For many of us, travelling the world to visit picture perfect locations would be the dream, but for travel and lifestyle photographer, Amelia Le Brun, it's a day-to-day reality! Amelia's images embrace the imperfect, in favour of capturing a photo that tells a story. It's this storytelling ability that has attracted big name brands, such as The North Face, to call upon their services.
We always enjoy seeing what Amelia's been up to, so we sent over some questions to discover more about the person behind the pictures!
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your photography style?
Hi, I’m Amelia. I'm a freelance photographer and writer based here in the UK! I tend to describe my style as travel and lifestyle with a real focus on storytelling.
How did you first get into photography?
I was lucky enough to grow up traveling the world, so I was exposed to a lot of different cultures and experiences. My mother is very creative and my parents always nurtured my desire to draw, paint and take photos. Growing up in Jamaica I shot a lot of film and wasted even more, but I absolutely loved documenting the world around me. I grew to be fascinated by remembering the scenes of my childhood.
What made you decide you wanted to work as a travel and lifestyle photographer?
I don’t think I could imagine doing anything else. In my late teens I actually planned to be a nurse but as I grew older I found myself more drawn to creative outlets, and decided that I wanted to be a freelance photographer. I haven’t wavered since, despite setbacks, personal experiences and the struggle of a young artist starting out.
How does this differ from other styles of photography?
I think the main difference with my style of photography is embracing the imperfect in favour of the story. It goes in direct contrast to the traditional photography teachings of the rule of thirds, making sure photos are tack sharp, and focusing too much on the settings.
What's your favourite thing about your work?
I think my favourite thing is the ability to draw people in. To make them a part of the story and the image and to stop and wonder what else could be going on in the scene
What types of brands do you work for?
I primarily work with outdoor and lifestyle brands. This sounds very vague, so to break it down I work with outdoor brands such as Columbia, Passenger Clothing, The North Face. I also work with hotels and tourism boards, such as Zannier Hotels, Travel South USA, American Airlines. I also work with camera and phone brands such as Leica Camera.
What percentage of photos do you shoot on film versus digital?
It really depends on where I am, what I’m shooting and why I’m shooting. On the whole, I think it’s probably roughly 60% digital and 40% film.
One thing you wish you had known when you were starting out?
LOTS of things haha! The one thing regarding film I wish I had known is to expose for the shadows as that's where the grain lives.
Do you have any tips for people who need to travel with a lot of equipment/getting film through airports?
I am an airport dad! So I always arrive super early, this allows for hold ups at security with hand checking film, or any issues/hold ups with luggage. I have never had any issues with getting film through the airport. I always ask for a hand check but some airports don’t do it, so I always pack my film in a lead lined bag for these instances.
One tip you would give people to take better holiday photos on film?
Don’t rush your frame, take a minute to compose it properly- it pays when you get your scans back!
Favourite camera to use and why?
My go to is my Contax T2, it used to be my Olympus MJU but the Contax has totally taken over. The images are always tack sharp and it’s so easy to use. It’s great for on the go, when I’m packing light or on big hikes. For instances where weight doesn’t matter or I have an assistant, I use my trusty Leica M6.
Favourite film type to use and why?
This is situation dependant! For sunny scenes, it’s gold, for the mountains it’s Ultramax and for the ‘I’m not sure what I’m doing’ situations it’s Portra 400 or 800. I used to primarily shoot Portra 400 but with the massive price hike I’m big into gold and ultramax.
Best and worst things about shooting on film?
The best thing is the whole experience. I love shooting film for the buzz of not knowing how it’s going to turn out and hoping that it lives up to how I had visualised it. The worst thing is the same thing as the best thing, the not knowing until you get your scans back. The unknown is the most exciting and scary part about most things.