Travel photography is often defined by the thrill of the new – new places, new sights, new stories– but just as important is the ability to distil those moments of discovery into images that fascinate and beguile. We sat down with world wanderer, İlhan Eroglu, as he reveals why the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8G is essential to on his journeys near and far.

“Discovering a new location is always exciting to me, and that thrill becomes part of the image” he explains. “It’s the chance to experience something fresh and give others the same feeling as I had at the time.”

However, İlhan finds that discovery also manifests itself in the skills and gear needed for success in this realm.   With hundreds of thousands of miles under his belt, one of the first skills İlhan relies on is the power of preparation and packing the right gear; and that’s where İlhan ’s use of the E 16-55mm f/2.8 G lens comes in. Small, light, and versatile, but with a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8, it’s the perfect partner to his Alpha 6600 and previous travel-friendly Alpha APS-C models. “It is a great lens to use whilst travelling because it gives a lot of possibilities to shoot both wide angle and mid-range photos,” İlhan confirms, “and while I often combine it with a 70-200mm lens for longer shots, it can serve on its own in many situations.”

Complimentary to the right Sony gear, İlhan explains that research of the location itself is fundamental. “I always research new cities or new areas before I arrive,” he reveals, “but most importantly I work out how I’m going to put my own signature on that place.”

Part of that process is working out sunrise, sunset, and blue hour times, as that’s when İlhan produces many of his most majestic images. “I love taking photos in those golden hours,” he confirms, “but also in extreme weather and light conditions, like blue hour when a city’s electric light merges perfectly with the cooling darkness.”

“Also in my bag are filters to control the balance of the light when shooting at sunrise and sunset,” he continues, “as well as a tripod to use when the light is low. That’s also the reason I often use a remote control while taking photos, to keep as much clarity in the scene as possible. Along with the quality of the lens it all adds to the sharpness.”

A great example can be seen in İlhan ’s photo of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque with the Bosphorus bridge behind, connecting the continents of Europe and Asia. “I chose to go just before sunrise to get the colourful clouds behind the hills in the east,” he explains, “and the widest end of the lens meant I could include the full span of the bridge from one end to another, framing the mosque below.”

In another, this time taken in Venice, the long end of the lens’s zoom allowed İlhan a different compositional choice. “Venice is a heaven for photographers with the canals, towers and photogenic scenery,” he enthuses. “This canal having towers on both sides drew me to make the composition, but shooting wide would have made the towers look small compared to the foreground. At 55mm though, it gives a more natural perspective and shows them at their proper size.”

Another aspect of the lens that İlhan benefits from on his travels is its constant f/2.8 aperture, which, he says “not only makes some beautiful bokeh in the background if I want to separate the subject, but also allows much easier handheld shooting when I do it, even when light is falling. For instance, sometimes I like to work in a more free and explorative way, walking through cities like Venice without my tripod, and discovering them as I go.”

Often wanting to work with as much freedom as possible, İlhan finds the lens is a great match for the Alpha 6600 and other Sony APS-C format mirrorless bodies. “It’s a light lens and that’s important, as I often do long hikes or stay on my feet all day. With this lens, there’s often no need to carry or change to other optics. And while the lighter my equipment, the better for me, the E 16-55mm f/2.8 G doesn’t compromise on build or optical quality. It’s durable and gives great sharpness.”

The E 16-55mm f/2.8 G’s combination of performance, versatility and portability is therefore a perfect fit for photographers like İlhan who don’t want their equipment to distract them from the central thrill of travel photography – actually travelling! “My main focus is always to enjoy the process,” he concludes, “and let pictures flow from that experience. That’s where the most successful images come from – the joy that I’m feeling from what I see through my lens.”