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Julia Thompson
@juliiathompson
Visual creator based in Canada
Introducing Julia Thompson
In 2015, Julia bought a one-way ticket to New Zealand together with her partner Chris; having a two-year travel around the world ahead of them. At that point photography was a way to document the places and tell stories: “It was hard for me to put thoughts into words. Photographs were my journal and a form of expression” She began to share more about her life with the world, hoping to inspire others to buy that one-way ticket.
Coming home felt strange and she didn’t know what to do. Though one thing was sure; it had to involve travel and nature. After she realized that photography could be something more than personal documentation, she started to learn about everything related to photography. “For years I felt that making a living out of photography was far fetched, and not something that was attainable for myself”, Julia said. Learning about herself and how she fits in the world helped her gain confidence and develop her passion. Now, she is freelancing full time. Following her passion led to success: “Manifest and live a life true to what you believe in, and life might surprise you” was one of the tips she shared with us.
Julia has dealt with depression and a lot of self-doubt, but her travels allowed her to see that life could be more. She got to know herself, and learnt to trust in life. She realized that we have to create change and step out of our safety net to realize what we are capable of and to take the opportunities the world is full of. Staying true to herself and doing what she loves resulted in establishing her brand and growing an authentic audience. Meanwhile, Julia’s wish to protect nature became stronger with each travel, so she started a BSc in Biology with a concentration in conservation to educate herself on the natural world.
Julia has shared her wonderful journey with us, talking about how important it is to believe in yourself and in life in order to succeed: “Trust that no matter what happens, life is guiding you to something great.”
Interview
Welcome Julia!
To start with… What triggered your interest in photography and travel? Where did it all start?
Hello! Thank you so much for having me! I grew up in a family that valued travelling and being outdoors, which has played a huge role in fuelling my passion for it today. We were always encouraged to be outside, were lucky enough to go camping often and were taken on quite a few trips. When I was 15 I had saved up enough money from my job to buy my first camera. As soon as I was able to, I would drive around on my own in my spare time experimenting and learning how to take photos.
"I’ve always loved having time to myself, and this was a creative outlet for me over the years."
Where it really started – my partner Chris and I left in 2015 with a one-way ticket to New Zealand, and embarked on a trip that would take us around the world for the next 2 years. During our time away, taking pictures was a way to tell a story and document the places we went so we could look back at all the memories made. At the time it was hard for me to put thoughts into words as I was still trying to figure out who I was, and to me, a picture spoke louder than words.
For the 2 years I travelled and before then, photographs were my journal and a form of expression and over time I fell in love with capturing those fleeting moments, and began to share more and more about my life with the world, in hopes that it would help inspire someone else to buy that first ticket.
It was in 2017 that you came back from two years of traveling, after which you started to take photography more seriously. What motivated you to keep improving your photography? When did you realize that becoming a visual creator was attainable as in making a living out of it?
Coming home after travelling for that long was strange, and almost felt like a bigger change than when we left. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but knew that whatever it was had to involve travel and the outdoors.
I always knew I would find a way to create a job that didn’t involve your average 9-5. Personally this kind of schedule never worked for me, and always felt like I needed more freedom. This pushed me to realize that maybe photography could be something bigger than personal documentation. This is where I began to research and observe work from other creators, as well as spending time learning how to use editing software.
"At this point I was starting to look at it as more of an art form than just snapping a photo, and learned how powerful it was to have the ability to invoke a feeling and inspire others in a certain way."
For years I felt that making a living out of photography was far fetched, and not something that was attainable for myself. Even after my first paid job I was almost in denial that this would continue, because I never felt like I was good enough to be getting paid for my work since there are so many talented photographers out there. As my account grew, more and more jobs came through and I realized that I had this opportunity right in front of me that I needed to take seriously.
There’s probably a journey full of successes and challenges from that day you started taking photography more seriously to actually becoming a visual creator and influencer. What four strategies allowed you to grow as a visual creator/influencer?
