Photography helps me slow down, take a breath, and truly appreciate the world.
Nico Trinkhaus
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It all started with an invitation, just a casual shoot Nico Trinkhaus set up with some other photographer in Berlin to catch a sunset from a high-rise balcony. He hoped to get a couple of snaps, but the skies had other ideas. A storm rolled in and Nico, up on a fire escape with a metal tripod, ended up taking the shot that would go down in history – a bolt of lightening slamming into Berlin’s Alexanderplatz.
He chuckles about it these days. You can tell he still grins to himself when he thinks back on it. How on earth did he stay so calm while that was all going down? He assumed the TV tower would take the hit before the camera caught it. But that photo, raw, unexpected, perfectly timed, wasn’t just a lucky break. It felt like a reflection of something deeper in Nico’s photography: a desire to slow down, be present, and let the shot speak for itself.
Nico is one of those photographers who’s always been more interested in quiet moments than in trying to capture the next big thing. He likes mornings when the streets are empty, and he loves the way light moves around cities when everyone’s gone home for the day. His photos have a stillness to them that’s hard to find in a world where we’re all constantly scrolling through our phones.
One of the things that shapes that perspective, something that not many people talk about, is that Nico has what’s called congenital aphantasia, or mind blindness – he can’t actually picture images in his head. So for him, every photo starts not with a grand idea, but with him just being present in the moment.
In this episode we chat about how Nico’s work has evolved, what he’s learned from teaching, and why he’s become more and more interested in getting his photos into the real world – in galleries, as prints, maybe even a book one day.
Here’s some of the things we get into:
- How mind blindness shapes Nico’s approach to photography.
- The full story behind his viral lightning photo in Berlin.
- Why early mornings and empty streets are so key to his process.
- His long-term project “Europe Rising” and what it means to document identity.
- How he and his wife balance their roles as creatives and run their business together.
- The quiet power of physical prints, and slowing down in a world where we’re all so digitally obsessed.
Whether you’re deep in your own photography journey or just looking to get into the mindset of someone who sees the world in a totally unique way, this conversation is real, it’s honest, and I reckon you’re going to find it really valuable. Hope you enjoy it.
Q: Would you be able to talk a little bit about congenital aphantasia and how it affects you as well as your photography?
Nico: Yeah, I call it mind blindness-it’s easier to grasp. I didn’t even know I had it until about five or six years ago. Basically, I can’t visualize images in my mind. I have abstract concepts, but no visuals. When I dream at night, I do see images, but if I close my eyes and think of a beach, I see black. That impacts my photography a lot. I don’t go into a scene with a visualized image in my head; I show up and absorb what’s there. It also explains why I need photos to remember my trips, otherwise, the memories fade. That’s why I have a rotating display on my wall with images from my travels.
Q: What draws you to these places in particular, why do you keep returning to European cities and landscapes?
Nico: I’ve traveled a lot within Europe, and since I’m from Germany, my wife is Polish, we met in the Czech Republic, and now live in Portugal, I feel more European than just German. Around the time Brexit happened, I felt compelled to focus on the positive aspects of Europe, its cooperation and cultural diversity. That’s when I started my long-term project “Europe Rising.” I want to highlight how it feels to be European by capturing both the commonalities and the beautiful differences across regions, even those off the beaten path.
Q: Do you have specific times of the day that you enjoy going out? Or do you just adjust for whatever the schedule allows?
Nico: Typically, it all revolves around morning and evening. Morning is always a must for me, I’m out well before blue hour. That’s when I get the peaceful, empty city scenes I love. Evenings I usually skip unless I can get to a high vantage point where the crowds don’t matter. I plan my trips around what I absolutely have to shoot in the morning and what might work in the evening, depending on light and location.
🔗 Connect with Nico Trinkhaus
🧭 What We Talked About
🎼 Early Journey / Origins
- Nico’s photography began while studying in Prague around 2010, sparked by a fascination with HDR photography.
- His creative curiosity was initially fueled by a love for graphic design and online gaming communities.
- He began with a point-and-shoot camera, learning the technical ropes slowly, and committing to posting one photo a day to develop his skills.
- His breakthrough came in 2013 with the viral photo of a lightning strike at Alexanderplatz, Berlin, a photo captured by chance and a bit of daring during a thunderstorm on a rooftop.
📖 Philosophy / Vision / Storytelling
- Nico describes his work as “timeless travel photography”, aiming to depict locations in peaceful, almost surreal light, often in the quiet hours before sunrise.
- He cannot visualize images mentally due to congenital aphantasia (mind blindness), which he believes actually enhances the authenticity of his work by removing ego and preconceptions.
- Photography is his tool to remember the places he’s been – literally his visual memory.
📷 Tools, Gear, and Behind the Scenes
- While he sometimes uses a drone, most of his images are captured through careful on-foot exploration and scouting vantage points.
- He prioritizes early morning blue and golden hours, calling the post-golden hour the “money hour”, a prime time for light that works well for travel licensing.
- Drones are used sparingly due to strict regulations, especially in Portugal, where permissions must be requested from the military two weeks in advance.
- He prefers short, focused trips over extended ones to maximize energy and creative focus.
🔁 Practice, Teaching, Platforms
- Nico co-runs Sumfinity with his wife, Daria, who contributes all the written content and travel guides.
- He is deeply inspired by those who offered free online education, like Elia Locardi and Miroslav Petrasko, and now returns the favor through blog posts, travel guides, and occasional workshops.
- He leads photo expeditions with PhotoPills, including one in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and emphasizes helping participants realize their personal vision.
💬 Advice, Creative Strategy, or Challenges
- Recommends focusing on your own work, rather than comparing yourself to others, a mindset that helped him avoid imposter syndrome.
- Encourages self-analysis: “If I’m not happy with a photo, I ask myself why.”
- Says teaching helped him let go of comparison by seeing how each person interprets the same scene differently.
- He sees awards more as marketing tools than creative validation and prefers to stay focused on evolving his craft rather than chasing recognition.
🌍 Influences, People, Brands, or Places
- Strongly identifies as European, shaped by his German-Polish heritage and pan-European lifestyle. His ongoing project, Europe Rising, aims to capture the continent’s unity and diversity through travel photography.
- He’s influenced by historical fiction and research, which informs his choice of subjects and compositions, like photographing merchant houses in Amsterdam because of their historical significance.
- Uses platforms like 500px and his own site as both gallery and archive.
🔮 What’s Next for Nico
- Curating his first solo exhibition at Lisbon Airport, with another already planned for 2026.
- Deeply interested in moving his work into the physical world through exhibitions and printed books to create a lasting, tangible experience for viewers.
- Contemplating a book project that blends travel memories, history, and Daria’s storytelling with his images.
