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Travel photographer Bombyul (@bombyul) has a passion for capturing the calm and tranquil side of her favourite holiday destinations. Rather than focusing on famous landmarks, her works shine a light on the typical routines of the communities that live there.

For her travel photography project, Bombyul felt a pull towards the alleys of Portugal; viewing it as a canvas for the everyday activities of the locals. "Portugal is a place with an irresistible charm that makes you want to visit again," she said. We sat down with Bombyul to talk about how she was able to portray simple yet memorable snapshots during her visit to a couple of Europe's most popular travel destinations.

Throughout the shoot, Bombyul wanted to convey the thrill of travelling - be it to a completely new place or a familiar one. "My schedule was filled with a generous amount of activities because I wanted to try to capture the extraordinary in the everyday. As it was my first time visiting Lisbon, the shots conveyed a sense of excitement about exploring a new destination. As for Porto, which I have visited several times, I wanted to give my viewers a sense of tranquillity and leisure," she said.

As there were not many direct flights to Portugal, Bombyul had to transit between nearby cities to get there. "Travellers often reach Portugal from other major European cities. In my case, I flew from Paris to Lisbon and used the train to travel to other cities in Portugal. My advice for photographers planning to fly there but are unable to find direct flights is to combine their itinerary with other countries. That way, they will be able to capture a diverse range of photos."

During her travels, she was able to find beauty in the most familiar places. "I often visited the same places and spent time taking photos there. This might seem counterintuitive, but I find it is a wonderful way to really form a connection to a city and to create lasting memories. Doing this also allows me to grow my photo collection in a way that helps me better understand my travel preferences, which brings new focus to my photography," she said.

Her most memorable photo was one of Lisbon's skyline taken on a cloudy day. "There was a brief moment of sunlight breaking through the clouds during the shoot, allowing me to capture both the dark sky and the rays of sunshine. The yachts in the distance were particularly special, and I was delighted by the fusion of colours that came from Lisbon's orange rooftops, the cloudy sky, the sunlight, and the seashore."

Bombyul's camera of choice was the Alpha 7 IV, as it allowed her to achieve stellar results in both video and photo quality. "The Alpha 7 IV is a significant improvement over the M3, my previous camera. In particular, the swivelling LCD screen is incredibly useful for capturing vertical shots, which are a big part of my aesthetics. The Creative Look feature also allowed me to set the mood according to the shooting environment and is convenient for those struggling with colour correction," Bombyul explained.

With long-focus lenses, she was able to compose shots with more detail and nuance. "I used to primarily rely on the FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS. But I have since switched to the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II because of its telephoto angle of view. With this lens, image quality does not suffer even during the cropping process. Moreover, the reduced weight makes it easier to carry around while walking and taking in the sights. There is also the FE 50mm F1.2 GM lens, which I use to photograph performances in dimly lit conditions."

For Bombyul, travel photography is all about the journey, and not the destination. "I look forward to exploring the wonders of travel and sharing them through my photographs," she said.

One piece of advice she has for aspiring travel photographers is to be willing to explore places where the locals tread. "I highly recommend that people walk and use public transit whenever possible. There are so many things that you can see when you blend in with the locals. If you find it challenging to uncover new spots, it is also a great idea to use Google Maps to search for nearby places. Who knows… you might just stumble right into a stunning photo opportunity.”