Personal growth was the biggest contributor for me. Learning about myself and how I fit in the world was a huge step growing my confidence, which ultimately led to developing my passion. Over the years I started caring less about what others think about me, and learned to be myself. People will always judge you, just get out there and do the best you can.
Travelling was always the most important part of my life, and having that appreciation for the outdoors and all the places I went to almost made it easy to create an image, since there is always a story behind each photo taken while on the road. My niche has been travel from the beginning and I think that has played a big role in how my content has evolved over time.
Never stop learning. I am constantly figuring out and observing techniques, gaining inspiration and figuring out ways to create. In my opinion, you can never know enough.
Passion comes first. If you aren’t enjoying what you are doing, why are you doing it? I’m a strong believer that if you do something because you are looking for a certain outcome rather than because it’s a passion, it won’t work out in your favour.
"Manifest and live a life true to what you believe in, and life might surprise you."
What were some of your biggest challenges you encountered along the way and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges for me was self doubt. Putting yourself and your work out there can be nerve racking, and there will always be people who are looking to bring you down. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the fact that there are so many talented people out there. Over time I’ve grown more confident in my work and learned to ignore the negativity.
Also knowing your worth. This is still something I struggle with but with the help of friends that have been through the same thing, I’m learning that you should never underestimate how much your content is worth, and never settle for less.
"There are a lot of people that will take advantage of you, and I’m grateful to have a community of creatives and good friends that I can turn to if needed."
Not everything goes according to plan. Actually it’s not often that things go the way you expect it to, speaking on all aspects of travel and photography. Whether it’s the weather, miscommunication, lack of sleep, underestimation of travel times/costs, and a lot of ‘oops’ moments, you have to be fluid enough to accept whatever happens.
You appear on most of the photos you share on Instagram and the majority is taken by others. What is your approach towards this type of content creation? How do you manage the outcome?
I used to hate being in front of the camera, and felt awkward or wasn’t sure what to do. Sharing images of yourself with the world is daunting, and made me feel too vulnerable.
Over time, I realized how much I enjoyed seeing images with a human element, whether it’s for scale, a moment captured or simply seeing others out there living their lives. It felt more relatable, and that there is an actual person and story behind all these travels and experiences.
"I think it makes it much more personable for the viewer, and allows them to ask questions and realize that if others are doing it, they can too."
As my account grew, as I began building a “brand”, I started being in front of the camera more and more. I found that others were more likely to engage in content that had a person in it. I loved the idea that someone could look at an image and imagine themselves there too. Maybe they would be able to picture themselves standing overlooking the view, and feel like travelling was more attainable, and not this far fetched experience that only some people get to have. Travelling isn’t nearly as scary as some make it out to be, and I want to inspire others to get out there and live, since it’s personally helped me so much.
In regards to managing the outcome, myself and other content creators or influencers work closely and communicate thoughts and ideas while we are shooting in a location.
"Sometimes we will have different styles or ideas, but always work together to help each other achieve any visions we have."
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What is important to you when creating content yourself? Where do you focus on when shooting and editing?
If possible, I try to plan as much as I can before heading to a location. A lot of time and effort go into researching locations and the best times to visit. Something as simple as checking google earth to see which way the sun sets or rises in the area can make a huge difference.
Lighting is also key. Majority of the images you see on my page are based around sunset, sunrise, or golden hour. I rarely shoot mid day unless it’s cloudy or hazy out.
Editing for me is one of my favourite parts about content creation. I always shoot an image or location with the knowledge that something boring and dull can be brought to life post edit.
"It’s a way to add more of a feeling into an image and make it your own."
Having many photos taken by others directly implies that you are most of the time traveling with other photographers, or others in general. Why is that? What is your opinion regarding traveling alone vs traveling together?
