Spotlight on photographer Stefan Lenz (@travelshots)
This month, I am excited to feature Stefan Lenz on my blog.
Also known as @travelshots, Stefan was born in Germany but grew up in Austria. Upon completion of his studies in Graz, the second largest city in the country, he started working in the automotive industry.
Stefan is passionate about travel and photography. He opened his travel blog on Steemit in 2017 and discovered he also loved writing and blogging. In February of this year, he quit his job as an account manager and decided to become a digital nomad -- and earn money doing what he loves.
Stefan is an entrepreneur at heart who is working on various projects in the online business, mainly in the areas of creative writing, travel and photography.
Cendrine Marrouat: Hello Stefan, thank you for answering my questions. What inspired you to become a photographer? Any particular story?
Stefan Lenz: My inspiration comes from my travels. I have always enjoyed sharing my holiday memories with my friends on social media. As I got more and more compliments and recognition for my holiday photos, it motivated me to bring home with me even more beautiful and spectacular photographic results from every trip. That's how I discovered my creativity and my talent for photography!
CM: What is your favorite subject to photograph?
SL: I love big, modern cities and stylish modern buildings! My favourite subjects are therefore skylines of large metropolises and modern architecture. I like to take pictures especially during and after sunset!
CM: What makes a good photo?
SL: Many things can make a good photo. Sometimes it takes you hours to experiment with settings, lighting and angles to get the results you want. Another time you see something, you just press the shutter button and you immediately know that you've taken a great photo.
Photography is such a wide field and there are countless ways to take a good shot. I think one thing that separates a good photo from an average one is that it triggers a certain emotion in the viewer - ideally the one the photographer wants to trigger.
CM: What is the photo you prefer in your portfolio? Why?
SL: I chose this photo because I feel that it conveys a very mystical and almost magical ambience. It shows a viewing platform at the Niagara Falls, which, as you can see in the background, are illuminated in bright colours at night. I think, if you don't know that, you ask yourself as a viewer, what this colorful background should be at all. The photo therefore looks interesting and makes you think.
Photo courtesy of Stefan Lenz (@travelshots)
CM: Any photographer you admire?
SL: Of course there are many, but one photographer that I particularly admire is Kieran Stone. I discovered his photos on Steemit and have been a big fan ever since! His photos always inspire me to improve and develop my photographic skills.
CM: What piece of advice would you give photographers who are starting with online promotion?
SL: I think that Steemit is an especially good platform to get an idea of the value of your photos. You can also quickly get to know some great photographers there and communicate openly with them.
The nice thing is that in social networks, in general, you quickly notice which photos are particularly liked and which aren't. So I think you should try to reach as many people as possible at the beginning in order to understand your photographic strengths!
CM: Anything else you would like to share?
SL: Yes, I’d like to thank you for inviting me to this interview and I hope to read more interviews with great photographers on your blog. There are so many awesome photographers on Steemit and it would be cool, if they could get a little bit more exposure for their great work!
Don't forget to check out Stefan Lenz's work at https://lenzstefan.wixsite.com/photography
Are you a photographer? If so, I'd love to hear from you and feature you on this blog. Read the following post for more information.
See my photography and limited-edition prints for sale by clicking the image below:
Art
Isn't it? I fell in love with @travelshots' photography because of this shot!