Instagram is a vast network of unique individuals all trying to get noticed. Whether they're promoting a product, sharing recipes, showcasing their photography, hundreds of thousands of choreographed, thought out photos are shared daily. I've seen articles, like this one from Statista, that claims IG has upwards of 1 BILLION monthly active users. Instagram influencers, individuals that have a relationship with a brand and promote that brand to their audience (and make money for doing so) make their sole living off the app and their following. So we get it, Instagram is HUGE, yet you can still forge new friendships and network through the app. I have "met" (in quotations because I haven't met them in real life, just via social media conversations) a number of people through concert photography and I am now starting to find and "meet" travelers! Using Instagram to network is smart because for one, it's free, and for another it's easy! Anyways, Bob is one of those people - and his Instagram shares pictures of his recent travels in Iceland, Norway and tropical destinations like Guatemala and Belize. He is from Montreal, and if it weren't for Instagram, our paths probably would never have crossed. Heck, if we weren't both in Iceland roughly a week ago, our accounts probably wouldn't have crossed, either. Being curious of how he found his passion for traveling and how he manages to do it seemingly frequently, I asked him a couple questions that I think we can all find an interest in.
Q: From your Instagram captions, I see you're shooting with a DJI Mavic Pro, iPhone X or Canon 6D mk 2 with various lenses. Which type of camera/lens do you prefer and find yourself using most? What did you start out with?
A: I mostly shoot on my Canon but I also like shooting with my drone a lot. Gets you a different perspective then what you’re used to. As for what lenses I use most, I must say that I love using my 17-40mm most of the time. The landscape shots you get with this lens are just amazing.
Q: You have some stunning shots of Iceland as well as destinations like Guatemala and Thailand, how do you find the time to travel and support yourself while doing so?
A: I must say that I’m pretty lucky because I have a very good and well paid student job that give me my summer off. So I work hard during school to have some money to travel afterwards. When you’re a university student, your whole summer is free. Therefore, time is not an issue. As for money, I travel to cheapest possible places so that I can do more with my money.
Q: While you have a little over 1K followers on IG, you get amazing engagement (comments and likes) on every post! What do you attribute that high level of engagement with?
A: To be honest, I don’t really know why. I always try to give my followers a reason to comment back or to like my posts. I’m trying to have pictures that are different from the others. Also, every hashtag in my description is well researched in order to have the biggest reach possible.
Q: Favorite place you have traveled to and why? Best travel experience?
A: So hard to answer this one… Every place I travelled has something different. People keep asking me this question and can’t come up with a definitive answer. Every country has something special. If I’d have to choose I’d go with Iceland or SE Asia. They were both amazing destination that I can’t wait to get back to. As for my best travel experience, it’s definitely Iceland where I road tripped the Ring Road for 2 weeks with 3 strangers that became very good friends afterwards. Thank you Couchsurfing.
Q: The before and after edits you show off are amazing - and in one post you wrote "Instagram pictures are all edited. After all, photography is an art but editing is the part of what makes every picture different from one person to another. That's why from now on I'll post what the pictures looked like before."
Can you share your thought process on this idea?
A: Sometime people believe that what they see on IG is what real life is like : beautiful and all pink. Unfortunately that’s not the case and that’s why I came with this idea of sharing what the real pictures look like. On the other hand there’s also a lot of hard work put into the editing process and sometime people don’t notice that. The picture is one thing, but the editing is what makes everyone unique. Also, with so many travel accounts on IG nowadays, you have to find a way to be different. You have to give someone a reason in order to follow you. Posting travel pictures isn’t enough, you gotta be creative.
Q: How long have you been traveling and how did you get started, and how was photography always involved?
A: Thanks to my family, I’ve been traveling since I was a little kid so I got that passion from them. That’s how it all started. But I’ve really started traveling by myself when I was 18 or 19 and photography has alway been involved. When I was in high school, I took two years of optional courses in photography and that’s how I got hooked. Learned mostly by myself afterwards and always traveled with a camera.
Q: What makes traveling so special and unique for you?
A: I was just thinking about that on my way back from Iceland 1 week ago and wrote some lines on my notes that I’ll happily share with you.
I wrote these thoughts back on my plane ride back home:
“It’s true, we take in when we travel. Whether we like to think about it or not. We bask and wonder on the mountains tops. We experience the culture and interaction at every corner. The way the world dances like a perfect tune. The sounds unfamiliar to the ear. We leave a piece of ourselves when we depart and what we take with us is the strongest substance known to human kind… to understanding each other : perspective. There comes a time when you question what you’re really chasing. What really matters? Is it the perfect picture or the hero shot? Or is the shared laughter and genuine moments. The unpredictable. The beautifully Imperfect. The moments I’ll remember will probably run deeper than what’s seen on the screen and forever etched in my mind are the people I met, the conversation we had and the feelings we shared. And at the end of the day, to me, that’s what traveling is truly all about.”