compagnon of inspiration - Part 2: Johannes Becker

In addition to our work on chic companions for you, we try never to forget how much we care about art, especially in the field of photography and video. A compagnon ultimately fulfills the main task of helping its owner to find THE moment for THE photo and to have his finger on the shutter release at exactly that moment.

Getting some inspiration from artists who find and create interesting things never hurts. That's why we now regularly bring you a feature about a photographer who inspires us with their work. These artists are professionals, semi-professionals or amateurs, come from different corners of the world and work in yet other places. And they were available to answer questions for compagnon in a short interview. And they all have something else in common: they have great talent and appreciate compagnon's companions.

This time, we are introducing you to a young artist and photographer who has been making waves, especially in the Instagram community, ever since he started out and who always manages to elicit breathtaking images from Germany, Europe and the world. We welcome as

"compagnon of inspiration" - part 2

Short portrait

Johannes Becker, 22 years young, lives in Homberg (Ohm) / Hesse, but he rarely stays there for long. He travels the world and shares his impressions with a large fan base on Instagram. He captures the most diverse landscapes in a special way. This talent led him to start training as an advertising and product photographer. He loves his job, which is clearly a vocation for him. He sees being involved with his passion every day as a great stroke of luck. compagnon: Johannes, an obligatory question for our talents is always how they got into photography. How did that work for you? And in your case, which camera did it all start with?

Johannes Becker: I got into photography about three years ago. It all started with the iPhone. Back then, I downloaded Instagram out of boredom and shared simple everyday photos of my food, for example. But I live in a rural area, so every now and then I would add a landscape photo to my Instagram. For the first two years, I took all my photos on Instagram with an iPhone. It was only just over a year ago that I really started taking photos with a 'real' camera and that's how my passion for photography developed. I dropped out of university and started training as a photographer.

compagnon: You mentioned a 'real' camera. Which one do you use? What equipment do you always carry with you?

Johannes Becker: I always have my iPhone with me, it's with me everywhere and the quality of such a small camera is absolutely fascinating. But now I don't usually go out without a 'real' camera. When I travel, I always have my Canon 5D Mark III and an Olympus MD EM10 with me as a backup. The two systems complement each other wonderfully. I love to shoot with fixed focal lengths and therefore I use my much appreciated Sigma 35mm 1.4 for 90% of my photos. For my next trip to Alberta, Canada, I will also buy the Sigma 24mm 1.4.

compagnon: Let's leave aside whether this refers to your early days with the iPhone or your past, very successful, year: Which of your photos do you remember best and why?

Johannes Becker: When I was on a photo trip through the states of Washington and Oregon last September, a small, curious marmot jumped right in front of my lens as I was hiking through Mt. Rainier National Park. I was more startled than the little fellow, but I still managed to press the shutter release and capture the curious look on his face. This unexpected encounter was one of the most beautiful moments of my entire trip and is something I always remember.

compagnon: A truly priceless coincidence, it seems. But it's not unusual to have to work hard for a motif. Where do you get your inspiration from in such cases?

Johannes Becker: One of the biggest sources of inspiration for me is the Instagram community. I follow the work of dozens of other photographers there every day. The mix of photographers has its very own energy, which always inspires me anew.

compagnon: What do you prefer artistically? Morning, noon, evening or night? Why?

Johannes Becker: My favorite is the sunrise. When the world wakes up early in the morning, the morning light is incredibly clear and clean. The landscape is deserted and when I roam around with my camera I can concentrate fully on taking pictures. Just last week I had the opportunity to photograph the Milky Way for the first time in amazing conditions. The result was a sleepless night in the Austrian Alps, very exhausting but worthwhile.

compagnon: You constantly offer your followers new impressions from all over the world on Instagram. How do you manage to get so many new things in front of your lens? Which destination has been the most impressive for you so far?

Johannes Becker: I do travel from time to time, that's true. These trips usually consist of Instagram campaigns. I'm sent to certain regions to promote them with my photos on my channel and show my followers that these places are worth a vacation. I would never have believed that something like this is possible through Instagram. I've already been to Finland twice, New York, Washington, Oregon and Australia. The next destination, Alberta, Canada, is just around the corner. It was beautiful everywhere, and the aurora borealis in Lapland was my artistic highlight for photography. Privately, I sacrifice almost every weekend to travel somewhere in Germany to hunt for the perfect light.

compagnon: Where do you want to go with your art?

Johannes Becker: First of all, I want to successfully complete my training and work full-time as a photographer and Instagramer. One of my greatest passions is traveling, so one thing is clear: I want to travel to as many countries as possible, get to know other cultures and, of course, capture everything in photos.

compagnon: We, and I'm sure all your fans, wish you every success with these plans and hope to see plenty more of you for many years to come. Thank you for taking the time for compagnon and giving us a few insights.

More from Johannes Becker on Instagram...

The illustrations in this article were kindly provided by Johannes Becker. The sole rights are held by Johannes Becker.