One Camera, Many Subjects: Travel Photography in Fairbanks with the Panasonic Lumix L10

During my recent photography trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, my primary goal was photographing the Northern Lights. I brought several cameras and lenses, including the Panasonic Lumix S9 and L10. While I used the S9 primarily for aurora photography at night, the Lumix L10 became my everyday camera for exploring Fairbanks and the surrounding area.

One of the things I enjoy most about travel photography is never knowing exactly what subjects I’ll encounter. On any given day, I might photograph architecture, street scenes, landscapes, or interesting details that catch my attention. Having a compact camera with a versatile zoom lens makes it easier to take advantage of those opportunities without carrying a large camera bag.

During my time in Alaska, I used the L10 for everything from black-and-white architectural photography to colorful vintage automobiles and Christmas decorations at the North Pole. I visited downtown Fairbanks, the University of Alaska Museum of the North, the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, the town of North Pole, and Chena Hot Springs.

Rather than conducting another camera test, I wanted to showcase the variety of subjects I photographed with the Lumix L10 and share my experience using it as an everyday travel camera.

Street Photography and Architecture in Fairbanks

One of my first opportunities to use the L10 was during a walk around downtown Fairbanks.

I enjoy street photography, but I don’t limit it to photographing people. I’m frequently drawn to interesting architecture, reflections, patterns, and the interaction between older and newer buildings.

One composition that caught my attention involved reflections in the glass exterior of a modern building. The glass reflected nearby historic structures, while the interior stairways added another layer of lines and geometric patterns.

I liked how the different architectural elements came together in a single composition. Converting the photograph to black and white helped emphasize the reflections, contrasting shapes, and intersecting lines.

I also photographed a tighter composition of the reflections, concentrating on the overlapping shapes and architectural details.

The L10’s built-in Leica 24–75mm equivalent zoom was useful for this type of photography. I could move between wider views of the buildings and tighter compositions without changing lenses or carrying additional equipment.

Another interesting architectural subject was the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The museum has a distinctive modern design, with angular forms and repeating panels along its exterior. Looking upward, I found a composition where the building’s geometric lines converged toward a narrow point against the sky.

[Insert photograph: Museum of the North architecture in black and white]

I processed this photograph in black and white to emphasize the building’s shape, repeating patterns, and contrast. The dark recessed section provided a strong visual element against the lighter exterior panels.

Although the downtown reflections and Museum of the North were very different subjects, both offered opportunities to explore architectural forms and compositions beyond traditional travel photographs.

Photographing Vintage Automobiles at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

One of the more surprising discoveries during my trip was the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks. I certainly didn’t expect to find a collection of more than 125 pre-World War II automobiles in the heart of Alaska.

The museum offered a completely different photographic environment from the outdoor architecture I had been photographing. Here, I was surrounded by beautifully restored vintage automobiles, colorful paint, polished chrome, and historical displays.

Rather than concentrating only on photographs of complete vehicles, I looked for interesting combinations of shapes, colors, and details.

One photograph that stood out from the visit was a close-up of an antique automobile’s wheel and bodywork.

The bright red spokes, whitewall tire, yellow body, and orange fender immediately caught my attention. I liked how the circular wheel and intersecting spokes contrasted with the sweeping curves of the fender.

The bold colors and tight composition gave the photograph an almost abstract quality.

The Lumix L10’s zoom lens made it easy to experiment with different compositions as I walked through the museum. I could photograph larger portions of an automobile and then isolate smaller details that interested me.

The museum also featured historical displays, including figures dressed in period clothing.

For this photograph, I chose a black-and-white treatment to emphasize the clothing’s textures, the elaborate lace hat, and the ghostly character of the display.

I enjoyed moving between colorful automotive details and more subdued monochrome subjects. The museum provided plenty of opportunities to experiment with composition, color, and texture.

A Colorful Visit to North Pole, Alaska

Another stop during my trip was North Pole, Alaska, where I visited the Santa Claus House and store.

As you might expect, North Pole offers plenty of colorful photography opportunities, especially around the Christmas-themed displays and decorations.

While exploring the Santa Claus House, I noticed colorful rainbow flares created by sunlight streaming across a large decorated Christmas tree. The effect caught my attention, and I composed a photograph to capture the rainbow colors alongside the ornaments.

Lens flare occurs when strong light enters a lens and creates reflections within its optical elements. Even high-quality lenses can produce flare under certain lighting conditions, and the L10’s built-in Leica zoom was no exception.

Normally, photographers try to avoid lens flare, particularly when it reduces contrast or obscures important details. In this case, however, I deliberately used the flare as part of the composition.

The rainbow bands complemented the red, green, gold, and silver ornaments on the Christmas tree, creating an unusual combination of colors and light.