It’s a different kind of lifestyle travelling the way that we do, and there aren’t too many people who would be willing to do it. Getting up before sunrise to hike for a few hours in the dark, driving through the night to get to a location, and always on the go.
Over time I met people who were willing to go the extra mile to see as much as we can and get the most out of a trip. These trips aren’t a relaxing vacation, it’s a lot of work, but I wouldn’t travel any other way. I’m not one to sit in one place for a long time, and love the adventurous side of travel. It’s an amazing feeling sharing these memories with friends and loved ones, and basically everyone I know who is a traveller is into, or appreciates photography as well.
Travelling alone is a lot more difficult, and for that reason I strongly recommend anyone do it at least once in their lifetime. Years ago I went on a 5 week trip by myself, which helped me open up and forced me to meet people on the road.
"I had a lot of time to myself, which allowed me the freedom to think for myself, make my own decisions, and learn independence."
About your two years of travels around Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia, you said: “that was the trip of a lifetime, and it’s hard to put into words how much it changed our lives”. Could you try? 🙂 There are lots of people who dream about doing such a big travel, but don’t know how to take the step to actually do it. How did you manage to decide to just do it? And what made it so life changing?
To be completely honest and raw, when I was younger I was extremely depressed. I didn’t want to be here, but I knew that there just had to be something more to this life than what I was experiencing. I was so sick of feeling this way that it drove me to work hard, and save my money so I could experience something different in life. The hardest part is buying that first plane ticket, everything else happens as you go.
"For me, it was so life changing because I had come from a pretty dark place the previous years, and I was finally able to see that life could be so much more."
It’s a big world with so many opportunities, and all we have to do is step out of that safety net to realize what we are capable of. Without the experiences of travel, meeting new people, sharing stories, ups and downs I wouldn’t be who I am today. There is so much out there for us to explore and lessons to be learned. You truly can’t teach the lessons of travel in the confines of a classroom, you have to get out there and see it for yourself.
In one of your posts you said that traveling by campervan is your favorite way of traveling. Actually we can see this clearly on your feed 🙂 What do you enjoy so much about this lifestyle? What makes it unique in your opinion and why would you recommend someone else to try it?
Fell in love with van life when my partner and I bought a van in Australia and New Zealand. The best part is knowing that everything we owned was in our little home on wheels and it was a real eye opener that you don’t need much, and taught us to live minimally. The feeling of waking up and hitting the road at sunrise with no real plan is one of the best feelings you can have.
"Just the simplicity of being able to ask ourselves, what do we feel like doing today, and where should we go? It feels like you have the world at your finger tips and that feels like pure freedom."
You found something you truly love doing, not just regarding travel and photography, but also Biology Science (although university wasn’t your thing, you thought). However, many people have a hard time finding their passion. What do you think has allowed you to find your passion and then really go for it? What advice would you give to others in this sense?
For me, I felt so lost growing up and my life was fairly stagnant for a few years. I hated school, and felt like I didn’t really learn anything tangible or anything I enjoyed. Turns out I wasn’t alone, and that the education system really only works as a cookie cutter and doesn’t fit the unique needs of a student (that’s for another discussion altogether) but it really took getting away to figure out who I was as a person and what I wanted.
"I wanted to learn more about myself and how we are connected to the world, so I got my diploma in holistic nutrition which was one of the most informative and interesting things I’ve done in my life. I still use that knowledge daily, and it’s been a foundation for my growth over the years."
A lot of what I experienced on the road was positive, but there also was definitely some negative. We came across rivers and beaches filled to the brim with trash, animals that were on the brink of extinction, environments destroyed by deforestation and invasive species. As I travelled and got more into hiking, I fell even more in love with the outdoors and realized that if I wanted to continue to enjoy what our earth has to offer, then there has to be something I can do to protect it. Slowly I’ve been working on a BSc in Biology with a concentration in conservation in hopes to educate myself on the natural world, how I can do my part to protect it.
