Advocating for the planet and representation of the LGBTQIA+ community with Adobe Lightroom Ambassador Julia Nimke

Advocating for the planet and representation of the LGBTQIA+ community with Adobe Lightroom Ambassador Julia Nimke

Image courtesy of Julia Nimke.

Julia Nimke grew up in an artistic household. Her mother worked as a graphic designer and spent her free time reading, writing, and painting. But it was a simple point-and-shoot camera from her stepfather that set Nimke on her own path towards self-expression.

"I started taking pictures of everything around me," recalls Nimke. "My family and friends, and just the sights of my small-town life in Germany. I fell in love with the ability to preserve a moment in time through photos."

Today, Nimke is a sought-after commercial photographer who transforms landscapes using light, color, and unique perspectives. Through her lens, spaces often feel expansive, giving viewers a sense of awe and wonder at being a small part of the bigger picture. Even through her commercial work, Nimke uses her art to advocate for causes that are important to her, from encouraging sustainable travel to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.

As a former Adobe Creative Resident and current Adobe Lightroom Ambassador, Nimke's artistic vision inspires viewers around the world.

"It's so thrilling to make a living doing work I love," says Nimke. "I'm so grateful for the opportunities Adobe has given me to share my view of the world with others."

From small town to nationwide

Nimke first realized that she could turn photography into a career while working as a youth reporter for a local newspaper. "It was amazing to get paid to do photography," says Nimke. "I realized right then that I didn't want to have a nine-to-five job. I wanted to follow my passion for photography."

After graduating from high school, Nimke moved to Berlin where she apprenticed at a small photography studio. While she mastered critical technical skills, such as lighting and technique, during her two years at the studio, the experience also made Nimke realize that studio life wasn't for her. She wanted to work outside and explore the world.

Nimke began working part-time at a media house while doing freelance photography work. She also continued to photograph things around her, particularly during hikes or road trips with friends, and shared them through social media. Under Nimke's artistic eye, every landscape becomes a story that makes viewers want to know more. This unique vision started getting Nimke attention from magazines and commercial brands.

"For me, the big breakthrough moment was when one of my photos was featured on the cover of ZEIT Magazin, a lifestyle magazine that's published as part of Die Zeit - one of the biggest newspapers in Germany," says Nimke. "That was the first time I thought that I had made it."

Advocacy and representation through photography

Nimke regularly works for major clients worldwide ranging from Condé Nast Traveller and Lufthansa to Mercedes Benz and Dell. While commercial photography is still primarily known as a male-dominated field, Nimke's ability to find unique viewpoints for every photograph have helped her grow her business. Today, she can be a bit more particular about the jobs she chooses, focusing on projects that align with her desire to advocate for the planet.

"I love hiking and traveling, and I think it's important for all of us to be more aware of how those adventures can impact the planet," says Nimke. "Some of my favorite projects incorporate the idea of sustainable travel."

For example, a summer campaign for Bürstner, a manufacturer of motorhomes and campervans, encouraged travelers to take a road trip rather than flying to their destination. As part of a cover story for Air Canada's inflight magazine, Nimke's photographs highlighted a story about sustainable ways to explore India and Nepal.

Nimke also explores projects that focus on telling stories featuring people who are typically underrepresented. During her tenure as an Adobe Creative Resident, Nimke decided to use her landscape photography as a starting point to tell the stories of people living in remote areas around the world. Project Folk Tales combines landscape photography, portraits, and video to highlight tales and people across Europe, ranging from the beauty of the Aurora Borealis in Norway to the legendary dragons of Postojnska Cave in Slovenia.

As part of a recent campaign for the Tourism Board of Germany, Nimke took a series of photos featuring gay and lesbian couples. "I've never experienced any issues being queer," says Nimke. "I've always been open about having a girlfriend, and we can walk through the streets holding hands and feel safe. But I know it isn't like that everywhere, and it's still unusual to see LGBTQIA+ representation in a mainstream advertising campaign."

"Once upon a time I was a young girl in a small town realizing that I liked other girls, and not really knowing what it meant for my place in the world," Nimke adds. "Years later, I'm a photographer shooting an advertisement for my country supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. It's such a wonderful feeling to experience the progress that's being made."

Creating efficient workflows with Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom has been the core of Nimke's editing workflow throughout her professional career. "I can do everything I need to with Lightroom," says Nimke. "Having a simple workflow is a huge benefit for me, since I'm often editing large numbers of photos at once to share with clients."

Nimke frequently uses presets to achieve her favorite looks in less time. "Since I come from an analog photography background, I like adding a little bit of softness and grain to photos to replicate a more analog look," explains Nimke. "I try to stay close to natural colors, but with a little bit of added warmth. I'll use the HSL panel to push blues towards cyan and yellows to orange, just to warm up the image a bit."

Masking is also a big part of Nimke's workflow, as it helps her apply local adjustments to get just the right look for each photo. "I'm really excited to start working more with some of the new Lightroom features, like the Preset Amount Sliders," says Nimke. "I think the Adaptive Presets will also be a huge benefit to my workflow, since it'll allow me to use AI to apply effects really quickly and work my way through batches of photos faster."

A passion for preservation

While Nimke normally celebrates Pride Month in Berlin, she was excited to experience it in San Francisco this year as part of a road trip through California. Along the way, she hopes to work on a passion project for the Lightroom Ambassador program that will document the stories of rangers and volunteers who work to protect and preserve nature in the United States.

"While I primarily work in digital, I'm falling in love with analog cameras again," admits Nimke. "There's something so special about working with a film camera. It feels like a very deliberate choice to press your shutter. It's reminding me of the power photography has to capture moments in time and preserve them forever."

Explore more of Nimke's photography through her website or Instagram.

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