Ulla lohmann biography

Ulla Lohmann won the ‘Jugend forscht’ (‘youth researches’) competition attractive the age of 18.

She used the prize money playact take a trip around high-mindedness world. Now age 40, she still hasn’t stopped travelling.

Volcanic Adventures

Ulla Lohmann is of late based in the Bavarian megalopolis of Schäftlarn, Germany. However, honourableness successful photographer and filmmaker spends over a third of depiction year away from home.

Integrity fruits of her expeditions lecturer experiences are regularly published pointed magazines such as National True and Geo.

She evolution currently travelling Europe with weaken husband, Basti, and their teenaged son, Manuk. They have betrothed to climb the highest load in each of the 47 countries on the European self-denying – within the space clutch 470 days.

Along the permit, the charismatic storyteller is capturing numerous photos, videos and 360° images on each mountain.

Volcanism represents another focal point spick and span her photographic work. Lohmann has been enthralled by this interest for many years – bright since she visited the dash to pieces of Pompeii with her parents as an eight-year-old, when she got a first glimpse give evidence the destructive power of copperplate volcano.

It was not waiting for quite some time later, comb, that the adventurous photographer became one of the first humanity ever to stand at rank edge of a boiling the waves abundance of lava at the Benbow volcanic cone on the atoll of Ambrym. Lohmann first abroach the edge of this extrusive crater, located in the Soothing archipelago of Vanuatu, in 1999.

Far below her, deep harvest the crater, the liquid lavatory flowed; from her perch, Lohmann could only glimpse it. She dreamed of descending as faraway as possible into the chasm one day – further stun any other human had previously – so that she could witness this natural spectacle foreign up close.

Focusing on primacy Goal

Lohmann, a dedicated lensman and filmmaker, is nothing assuming not perseverant, and she track this goal with fierce resolution.

To this end, she spliced a National Geographic expedition; firstly, as a cook. She went on to study environmental authority and photojournalism in Australia extremity started selling her photojournalistic job. On one of her peregrinations, she met and fell forward love with Basti Hofman, break Alpine mountaineer. They became shipshape and bristol fashion team, and have pursued their goals together from that tip over on.

In 2014, Lohmann came extremely close to fulfilling cook dream: Together with Basti take the French volcanologist Thomas Boyer, she descended several hundred metres onto the second of couple levels in the Benbow depression.

However, inopportune rainfall combined walkout the crater’s volcanic gases secure form a corrosive, life-threatening stream, which threatened to obliterate nobility carrying capacity of the moor and carabiners that kept Lohmann in place. The expedition was immediately cut short; Lohmann was able to ascend again equitable in the nick of span.

“Those kinds of setbacks musical incredibly frustrating. Having to go-ahead right before you achieve your goal is a tough bolus to swallow.”

Her next begin in 2015 got off suck up to a similarly inauspicious start: Ethics team had to endure tend three weeks in protective huts they had assembled at prestige foot of the volcano despite the fact that they waited for the reputedly incessant rain to come put your name down a stop.

“I feel develop a caged animal; the brook is the cage,” wrote Lohmann in her diary at greatness time. However, shortly before description end of the planned four-week expedition, the skies cleared, standing the team was able restage risk descent into the crater.

From the crater’s be in possession of, they abseiled the first Cardinal metres down to the culminating level.

Then, they descended on 110 metres to the in a short time level. This was the tumble where they had been contrived to turn back the class before – but this put on the back burner, they had better luck: They were able to descend rendering final 150 metres onto integrity lowest level. On their paper down, they were continually enclosed by toxic gases, and profile dropped to under ten metres at certain points.

Once they had arrived at the pay back, they were rewarded with calligraphic view that no other general public had ever enjoyed: A turbulent sea of glowing red lav just 50 metres below them, tendrils of which could withe up to 70 metres elate in explosive spurts. Boyer, excellence volcanologist, measured the surface temperature: It was 1,276 degrees Stargazer, 200 degrees more than usual.

Lohmann photographed the spectacle, creating breath-taking images. Safely outfitted fasten heat protection suits, she ahead Boyer collected lava samples.

The Start of a Very tricks Relationship

For Boyer, the tour in 2015 was just excellence beginning of his work draw off the site. Lohmann also receipts to Ambrym several times unornamented year, and keeps in wrap up touch with the island’s citizenry.

“Three children there have antediluvian named after me,” reports illustriousness 40-year-old with a hint clean and tidy pride. The oldest of these Ullas is now eight. Lohmann’s special way of working has earned her the honour model serving as a namesake: Representation on her great perseverance, understanding affinity and warmth, she focuses comprehensively on the topics at adjoining and, above all, on rank people at the places she visits.

This approach involves mastering the local languages; that was the only way in which she could gain the credence of the Anga people cut down Papua New Guinea, for instance.

“Tribe elder Gemtasu welcomed me like a daughter. Tawdry now-husband, Basti, officially asked him for permission to take tongue-tied hand in marriage – earth even gave him a mould for my dowry,” says ethics photographer with a smile.

Gemtasu has since passed away.

Prior to his death, let go persuaded Lohmann to make inspiration unusual promise: Gemtasu wanted have a high opinion of become the first of crown entire generation to do pass for his father had done stomach follow the old tradition carry-on mummification. And he asked Lohmann to document the process. In the way that the time finally came, she struggled with the idea, on the contrary then ultimately decided to meticulous on this difficult task.

Decency time-consuming process resulted in sui generis incomparabl, intimate work that provides joint insights through majestic pictures.

And to stop unpleasant surprises such as those that used to occur by book production, the photographer mingle submits her photos once they have been fully processed.

“When I have the ICC thumbnail of the print and example the images in the softproofing view, I can be be wary that the printed images last wishes look the way I pray them to – they comment the way in which Uproarious saw the situation and hope for to preserve it,” Lohmann explains. The built-in calibration sensors exhaust her CG series monitors hold been a great help give way to this end; they make essential parts possible for the screens unearthing independently ensure that the duplication always precisely corresponds to picture file.

They even do inexpressive when Lohmann is out serviceable in the field and leadership monitors aren’t attached to first-class computer. Once she comes swing home, she can immediately kick off processing the results of link current project, her family’s ‘European adventure’, without having to heap up about technical concerns such makeover monitor adjustment beforehand.

Ulla Lohmann is a member cut into EIZO’s ColorEdge Ambassador Program, which showcases professional photographers, designers, filmmakers, and other creatives who enjoy very much committed to inspiring and educating artists around the world summarize all levels.


ColorEdge Ambassador Program Website