Itching to take your Leica M9 on a road trip? These beautiful travel photos shot by Benji Messmer during a weekend in the Dolomites will make you get even more excited.
Last time we featured Benji Messmer and his Leica M9 snaps from around the world, we had a look at how they remind us of chrome film’s classic look. This time, we place the spotlight on his wanderlust-inducing road trip photos shot in the picturesque Dolomites. If you’ve been thinking of bringing your own Leica M9 on an upcoming trip, prepare to get inspired with this beautiful travel diary.
We’ve seen a number of interesting projects showcasing the beauty of the Dolomites, but this may be the first travel photography series that shows us what else is there to see around these popular peaks. According to Messmer, he took these photos during a weekend road trip around the famous Italian mountain range spent with friends aboard a camper van. His photo diary featured various spots they visited, including various mountain scenery that look stunning whatever time of the day. It’s also easy to see how such a picture-perfect destination is also never short of perfect backdrops for travel portraits.
Compared to his more frenetic and vibrant snaps, Messmer’s road trip snaps have a more relaxed and dreamy feel to them. It’s not at all surprising, given that he was on the road along with the scenic spots in and around the Dolomites. The classic chrome film look is still there, only in a more subtle form, as the earthy colors and more dreamy scenes dominate the entire set.
Surely, the Leica M9 remains a favorite compact rangefinder camera of many today for travel and street photography, despite turning 10 years old this 2019. Messmer’s collection of travel snaps definitely shows us why. So if you still have an M9 just sitting there gathering dust, why not take it out on a road trip as well?
All photos by Benji Messmer. Used with Creative Commons permission.