Photography is such an intrinsic part of any travel and perhaps even more so onboard the expedition ships -Antarctica or the Arctic are bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that majority of the clients seek to immortalise through a camera lens. It tends to attract some serious photographers too and some expedition cruising companies run dedicated photography programs on select voyages. With this in mind, I had an incredible pleasure to catch up with the award winning photographer, travel journalist, and published author Nori Jemil. We chatted about her recently published book 'The Travel Photographer's Way', how she got into the photography and expedition cruising, and why she is so drawn to the polar regions. Happy reading!
Nori, tell me, how did you become a travel photographer? Is it something you always wanted to be or stumbled upon accidentally?
I guess I’ve always been photographing, or at least for as long I can remember. As a young child, I loved using my dad’s 35mm film camera to take family photos, and after that I always had a small model of my own, graduating to a film SLR in my 20s. About 20 years ago, I went to Peru for the first time to trek to Machu Picchu. It’s fair to say that this changed my life. I fell in love with South America, and I moved to Chile six months later - initially for two years, but I ended up staying for about six! I travelled all over Latin America, and this is when I got seriously into photography – coinciding with upgrading to my first digital DSLR. Around 2009/2010 I entered a few prestigious photography competitions and had success across several before ultimately winning a category of Wanderlust magazine’s Photo of the Year in 2011. This led to a commission to photograph Australia for them, and since then I’ve been working in travel as a photojournalist.
What does a travel photographer do during a global pandemic and not being able to travel?
Someone recently told me you can earn more as a travel journalist by occasionally staying put and writing about the places you know well and have visited previously. I thought this sounded a little bit unlikely, but during the pandemic it proved itself to be true, and a lot of freelancers I know found their destination niches then. Before the pandemic I had pitched a proposal for a book on travel photography to Bradt Guides and, though it was put on ice for a while, I got the green light in early 2021. I wrote ‘The Travel Photographer’s Way’ during the spring and summer of 2021 – it isn’t very long to write a book when I look back on it now, but I was able to focus, given how few other distractions there were at the time. The book came out in October 2021, and I began giving talks, attending events and doing workshops throughout 2022 and 2023.
What was the most exciting part of writing it?
Before starting writing, I worked on the structure and style of the book with my editor. I’d already submitted sample chapters, and the final layout took a little while to get right. But once I began, it felt like a natural flow of ideas – and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the writing process, sharing experiences of the things I’ve done, photographed and read. There is a practical side to the book, but it isn’t just a ‘how to’ text - it is also a compilation of travel stories, anecdotes and quotes, with interviews with other photographers too. I’ve been involved in education and consultancy for many years, so that aspect of combining practical advice with the professional experience of being a photographer, writer and teacher just seemed very natural. I also studied literature at university and initially worked in publishing and copywriting. I’ve always wanted to write books, so that was exciting in itself.
Why do you think travel lends itself so well to photography?
I guess we all love to travel, and capturing a moment to remember what we’ve seen is the ultimate goal of most travellers. When I teach photography workshops overseas, even those taking more casual photographs with a smartphone express this desire to get an image that lines up with what they’ve seen with their own eyes. And, as the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words, so just one photo can encapsulate a place in a way that’s often harder to do in a few words. I also do some filming, and the immersive nature of sound and moving image adds a great deal to the sensory nature of the travel experience. I don’t know a single person who travels and does not want to have a memento of that experience and to be transported back in time by a photo. Often, if you don’t quite capture the sunset the way it looked in your mind’s eye you really want to figure out how to do it next time - and knowing a little bit about photography will help you nail that.
In your book, you often talk about being a responsible traveller and to an extent, a responsible photographer. Could you please elaborate what it means and why it should matter.
I think being a responsible photographer is the same as being a responsible traveller. You can’t expect to just drop into a place where you don’t know anyone, point your camera at a stranger and get great pictures - and it’s not at all ethical to do that. This also applies to landscape photography – you need time to immerse yourself in a place and to feel and notice the nuances of atmosphere and light. Of course, sometimes you don’t have a choice about how you travel: for example, if you are travelling onboard a ship and you are constantly moving from place to place, it’s hard to stop and take time when you want to.
With people photography, I find staying in one place for couple of days builds something of a connection with a community as there is an exchange, a relationship with your subject. Asking for permission is also important: photographers often shy away from interaction from the fear of rejection but making the effort to talk to people is one of the joys of travel. If one practices this regularly, it becomes apparent how much people love to engage, and even if they do say no to having their photo taken you’ve still had that personal experience of chatting to them which is something to cherish in itself.
My general rule is that you should treat others as you’d expect to be treated on your home turf, and always think about the impact you make. Try to get permission if possible and make eye contact if you don’t speak the same language.
How do you think travel trade community and travel media can contribute to developing responsible travellers and responsible photographers?
There are so many great operators already that are making an effort to improve their sustainability programmes and facing up to climate or global economic issues with sensitivity and innovation. I think the travel industry in general has made great progress in the last decade. Besides working with local guides, paying people fairly and using sustainable, local suppliers, tour operators also have a role in creating itineraries where people get to really know a destination – including its culture and people. Travel is a privilege, so if we want to make a positive impact on the places we visit, then spending our money and time in a community that might need it, as opposed to somewhere that has suffered a lot from over tourism, is a good place to start.
