Short profile
Pia Hungerberg loves to travel to distant countries and learn about new cultures. When she does, the 27-year-old tries to get our of her comfort zone. The up-and-coming talent from Cologne is better known to her growing fan base as piaeliza on social media platform Instagram, where Pia's travels – to Scotland, South Africa or Norway, for example – can be experienced in beautiful, atmospheric images.
Learn more about Pia, her travel and photography philosophies, and her future plans in the interview.
4 QUESTIONS TO PIAELIZA
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hey, my name is Pia, I'm 27 years old and I'm from Leverkusen. I graduated with my Master's in international business management in October 2019 and have been working full-time for my family's company ever since.
I love to travel to distant countries and learn about new cultures. When I do, I always try to get out of my comfort zone on each trip and take the opportunity to grow.
A beach with a sunset (left) and two penguins on a rock (right) - Photos: piaeliza.
How did you get into photography in general?
I've always been the girl with the camera in my friendship group. When I started, I was mainly interested in capturing memories. Then, on my travels, I noticed that typical tourist pictures weren't really what I envisioned as souvenirs, and when I was at home, I was always looking for a creative outlet.
That's when I started to look more and more into the whole process of photography. I was particularly interested in both the preparation and the post-production of a particular subject. When the pandemic started in 2020, I happened to get my first full-frame camera, and since then, it has allowed me to capture an environment in a certain quality.
Aerial view of a church (left) and a road with mountains in the background - Photos: piaeliza
Where does your passion for landscape photography come from?
For me, there has never been anything more beautiful than watching the sunrise in a great place. The way the first rays of light touch the earth is just something very special. Capturing these moments and then being able to share them with friends and family motivates me.
Basically, you could say that I am discovering the world through the viewfinder of my camera. Since I started doing photography, landscapes and certain scenery often seem even more intense. You pay more attention to the little things that you might not otherwise pay attention to.
Landscape photography appeals to me mainly because of its versatility. No two images are alike. Lighting conditions, perspectives,, and also seasons play a major role. Untouched nature and its colors in particular never cease to amaze me.
Lion (left) and safari vehicle (right) - Photos: piaeliza.
Where can people find you when you're not behind the camera?
My favorite way to spend my time is outdoors hiking or working on my camper van. I recently reduced my hours at the office to focus on photography and travel for the first time. This is my absolute lifelong dream come true, and I can't wait to see where it goes!