Sometimes an unexpected lighting condition presents a creative opportunity. The key is recognizing it and finding a way to incorporate it into a photograph.

Using the Panasonic Lumix L10 as an Everyday Travel Camera

Several features of the Panasonic Lumix L10 proved particularly useful during my time in Fairbanks, especially the built-in Leica zoom lens, multi-aspect shooting capabilities, and customizable controls.

Built-in Leica Zoom Lens

The L10’s Leica DC Vario-Summilux 24–75mm equivalent f/1.7–2.8 zoom provides a useful focal length range for travel photography. I could photograph wider architectural scenes and then zoom in to isolate interesting details without changing lenses.

The zoom was especially valuable at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. All of the exhibits were roped off, preventing visitors from getting close to the vehicles. Having a zoom lens allowed me to frame tighter compositions of wheels, bodywork, and other details while shooting from behind the barriers.

The relatively fast maximum aperture was also useful when photographing indoors.

Multi-Aspect Shooting with the Function Switch

One feature I used frequently during the trip was the L10’s customizable Function Switch, which I configured to change aspect ratios.

The L10’s multi-aspect sensor design allows me to switch between 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, and 1:1 aspect ratios. Rather than relying exclusively on cropping photographs afterward, I can choose the framing that best suits the subject while composing through the viewfinder.

The 1:1 square format was particularly useful at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. With the exhibits roped off and other vehicles and displays sometimes visible in the background, square compositions helped me eliminate distractions and concentrate on interesting automotive details.

Being able to change aspect ratios with the Function Switch made it easy to experiment with different compositions without entering the camera’s menus.

Black-and-White Photography with L.Monochrome D

Panasonic’s L.Monochrome D Photo Style is a feature I regularly use when photographing subjects I intend to process in black and white.

By selecting L.Monochrome D in the Quick Menu, I can preview the scene in monochrome directly through the electronic viewfinder. Seeing the photograph without color helps me evaluate lines, shapes, textures, and contrast while composing.

This was particularly useful when photographing downtown Fairbanks, the architecture of the Museum of the North, and historic vehicles at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum.

Although I generally process my RAW files in Lightroom, the monochrome viewfinder preview helps me visualize the finished photograph before pressing the shutter.

Customizable Controls and Quick Menu

In addition to the Function Switch, I appreciate the L10’s physical controls and customizable Quick Menu.

I prefer having frequently used camera settings readily accessible rather than navigating through several menu screens. The customizable Quick Menu allows me to organize settings around the way I photograph, making it easier to adjust the camera when moving between different subjects.

Combined with the electronic viewfinder, these controls make the L10 an enjoyable camera to use when exploring unfamiliar locations.

For more information about configuring the camera’s Quick Menu, see my article on Customizing the Panasonic Lumix L10 Quick Menu.

JJC Automatic Lens Cap

A useful travel accessory for the L10 is the JJC Automatic Lens Cap. Instead of removing and replacing a traditional lens cap whenever I want to take a photograph, the cap opens automatically when the camera is turned on and closes when it’s powered off.

It’s a small convenience, but one that makes a difference when carrying a camera throughout the day and frequently stopping to photograph something.

I discuss the lens cap in more detail in Two Must-Have Accessories for the Panasonic Lumix L10.

Image Quality

The L10 uses a Four Thirds BSI CMOS sensor measuring 17.3 × 13.0mm, with approximately 20.4 megapixels of effective resolution. The sensor is larger than the 1-inch-type sensors found in many compact cameras and provides a good balance between image quality and portability.

I was pleased with the results across the different subjects I photographed in Fairbanks. The colorful automobile photographs showed good detail and contrast, while the architectural images provided plenty of flexibility for black-and-white processing.

For the types of travel photography I was doing, the L10 delivered the image quality I wanted.

Final Thoughts

My experience photographing Fairbanks with the Panasonic Lumix L10 reinforced something I  appreciate about travel photography. You don’t need to carry a large collection of equipment to come home with a diverse set of photographs.

During this trip, I photographed downtown reflections, modern architecture, vintage automobiles, historical displays, and colorful holiday decorations. Each location offered different photographic opportunities, and the L10 was an enjoyable camera to have along.

The Lumix S9 handled much of my nighttime aurora photography, while the L10 became my everyday camera for exploring Fairbanks and the surrounding area.

For me, that’s the appeal of a good travel camera. It’s convenient enough to bring along wherever you go, capable of handling a variety of subjects, and easy to use when an unexpected photographic opportunity presents itself.

Want to Learn More?

• Field Testing the Panasonic Lumix L10 for Macro Photography
• Panasonic Lumix L10 Street Photography: A Real-World Test in Washington DC
• Panasonic Lumix S9 for Aurora Photography: A Real-World Field Test