My advice for others is to try something you’ve never done before. We all have a few things on the back of our minds that we wish we could try at least once in our lives. Often doing something out of the ordinary will spark a change or light a fire that will lead you in a new direction.
"If you are living a life that you aren’t quite content with, or feel like there's something missing, you have to create change in your life or you’ll continue on your path of slow growth."
What inspires your art and feeds your creativity? And related to that, could you mention three artists whose work you particularly love and inspire you?
One of the first artists I looked up to was @ElizabethGadd. She always invoked a sense of wonder in each of her images, and each one feels like a dream. She is able to capture the beauty of a place in a way I had never seen before, and I appreciated that so much.
@HelloEmilie’s minimalist style is not only refreshingly beautiful, but she shares raw and real issues about what is going on in the world, and bringing light to how we can be better as a collective. It makes me want to do better as a traveller.
I’ve followed @AllieMichellel for as long as I can remember, and loved her care-free spirit. She always had a way with words, and appreciated the way she could turn anything into a story.
Nowadays, social media seems to be inevitable to share your travels and showcase your work. For the ones among us starting out, could you give some insight in how to grow an engaged audience authentically? Any applicable techniques and knowledge you can share with us?
To grow an authentic audience, being authentic yourself is so so important. Make sure you truly love what you are doing, because it will show otherwise.
Make friends, and build a community. Find other accounts you love, whether they are big or small and connect. The whole point of social media is to connect with others, and some of my best friendships have come from meeting like-minded people.
Find your style. People appreciate a feed that is cohesive, because not only is it easy to look at, but they know the type of content they are going to get when they follow you. This is a given, but sharing only your best content gives you a better chance of your posts reaching the explore page.
If you have photos that you love, reach out to a few repost accounts and simply ask if they would consider reposting your work. Doesn’t hurt, and a lot of my audience has come from repost accounts.
"Having a big audience makes it easier, but it is NOT necessary to start getting paid for your work. It’s about the level of content you produce, and the amount of effort you put into your business."
As a travel photographer, I am sure that you feel attached to all your photos. All your pictures represent unique moments of your life. However, among your works, what is your favorite photo? What makes this your favorite one?
Spirit Island: I used to look at images of this place when I was younger and dream about visiting. I’m not even sure I knew exactly where it was at the time, but knew that I would see it for myself one day. Then summer of 2018 myself and a group of friends paddled 30 kms to visit this spot and it was even better than I expected. I just have so much love for Canada and this is one of the most iconic places I’ve been in this country.
Cenote in Mexico: Because it represents overcoming fear. I’m honestly terrified of deep water, and uncomfortable in water in general. Being inside of this dark cenote in Quintana Roo, and diving down unable to see the bottom was scary – everything was dark except for this pocket of light. We spent hours here learning how to shoot and use housing underwater for the first time.
Chris and I saw an opportunity and worked together to create this image, which was a lot of communication, and a lot of trial and error, but turned out to be one of my favorites.
What is the most beautiful thing that travel has taught you?
The ability to let go, and to trust the process of life. When something doesn’t work out the way you want, you take that lesson and move on and forwards. There is ALOT of unknown and uncertainty while travelling, and you have to be open to any possibilities or last minute change.
We lived in a yoga village in Australia for 6 weeks, and during one of the yoga sessions, the instructor dropped a card next to us while our eyes were closed. When I opened my eyes and looked at the card it said:
“I trust the process of life. There is a rhythm and flow to life and I am part of it. Life supports me and brings me only good and positive experiences. I trust the process of life to bring me to my highest good.”
This resonated with me so much at the time, and once we left the village we had this card on the dashboard of our van, and kept it in my backpack throughout the rest of our travels. Whenever I was scared, unsure, disappointed I would revert back to this, and it helped me overcome a lot of fear, because without trust there is always fear. Trust that no matter what happens, life is guiding you to something great. To this day I still have this card in my drawer 🙂
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