"Don't dream it, do it" – Ulla Lohmann's 5 tips for aspiring adventure photographers

German adventure photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Ulla Lohmann began her career in an extraordinary way. Aged 18, she won the German youth science competition Jugend forscht, beating more than 8,000 competitors with her reconstruction of a fossil. The prize money changed her life.

"I invested my €1,500 prize in a year-and-a-half trip around the world, which is when I started to take my first pictures," says Ulla. "It shaped my future, because I became a photographer and a storyteller."

Ulla now regularly works for magazines and broadcasters including GEO, the BBC and National Geographic. Here she shares the pivotal moments in her career and offers advice to aspiring adventure photographers keen to follow in her footsteps.

2. Seek never-before-seen photographs

"My breakthrough story was about a tribe in Papua New Guinea who still practise mummification and had never been photographed," says Ulla. "Magazines are looking for photographs that have never been seen before – something visually interesting that tells a story. Become an expert in one area and use a unique style of photography to tell that story. Choose a topic with wide appeal that reveals new things."

4. Make your kit an extension of you

"I can trust my equipment; it's very reliable and I know I won't run into technical problems when I'm in remote locations," says Ulla. "I ask a lot of myself in situations but I also push my equipment."

Alongside a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and a Canon EOS 5DS R, Ulla uses the full-frame mirrorless Canon EOS R when scaling mountains and photographing volcanic eruptions. Its lightweight body and its touchscreen allow her to focus on capturing images in the heat of the moment – such as when she's "dangling from a cliff on a rope" and can't look through a viewfinder.

Canon RF lenses have also helped her to explore new possibilities. "On assignment for GEO France, shooting a volcano erupting in Indonesia, I took a Canon EOS R as a back-up camera, alongside a Canon RF 15-35MM F2.8L IS USM lens and a Canon RF 24-70MM F2.8L IS USM. I really fell in love with the RF lenses – they're incredibly sharp and fast. I found myself using the camera not as a back-up, but as my main body.

"A lot of the photographs selected [by the editors] were taken with the Canon EOS R. Much of that assignment was in low light, and I can shoot more handheld with the new lenses. The ISO was great, the stabilization was perfect and they were fast. The quality of the camera meets the quality needed for magazines."

5. Get your portfolio reviewed by editors

"Photograph a story and approach magazines," says Ulla. "I like to meet editors at photo festivals such as Visa pour l'Image. It's always better to pitch in person because they will look at your photographs – just make sure you can explain your story in one sentence."

Emailing editors with just three select photos for review can also work, she says. "Send your three strongest images, then try to get an appointment or an answer. Editors don't have much time, but your pictures get seen and you get feedback. I make a portfolio of new stories every year, pitch it to editors and usually one in 10 works. That's just the nature of the game."

Captivating social media content is also essential, says Ulla. "It helps to have a good portfolio, but a lot of editors browse social media and websites for photographers, so make sure only your best shots are out there."