When choosing a travel destination, do you consider photography opportunities?

Therese Debono: I do factor in the possibility of photography opportunities. However I believe that opportunities are everywhere. You just have to be receptive enough to see them and capture them.

Tonio Lombardi: Photography is my passion and always has a say in wherever I choose to travel.

Every place has its own identity, character, ambiance: how do you capture these qualities through a lens?

Therese Debono: One of the most important things when you are out shooting is to set yourself free and go with the flow. What I do is simply walk and observe. I do not really condition myself with a premeditated image. I shoot what captures my attention and then I might improve on it if I want to or if I have the opportunity. Street photography is my favourite genre and for that you simply have to capture the moments and also be patient.

You have to mingle with the locals, wake up early and watch the day start- Tonio Lombardi

Tonio Lombardi: Over the years, I have learnt that in order to capture the character and identity of a place you need to absorb the place you are visiting. You have to mingle with the locals, wake up early and watch the day start and you need to be there for a few days to do so. You have to take your time to absorb the landscapes as well as the little details that make the place you are visiting unique.

How essential is it to know the customs and traditions of a people before photographing their home?

Therese Debono: I think some preparatory work has to be done before travelling to any destination. I’m used to shooting anything and anyone that captures my attention in any country. However some places might surprise you. I never thought that in Zurich people would shout at me for pointing my camera at a bowl of chestnuts. On the other hand, in New York I could shoot anything and anyone and no one batted an eyelid. So I suggest you read up a bit on customs and traditions prior travelling but don’t obsess too much about it either. Quite frankly I would simply shoot then deal with the issues later, always keeping in mind respect for others.

Photo: Tonio LombardiPhoto: Tonio Lombardi

Tonio Lombardi: Doing research before you visit a country is important, especially if you’re visiting a country in a different continent. Traditions are an important aspect of any culture and tend to offer excellent photographic opportunities for a tourist. Having said that, I don’t like to plan my trips to the hour, which leaves space for serendipity. The pleasant surprises you get when you allow this to happen reward you with meeting beautiful real people and unforgettable experiences. These people have a lot to offer and it’s always nice to discover the way they live and allow them to treat you to their customs.

How important is it to experience a place before photographing it?

Therese Debono: I think experience itself is the ideal grounds to shoot. When travelling it’s not like you can come and go as you please, so I shoot like it’s my first and last time at that destination. You can never be sure that the place will remain the same. Also you might have bad weather if you go a second time – not that the weather would stop me from shooting.

Tonio Lombardi: From experience, one-day trips to a place don’t give you enough time to experience it and nowadays, I find myself splitting my trips between fewer destinations in order to have time to relax and absorb the lifestyle and little details around me. It helps both from a photography perspective as well as for my own personal experience. You end up actually remembering more of the place you are visiting after being around for a few days. You obviously get better shots too.

Do first impressions count or do you scout around for the right light, angle and subject?

I go around a place like a child sometimes, looking around in wonder and shooting whatever moves me- Therese Debono

Therese Debono: I’m quite an impulsive shooter. I never plan my shots. I go around a place like a child sometimes, looking around in wonder and shooting whatever moves me. Light plays a major role. If I visit a part of a city at night and see potential, I will shoot then and also revisit during the day if I have the chance. Subjects vary, mountains do not move, people are in transition: I try to make the best out of every situation I’m in. I’m also not a big fan of heavy gear. It’s cumbersome and sometimes you miss opportunities due to the fact that you would want to change a lens. So I make my task easier: one camera and one lens and more often than not my phone and Leica help me capture faster and better shots.

Tonio Lombardi: Sometimes, first impressions do count. You come across circumstances where you simply don’t have a second chance, so you just press the shutter in order to capture a moment that you will probably not come across again. However, it helps if you actually know that what you’re going to shoot will turn into a nice picture. Experience allows you to imagine what the photo will look like by analysing the lighting and the mood you’re going to obtain with it. This is especially helpful if you’re shooting on film, like I did on my most recent trip. Analogue photography doesn’t give you the luxury of seeing what you’re shooting to perfect the shot, so experience really comes in handy.

Other times, you are able to go back and find a better angle, perfect the lighting or realise that a different time of day, or weather conditions, will help you create an image which captures the essence of the place better.

Photo: Therese DebonoPhoto: Therese Debono

Travel photography seeks to keep tourists out of the picture: yet is a photographer also a tourist?

Therese Debono: A photographer is of course a tourist, but one armed with more sensitivity towards their surroundings. Thus the need to photograph. In my case when I travel to different places I have this obsession with documenting everything that I come across. Depending on what I’m documenting, I include or omit people from my frames. If I’m shooting architecture I tend to shoot both with and without people in the image. Other times, for instance, in mountain areas, you might want just the scenery to show but figures help in stabilising the image and give it a scale.

Tonio Lombardi: I tend to keep tourists out of my frame. However, tourism is actually a vital part of some cities and capturing shots involving tourists might prove interesting.

What do you prefer photographing when travelling: landscapes or people?

Therese Debono: Tricky since both subjects offer great imagery. For me landscapes are even more interesting if graced with lovely clouds. However in cities I like shooting people but always within a context. I rarely make the people the centre of my frames. But there are moments when I have focused on a person only, but always keeping the person in context to try and give the idea of the place I shot that image at.

Tonio Lombardi: Both. Landscapes give you the luxury of experimenting and going back to shoot during better light. It’s therapy, waiting for the sun to set or rise or simply walking or driving about to make a discovery which will reward you with a good picture. I have recently become interested in panoshperes, which are 360 spherical panorama shots warped into a circular planet digitally. They are simple to shoot, yet finding a location that works is hard, and that is the fun part.

I also really enjoy street photography that involves people, especially in Asia. People in Asia are generally willing to pose for a photo and even if they don’t, it’s fun to capture candid pictures of the locals living their lives. Portraiture tells a lot about the place and the people’s culture and traditions.

To date, what cities and countries did you enjoy photographing most?

Therese Debono: Until last summer I would have said New York. Then last July, I travelled to Sweden and trekked the Kingstrail, a 110km walk from Abisko National Park to Nikaloukta. Now I consider this to be the destination where I enjoyed shooting the most, even though I was armed with minimal gear, a Leica D-lux 6 and a phone. On the other hand my trip to Valencia in 2013 was architecture heaven for me, since the work of Calatrava offered countless frames and still I could not get enough.

Tonio Lombardi: Probably Sri Lanka and Thailand. After my first visit to Asia in 2013, I was overwhelmed with the cultural difference and the photo opportunities. Asia is immensely rich with beautiful landscapes, great food and amazing people and culture. Every step you make throughout your journey rewards you with unforgettable experiences that are very hard to forget and the photos you shoot there help in case you do.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.