort of viewpoint.” Among Julia’s favorite places to shoot? San Francisco, where fog can roll in and change an entire shoot. Or Asia, with its dramatic landscapes. Everywhere she travels, Julia learns to say “hello” and “thank you” in the local language. “Be respectful and open-minded,” she says. “Explore in a playful way.”

 

Whether she’s shooting a German street scene or a Vietnamese river, Julia likes to travel light. “Whenever I go on a hike or bike trip or just stroll around the streets of Berlin, I have my little Leica Q2 with me,” she says. “It’s the perfect camera for candid moments. When it comes to more thought-out shoots I have a Canon R5 with a fixed set of lenses.” Inside her camera bag, you’ll find a wide-angle 16–35mm f2.8, a 50mm f1.2, and a 70–200mm f2.8. “I love each lens for its very special characteristics,” she adds.

In a new city, Julia always find a viewpoint, and a good food spot.

However, during the pandemic, Julia focused on adventures closer to home. “It makes you more appreciative of the beauty that surrounds you,” she says. In 2021, a local shoot changed her entire creative direction. “I was asked to shoot and organize a big commercial for the tourism board of Germany. We were shooting gay and lesbian couples to bring diversity to the image of Germany. I was overwhelmed by the amount of trust the client gave me, and being a queer person and promoting the country I live in has been huge.”

Julia’s Lightroom preset can help you warm up any photo.

Since then, telling stories with meaning has taken priority. “I like to focus on the ‘how’ when it comes to storytelling,” Julia says. “Telling a story through multiple images is key to me. I love that with a set of images you are creating a narrative, and playing with that narrative is what makes it so joyful. You can exclude elements and you can include elements. Leaving certain aspects of a story to the viewer’s imagination gives it more character. And when you’re telling a story with love and kindness, that’s the most powerful tool.”

 

See more on Instagram.

Julia’s Lightroom preset can help you warm up any photo.

One of Julia’s biggest photography challenges is shooting in the dark. “My ‘warm and dark’ preset is the perfect preset for low-light situations,” she says. “It works best indoors and handles artificial light with no problem. The reduction of noise and structure will help get the best out of your image.” You can use the preset to boost images shot in low-light situations, such as candlelit dinners, or predawn adventures in exotic locations.  

 

However, during the pandemic, Julia focused on adventures closer to home. “It makes you more appreciative of the beauty that surrounds you,” she says. In 2021, a local shoot changed her entire creative direction. “I was asked to shoot and organize a big commercial for the tourism board of Germany. We were shooting gay and lesbian couples to bring diversity to the image of Germany. I was overwhelmed by the amount of trust the client gave me, and being a queer person and promoting the country I live in has been huge.” 

 

Since then, telling stories with meaning has taken priority. “I like to focus on the ‘how’ when it comes to storytelling,” Julia says. “Telling a story through multiple images is key to me. I love that with a set of images you are creating a narrative, and playing with that narrative is what makes it so joyful. You can exclude elements and you can include elements. Leaving certain aspects of a story to the viewer’s imagination gives it more character. And when you’re telling a story with love and kindness, that’s the most powerful tool.” 

 

See more on Instagram.