There will always be demand for a ‘highlights of South America’ type itinerary though – working people are often on a tight schedule and want to get the best out of their annual holiday allowance. But flying between destinations on a two-week trip and trying to see several countries at once isn’t exactly the most rewarding type of experience in my view – and isn’t that great for the planet or local communities either.
How about travel media?
To me, it is about commissioning the stories that highlight a sustainable, ethical side of travel and choosing destinations outside of those well-trodden locations. Everyone wants to go to Venice, sure, but what about all those other wonderful little cities and towns in Italy that are probably just as interesting and worth a visit? As a travel writer and photographer, I often seek out places that are not necessarily on everyone’s radar, and editors commissioning those kinds of stories can help.
I guess there is a lot we can say about which destinations and experiences get commissioned more for newspapers and magazines. Places that are popular for holidays might get more coverage than off-the-beaten-track places. And while SEO favours listicles and ‘top things to do in XXX’ features, maybe this kind of reporting isn’t doing anyone any favours (and AI is going to take it over soon anyway!). I prefer to write longform pieces about people and culture, whenever I get the chance. For example, a recent piece for Adventure.com on a total solar eclipse in Western Australia incorporates Indigenous Australian voices and explores how Aboriginal Elders are bringing the stories of their ancestors to a wider audience. And it was recently Highly Commended in the new Inspire Global Media Awards, a brilliant new initiative that’s shining a light on positive impact travel.
You had an opportunity to photograph remote environments of the extreme latitudes of both hemispheres- What is it about The Arctic and Antarctica that is so appealing, both for traveller and the photographer?
I’ve been addicted to these far north and south regions for as long as I can remember – like most people, I was blown away by Sir Attenborough’s Frozen Planet documentary series. The fact that you can actually go and experience these otherworldly places is really beyond any dream you may have had as a child, especially if you read about Shackleton or Amundsen. Aesthetically, the polar realms are extremely beautiful, isolated, and relatively untouched by humanity. To be able to see a whale breach in the ocean or an entire Adélie penguin colony up close are incredible experiences that I’ll never take for granted.
As a photographer, I’ve always been drawn to extreme landscapes. I started out photographing in the south and north of Chile, seeking out glaciers, deserts and mountains. I spent weeks trekking in Patagonia and have gone back time and again to El Chaltén and Torres del Paine simply because of the spectacular light and landscapes. Of course, Antarctica and the Arctic take some beating. There is nowhere like them for landscape photographers. Wherever you look there is a usually a great image waiting to be captured. And since they are constantly shifting in terms of season, weather, light, etc, they will always be a draw for any traveller or photographer lucky enough to return.
You also teach photography on board expedition ships - tell me what is that experience like.
I’ve guided for a few different photography companies (in the Arctic and Iceland before), but I work regularly with Australis, a Chilean expedition cruise company that offers trips to the Chilean Fjords and Cape Horn. It’s a bit like going ‘home’ for me, since the crew is almost entirely Chilean, and I really love that their onboard experts truly know the region they’re guiding in. Guests get the full experience of travelling in Patagonia with local experts, as well as the chance to participate in my photography workshops. My favourite part is to go out every day on the Zodiacs with a small group of photographers. I love being on hand to help people improve their skills, and it’s so rewarding when we have our end of trip photography slideshow and I get to see their perspective on what we’ve encountered – from penguins and cormorants to impressive glaciers and the jagged peaks of the Darwin mountain range.
There are some parts of the world that you just wouldn’t be able to see unless you travel on an ship – I’ve been to Antarctica, the Arctic and lots of places in between, and I love the adventure of small ship expedition cruising. It’s something I’d love to do more of, combined with teaching photography.
For many people who decide to travel to the Arctic or Antarctica these are usually very special trips, and they want to make sure they bring back the memories and photos to share the experience with their loved ones. For some of them, this will probably be the first time they will consider taking photos to immortalise the trip through images. What would be your advice to absolute beginners travelling to these remote places and hoping to bring some great pictures back?
Cut your teeth on something else before you go, and know your camera well! You can research your trip in detail and consider what you are likely to see – that will help you prepare photographically (so you have the right kit for your needs). Whatever camera you have, you need to know how to use it. This applies to your phone camera too. Smartphones have become so much better recently, but you can still learn about exactly what yours can do. Be prepared: bring enough memory cards, batteries and possibly a backup camera. Have waterproof bags for rides on Zodiacs, gloves to keep your hands warm. Consider hiring a local photographer before you leave to really get to grips with any difficult, new kit. Most important is to practise before you go – if you do, you stand a much better chance of taking good photos, perhaps even some great ones.
Thank you, Nori.
Nori's book 'The Travel Photographer's Way: Practical Steps to taking unforgettable Travel photos' is an incredible resource for anyone interested in taking great travel pictures and can be found in most UK online and retail bookshops.
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