Touring with Aim: Visible Storytelling Across the International with Lola Akinmade

Traveling the sphere opens us up to unique studies, new cultures and essential categories that can forever trade our outlook on humanity. Add a virtual digital camera to the equation and it’s unbelievable to see merely how some distance the ones stories leap.

For Lola Akinmade Åkerström, photograhy and storytelling are two very explicit components to her travels. After all, she is an award-winning go back and forth photographer and international bestselling writer.

Last year, she was once named a 2022 Hasselblad Heroine, together with to her checklist of hard-earned accolades, which moreover incorporates 2018 Bill Muster Cross backward and forward Photographer of the 365 days, with featured art work in National Geographic, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, Cross backward and forward + Leisure, New York Events, Cross backward and forward Channel, and numerous other publications.

We caught up with Lola to hear about her fresh go back and forth to Mongolia, her perfect takeaways for busy globe-trotters and aspiring go back and forth photographers (apply self-care!), how she uses PhotoShelter on-the-go, and additional.

We’re moreover highlighting Lola’s art work this week on Instagram! Head over there to see further of her vibrant go back and forth photograhy and environmental portraits.

_{^{The following interview has been calmly edited for clarity and length. Cover image by way of Lola Akinmade.}}

Last year was once a big year for you. Along side signing a brand spanking new guide deal, you were named one in every of Hasselblad’s Heroines. Tell us about that experience and the way in which you’ve beloved operating with Hasselblad.

LA: It was once an unbelievable honor to be invited to be a Hasselblad Heroine. It’s a brand I’ve long admired. Previous being hooked up to an incredible community of inspiring photographers, I can also be getting the strengthen, property, and partnership I need to continue emerging and mastering my craft by way of being a part of the Hasselblad family. This means I have get entry to to Hasselblad cameras and lenses I need for assignments and tasks each and every time I need them.

Traveling all over the world for your photograph tasks and workshops has transform not unusual for you. Tell us about your fresh go back and forth to Mongolia. Why did you make a decision to talk over with this country in particular? Any takeaways?

LA: Mongolia has been a place I’ve long been serious about. Its history and how it seamlessly blends each and every stylish and nomadic lifestyles has at all times been a big draw from me. From the Altai mountains throughout the west to the Gobi desert southeast, its topography is as rich and complicated as its traditions and other folks as properly.

I go back and forth with an open ideas and seek out quiet moments of interaction – whether or not or now not between other folks or between other folks and nature. I moreover try to go with the flow and be aware of electorate for their insider knowledge, while photographing those ideas with new eyes.

How do you plan where you talk over with with a photographic lens in ideas? What kind of research do you do? What does a standard itinerary look like for you?

LA: As a go back and forth photographer, in conjunction with imagery that captures some way of place, I focal point such a lot on cultural lifestyles and environmental portraits, and the way in which other folks live their frequently lives against backdrops of grandeur. I hope other folks look into the eyes of my subjects and see them for who they are, see the connection there, and now not judge them consistent with their surroundings.

I actually like people who create and craft with their palms. People who are passionate about what they do – from fishermen to textile weavers – and people who are operating to stay traditions and cultures for the next generation. Their hobby is intoxicating and contagious. This drives my art work and fuels my creativity when it comes to sharing their stories.

This means I go back and forth slowly and with intention. So I at all times research what the prevalent lifestyles and cultural traditions are of the place I plan on visiting. My itinerary is maximum regularly very free, with plenty of visits to bustling markets and space for serendipity.

As any individual who can no doubt be described as a Jill-of-all-trades, with an overly busy time table, how do you are making time to your self? How do you steadiness it all and what’s your outlook on self care?

LA: I am what you might be able to imagine a multipotentialite (or multipod) – any individual who flourishes on many creative interests and does them properly. Multipods tend to be wired otherwise in one of the best ways they method their art work and leisure. 

I don’t believe an inventive will have to spread themselves thinly during multiple disciplines, with the exception of they are true multipotentialites and can elevate the weight. I forever say keeping up with a multipod typically is a frustrating experience because of they are able to accomplish such a lot with a lot much less property and in a lot much less time.

I do have a lot of downtime along with teams I art work with in the back of quite a lot of tasks along with serving to prepare my social media accounts and Geotraveler Media Academy.

I time table weekly self-care massages when I can and forever take most of August off. Previous that, I consolidate my meetings between Tuesdays – Thursdays. I somewhat get the rest finished on Fridays and I leisure most weekends to catch up on my stacks of books to be told.

Tell us about your equipment. What cameras, lenses, apparatus and programs do you typically use far and wide travels or all through your workflow? 

LA: As a long time DSLR individual, shifting to the Hasselblad X1DII mirrorless virtual digital camera has been unbelievable when it comes to the usual and dynamics of the images I’m taking. Running with maximum repeatedly mounted Hasselblad lenses (versus, say my 24-70mm or 14-24mm lenses) without any zoom capability has allowed me to be further intentional throughout the kinds of photos I am creating as a go back and forth photographer who forever has to move by means of assignments in short.

My favorite Hasselblad lens at this time is the XCD 65mm.

What are your perfect pointers for aspiring photographers? What have you ever ever came upon over the years that others would take pleasure in?

LA:

• Focal point on honing your skill over approach. You’ll be told the technical details later. A very powerful is rising your compositional eye and method of processing the sphere as a photographer first.

• Be told all you’ll be able to about natural delicate and one of the best ways you’ll be able to use and play with it to put across setting into your photos.

• Get began by way of specializing in matter issues and subjects you’re passionate about, now not what you think other folks or publications want you to be aware of. Artwork on further non-public tasks and topics that naturally pique your hobby.

Do you’ll have any favorite choices on PhotoShelter? How will it be in agreement along with your creative workflow and/or your photograph industry throughout the year ahead?

LA: I’m a longtime individual of PhotoShelter and entirely love the feature where I can in short create password-protected sub galleries tailored to a specific client or newsletter from present galleries. This means I can in short do this in the course of the jungle somewhere with spotty wi-fi and not using a wish to in reality upload photos, and simply send them a link.

This is palms down my favorite part of PhotoShelter. Now I merely need to to search out time or hire an intern to be in agreement me accurately SEO-optimize all my photos.

While you’re on the lookout for a one-of-a-kind photograhy experience, Lola is offering two international workshops this year. 

Learn how to elevate your go back and forth photograhy, fortify your landscape photograhy, take unbelievable portraits of strangers, experience superb traditions and cultures, and get one-on-one lectures and mentorship from Lola herself.

Her Croatia experience is happening from Would most likely 20-27, 2023.

And her Mongolia experience is from September 26-October 3, 2023.

Discuss with Lola’s web site to learn further, and don’t disregard to observe along on our Instagram this week as we highlight further of Lola’s implausible photos!