One of the most beautiful things about travel is making memories, and how better to do that than in a photograph? Ellie Bobbie Photography (@elliebobbie on Instagram) spoke to Impact Travel about her wonderful photographs, travel and advice for adventurers.
Hi Ellie! First of all, would you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you love travel?
Hello 🙂 My name is Eli (Ellie) I am 27 years old and I am a freelance photographer based in Sydney. I was born in a beautiful country in the middle of South America called Paraguay. When I was 8 my parents got divorced and my mum decided she wanted to go back to her home country. So we moved to Spain two years later. At 13 I went back to live with my dad in Paraguay to then go back to Spain two years later at the age of 15. And then back to Paraguay again. My parents would basically just keep on sending me back and forth between continents and I absolutely LOVED it! When I I turned 17 I moved to Argentina to study for a few months.
At the age of 19 I thought I had enough of my life in Paraguay and decided to move back to Spain with my mum as I wanted to see Europe. So I moved to Spain and that’s where the travel bug bit me. Three months later I moved to London, England. I stayed there for a year and then went back to Spain for another three months. Then got a job in the French Alps and moved there for nine months. I then went backpacking for six months visiting the US, Mexico, Curacao and the West Coast of South America until I finally landed in Sydney, Australia and made it my HOME. Although I recently moved to Bali to work for a year and I’m loving it!
“The surf is amazing”
Where is your favourite place to visit, whether country or city?
So many! I love Peru! The surf is amazing, the food is delicious and the landscape is insane! They basically have it all. Coast, mountains, jungle and desert. Another favourite place is anywhere in Indonesia. Because of the waves the food and the people. My two other favourites would have to be Morocco and Egypt. I love their culture overall.
“A stranger was kind enough to invite us for dinner”
What has been your favourite moment whilst travelling, and why?
So many I find it hard to choose only one but I think one of my favourite moments was back in 2011 in Morocco. It was Ramadan and my partner at the time and I were wandering around the Moroccan streets (a bit lost) when the feasts where about to start (which also means every other place i.e. restaurants closed because people go spend time with their families). We were trying to find our way back to our accommodation and a stranger was kind enough to invite us for dinner. We were a bit sceptical to begin with but accepted his invitation.
We feasted with this stranger and his friend and they didn’t even let us pay for it! At the end he wished us safe travels and everyone went their own way. We never saw him again. It was a random act of kindness as we were in a non-touristy city and he saw we were lost and hungry. Moments like these are the ones that fill my heart with joy. Another favourite moment was swimming with baby sea lions in Galapagos. They are so comfortable around people and they come so close to you it’s kind of scary at first but so amazing! And dining and dancing with the Bedouin nomads in the desert in Egypt.
Where’s next on your list to travel to, and why?
Sri Lanka is top of my list right now! Hawaii, Maldives, Java (Indonesia), Costa Rica, Japan. I choose most of my travel destinations based on surf/snow now and the reason I want to go to these places is mainly because of that 😀
“I try to follow…vibrant, rich, happy colours”
Do you prefer blogging or Instagram to tell your travel stories?
At the moment I only do Instagram but I am planning on launching my blog soon and I am sure I will be hooked once it’s up!
Your photography is so beautiful, so how do you achieve the perfect Instagram post? Do you try and follow one aesthetic?
Oh thank you! It means a lot! I actually don’t think my Instagram feed is very consistent at all. I try to follow an aesthetic but I feel like it doesn’t work and it always ends up being a mix of colours. I guess if I could define what I try to follow is vibrant, rich, happy colours.
“Fear is a good sign”
Do you have any advice for travellers in general, in particular solo female travellers?
Yes! Travelling can be so scary for some. A lot of people feel like they cannot picture themselves leaving home and get anxious. My advice would be feel the fear and go with it! Fear is a good sign. It means that you really want something and are trying to break obstacles. Adventure starts at the end of your comfort zone as cliche as it sounds. And for solo female travellers there is a great community of travelling girls called Solo Female Traveller Network. Reach out to them, ask questions, share your feelings, so many girls out there have gone or are going through the same as you! Always go with what your gut tells you. Yes travelling solo can feel daunting and scary at times but this shouldn’t stop you from doing it. You will always find nice people that are willing to help if you find yourself in a bad situation.
Anything else to add?
Yes! Stay tuned for my upcoming blog! It will be all about art & travel, ocean lifestyle & surf and mental health. 🙂
Questions by Amy Wilcockson
For more info on Ellie click here to follow her on Instagram or check out her Facebook photography page.
Image courtesy of gail via Flickr.
