Lien Verwimp explains how she discovers new opportunities amid some of the world’s most well-trodden streets
As an experienced sightseer, travel journalist and photographer, Lien Verwimp is someone who knows exactly the kind of experience she’s searching for when stepping into the unknown. As the co-founder of Daymaker – a platform that matches people with their ideal itineraries – she understands better than anyone that people like to travel differently.
“You can’t put everyone in one basket,” she remarks. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, I love nature – and that’s it.’ It’s the combinations that matter. That is what’s most fascinating, when you find people with that same combination of interests.”
Searching for interest
“For me, it’s quite a diverse mix. There are three important things in my opinion,” Lien suggests. “The first is searching for local, authentic experiences. However, at the same time I also love the busyness of a city, the energy of tourism and what it brings. Thirdly – and this is a Daymaker term – I’m a bon vivant. This means I love hospitality and fine dining; I commit most of my holiday budgets to things like that.”
Does her distinctive set of travelling interests flavour Lien’s approach to photography? “Certainly, I’m always seeking out the local culture and authentic experiences. In photography you can often find that in places and objects, but for me it comes from making pictures of people – the locals,” she explains.
For these kinds of candid, street-style photos, Lien’s philosophy dictates that finding the right subject supersedes searching for ideal framing. “I don’t always seek out the most beautiful backgrounds,” she notes. “I’m okay with photographing people doing anything – as long as it makes you recognise or feel something. Then the decor becomes photogenic after all.”
It’s Lien’s habit of leaving room for serendipity that makes her travel photos stand out. That’s not to say her successes are purely down to luck – her imaging career so far could also be characterised by a driving desire for self-improvement. On a recent trip to Venice, Lien sought to further expand her repertoire by experimenting with a wider range of lighting conditions.
Making the most of available light
“My combination of travel interests means I always photograph a mixture of subjects – whether that’s the interior of a hotel or a creative dish in a restaurant,” explains Lien. “This makes things quite challenging, as the light, texture and scale will all be different.”
Indeed, the beauty of travel photography is that encompasses all manner of imaging genres. From architecture to food to street, you’ll encounter a huge variety of photographic subjects in the time it takes to cross a single piazza.
“I challenged myself to get better at working in different lighting scenarios. That’s because I love working with sunlight, but it’s not always possible – so I wanted to see whether I could adapt in those situations,” Lien continues. “It forced me to learn lots and adapt quickly.”
Visiting Venice outside the heights of summer guarantees less in terms of favourable weather, so an able travel photographer needs to be prepared for whatever conditions they find themselves in. “A lot of photographers talk about golden hour, which of course gives some of the best light for your photos,” Lien notes. “But not if the sun isn’t shining through on a clear day, right?”
“I walked through the city from morning until evening to see how I could adapt – and I loved it,” she enthuses. “I don’t think the photos I created are any less nice than my classic summer photos made in lots of sunlight.”
Under more overcast conditions, Lien discovered that a root-and-branch stylistic shift helped her make the most of the light hitting her sensor. “Mostly for the images I made at midday, when it was a bit gloomy, I used black & white more,” she notes. “The editing needed is minimal because FUJIFILM Film Simulations work really well. But if the lighting isn’t great, you can add a bit more with post-processing.”
During her trip, Lien also spent time photographing a hotel, which threw her yet more challenges. “The lighting there was more controlled, of course, because it’s artificial. But then I decided to just use the natural light – to observe where it was coming into the room. Even though the sun wasn’t shining, there was still some light. From there I was able to highlight the details I wanted to emphasise, like the sheets on the bed, for example. I worked with a much lower exposure so that these specific details which were still in light could be the focus of the images.”
FUJIFILM X-T50: an ideal travel companion
Working with the FUJIFILM X-T50 and FUJINON XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR helped Lien switch up her style at will. For starters, the Film Simulation dial on the camera’s top-plate gives instant access to a selection of Fujifilm’s 20 unique analogue looks.
“My go-to is always CLASSIC CHROME, but then I’ll do some edits myself in the recipe to achieve the specific colours I like to use,” remarks Lien. “Now though, for the first time, I’ve started using PROVIA a lot more. With the X-T50, it’s so easy to change styles. The dial makes switching Film Simulations much more prompt. It’s a great camera for travellers who want to experiment and learn by themselves,” she suggests.
With a 40-megapixel sensor and up to 7.0 stops of IBIS, the camera offers crisp detail and excellent stability – perfect for working handheld in low-light conditions. “It’s such good quality that you can start experimenting even without much prior experience. The resolution is great and the autofocus works quickly; even in less-than-ideal lighting, you’ll have a better chance of getting a sharp image.”
The accompanying standard zoom lens – the XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 – also packs a lot of performance into a lightweight construction. At only 240g, it’s a fantastic all-rounder you’ll always have room for, with a range of focal lengths perfect for travel.
“It has a good wide angle too, which is helpful for travelling as it allows you to fit more into the frame,” Lien points out. “It also offers great image quality thanks to the aperture flexibility, and it’s good in all weather conditions, which is handy. You want to be confident your equipment will keep working even when you’re out on a hike and it starts to rain.”
Establishing your own travel photography style
Although she was visiting Venice outside its peak season, Lien wasn’t optimistic about the city being particularly quiet. “I think it’s high season in Venice all year round,” she points out. “I had read so many negative articles about how it’s always so busy. What I was afraid of was whether, if it’s so touristy, local life would still be present?
“But I was pleasantly surprised. Of course, there were a lot of people, but I went out very early and stayed out late walking around. There’s definitely still local life – it exceeded my expectations in that sense. I felt the city stays true to itself.”
So, how does Lien go about documenting these moments of authenticity? “I’ll often focus on two things,” she describes. “Small details – to explore what they have to tell – and expression. Expression can be in the face of a person, but it can also be an expression of nature, such as particular weather conditions that force you to work in a unique way.
“In a city as busy as Venice, you have to find the small things that give the ‘Venetian feeling’,” Lien notes. “It might also have been because I was travelling solo; I was much more aware of my senses and surroundings. This gave me more time to spend on creating specific photos.
“I was there for a few days alone, which meant I could just stroll through the city, walking down as many alleys as possible, and get a good impression of what Venice is about.
“I’d like to incorporate that more in my life, travelling to cities alone with my camera. The main goal of travel is feeling what a given destination is all about. Having a camera helps me be more conscious of what’s happening around me.”
Crucially, what Lien judges to be that ‘Venetian feeling’ could be completely different to another travel photographer. Beauty – or in this case, photographic interest – is in the eye of the beholder. But it’s only with experience that a photographer can attain a better understanding of what leads to an interesting or meaningful image.
For Lien, it’s less about pure aesthetics and more about creating images that capture the energy of a location. “I’m not too focused on the purely technical side,” she remarks. “For me, it’s looking more at the emotional side of photography.”
That documentarian attitude results in an open-minded view when it comes to what could be considered sub-optimal conditions. Come rain or shine, Lien intends to make the most of everything that comes her way.
“You have the opportunity to be more unique. If it rains – okay, that sucks, it’s not as great as when it’s sunny – but everyone can make a nice sunny picture, you’ll find those all over. Unexpected conditions are a good way to set yourself apart and see how you can portray a place in a totally different light, to evoke a different set of emotions. You can see it as a gift: a chance to show the destination from a new perspective.”
