How I turn travel into a career - 10 exciting questions for travel photographer Philipp Blanz

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In this day and age, when vacation pictures are taken at lightning speed with a cell phone, everyone is somehow also a travel photographer. In the past, it was much more difficult. Perhaps one or the other still remembers the time when a real film had to be inserted into the camera. Then you waited impatiently until the photo finally came out of the developer. But the fast pace of social networks doesn't make today's travel photography any less exciting. Philipp Blanz, who reaches around 20k followers with his eponymous Instagram account, regularly convinces us otherwise. In this interview, you'll learn more about the impressions, experiences, tips and tricks of an aspiring travel photographer who has managed to combine his enthusiasm for travel and photography. Philipp has not yet turned his passion into a profession, but he is well on his way there.

You come across as a very authentic and professional travel photographer who is very much around the ways. Readers would definitely want to know more about you! Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

About five years ago, I spontaneously bought an SLR camera. Over the years, I taught myself what it takes to take a good picture. Every year I went on exciting photo trips with my father to new and exciting places. Then in 2017, I additionally started sharing my images online through Instagram. I also found many like-minded people online, as well as photography and outdoor enthusiasts. Nowadays I am very rarely alone on the road and we plan our trips far in advance with other photographers or have local contacts in the respective countries with whom we go together.

How important is travel in your life?

For me they are essential. Over the years they have become part of my lifestyle, my life and especially my profession. Today I am happy to say that I can earn money by traveling and at the same time discover new places and share this with people. But I also realized just this summer that you can also travel too much and it becomes very stressful and exhausting instead of an experience. That's why it's worth it to cut back every now and then.

What place or destination is burned in your mind that you just can't forget? Would you also recommend us to put this destination on our TripLegend bucket list?

Iceland comes directly to my mind when I ask this question. I have been to many countries, such as Norway and New Zealand, which were incredibly beautiful, but so far nothing comes close to Iceland. I've been there twice now and every time the country fascinates me anew. Especially the inland region of Landmannalaugur is a must-see and belongs on every bucket list. The many different colors embedded in this breathtaking landscape make this a sight you can not forget.

Which TripLegend destination excites you the most?

Of the trips on offer, Nepal would appeal to me the most. Asia in general has been on my list for a long time and Nepal has this incredible mountain panorama, I would probably feel right at home there. In addition, a guide would be essential in such countries to be able to experience the most beautiful places and learn a little about the history.

What inspires you again and again to climb over steep cliffs or fight your way through canyons for the perfect photo?

A few years ago, it was still about the photo itself, simply to have made this and to be able to show. I have certainly crossed a line or two for this, where it became dangerous. For example, in New Zealand on the very popular and well-known mountain Roys Peak, I slept alone in a tent on the mountain at -6 degrees and although I was well prepared, equipped with several layers above and below, sleeping bag and tent, at some point it became so cold that I had to get out my rescue blanket and was on the verge of hypothermia. The experience and the view from up there in the morning and at night under a full moon were breathtaking, but looking back, there was no need to take such a risk. Nowadays, what counts more for me is to experience adventures and travels together with friends and to share the passion for the pictures and the experience here. In the end, the memory connects you through the resulting image. In addition, you can also be very motivated in a group, for example, to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning to hike up a mountain for the sunrise or to walk 3 hours soaking wet to a spot in continuous rain.

What does sustainability mean to you when you travel?

For one thing, travel should be as climate-neutral as possible. You should avoid flights within Europe and especially within Germany, if possible. On the other hand, you should also consider how you encounter nature on site. For example, I almost never tag the exact locations I visit on Instagram anymore. There are just too many inconsiderate people who trample everything.

Tips for our readers?

My parents bought a hybrid vehicle on my advice. With the hybrid, we still consume gasoline on long distances, but significantly less than a normal gasoline engine. The big advantage in the respective destinations is that we can drive short distances completely electrically, since most hotels offer free charging stations. In hindsight, a pure e-vehicle would probably even have been the better choice. Due to the fast charging and the already relatively wide charging network, this is probably the best. I also try to keep air travel within the EU to a minimum.

A funny question for in between: What was the most extraordinary food you tried on a trip?

Here I had to think for a very long time. I have tried many good dishes on my travels, but none of them were really exceptional. In Norway and Iceland, I avoided whale and shark meat in the spirit of nature. It's not exceptional, but in Iceland every self-respecting restaurant offers fish soup. So we tried them in every restaurant and kept an Iceland rating. These were even quite special and have further surpassed each other in taste with each additional fish soup.

What accessories and gadgets belong on every trip?

What I can not forget besides my SLR camera are:

  • A good footwear, which has often saved me from bad injuries.
  • A headlamp. Essential not only for sunrise or sunset hikes, but also so always helpful.
  • A first aid kit with a rescue blanket. This sounds very cliché, but I could be glad in New Zealand alone in unbelievable cold to have had this with me. At that time I was already very well equipped, yet sometimes the weather does what it wants.
  • A power bank belongs for me on every big and small trip. Especially in cold weather, devices can discharge. I would also tend to always take a larger and heavier than a small and light.

Finally, can you give us a few tips to help us take beautiful photos like you in the future?

First, I have to say that the best light for good photos is soft light. This can be found at sunrise and sunset, as well as when the sky is cloudy. So for us landscape photographers, blue sky with the highest position of the sun is of low quality. In this time between 10 am and 5 pm we take a break from shooting photos. If you want to have beautiful pictures without harsh shadows and glow, you should limit yourself to morning and evening. It's worth getting out of bed early. I'm a morning person myself, but I'd get up early any day for a sunrise. Not only getting the perfect picture, but also experiencing the place mostly alone lures me out. If you've just bought a new camera, you should check out a short guide on YouTube beforehand to familiarize yourself with the basic functions. There's nothing worse than being on location and then missing the moment because you can't operate the camera properly.
A little more concretely, you can say that you should not shoot handheld below 1/50 sec. exposure time if possible. If you have to go down, set the camera on a tripod or increase the ISO slightly. The ISO value indicates how much light is needed to take the picture. The smallest possible aperture creates a lot of depth of field and therefore depth in the image. I like to crawl around on the ground and try to get some flowers in the foreground out of focus to have the actual target in the background sharp. This frames the target with a natural foreground.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on Instagram: @philipp_blanz

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