What is the most popular platform for uploading photos? Of course it is Instagram! Millions of people post daily photos of their lives, share the most pleasant moments of their life and... making inspiring content! Today I would like to share with you my new finding - Bianca Paul. She posts stunning photos on her instagram but somehow she doesn't have hundreds of subscribers yet. This must be changed! Let's meet Bianca:
Where are you from?
I'm from Romania, the beautiful city of Timisoara, the city of lights and roses (just got declared European Cultural Capital for 2021, so you should check it out!). Funny enough, now I live in Eindhoven (The Netherlands), the city of lights and Dutch design. However I instagram from all over Europe, since I travel a lot.
How long have you been using instagram?
Officially since 4th June 2012; I just checked my first post and had a laugh. But I started more intensely June 2015, when I volunteered on educational projects for one summer in Nepal and India - I had the amazing opportunity to travel with locals, in their homes, and reach very remote places, so all those stories inspired me to share them with my friends at home through photography. That was the moment when I also started to turn my instagram into a more artistic/storytelling one, not only documenting my life with random photos.
Is it your hobby or you work as a photographer?
A bit of everything. I sometimes call myself a lunch-break-weekend photographer, since I travel a lot in the weekends just to explore new cities through photography. And it's a bit of work also because sometimes I also shoot for www.withlocals.com, the start-up that I work for. I often travel to new cities to expand the website and besides the project management part, I also document photographically our visits. Oh, and I am one of the photographers and visual adviser for my brother's rock band, The Different Class, that you can follow at @thedifferentclass - obviously for free :))
Do you make money from instagram?
Still searching. Initially it was simply random things of my life, then it turned into travelling & food, and now I moved all my food photography to @urban.taste.stories, and keep @natural.vagablonde for traveling and lifestyle. At the moment, I think it's all about atmosphere photography, if I can call it like that. I try to surprise people and situations in their natural environment, and comprise all the feelings and vibes of a city through a series of photos that are diverse, from portraits, street lifestyle, architecture, interior design, landscapes. Combining a bit of everything to give life to a short chronicle of how I experienced a city.
On what basis do you choose photos for your instaram?
I always ask myself if the photo tells a story and if it's something that people don't usually look at, so I can create the surprise effect but also leave room for imagination. Also lately I avoid posting photos that I don't feel are outstanding, and bringing something new to the table. I am not very keen on long explanatory captions, and usually I try to create conceptual few words messages that give a poem vibe.
How much time per day do you spend on instagram?
Let's say maybe 2 hours of intermittent scrolling spread around the whole day. I usually post one picture a day, and check out what my favorite photographers also posted.
Where do you find inspiration for photos?
I just go out, open my eyes, and it's there. When I enter my photographer mode, my visual attention enhances and I notice all sort of beautifully hidden stories, on the faces of people that pass by, in the blending colors of nature and in the architecture that reveals the lifestyle of the locals. I don't plan my photos, neither start with a theme in mind. It's pure street observation.
Do you have a favorite instagrammer?
I have some accounts that inspire me, all related to traveling, cooking and lifestyle. Some examples: @alexstrohl @food52 @kpunkka @lookslikefilm @sejkko @justinablakeney @_foodstories_ @wisslaren @davide @psihotrop @sandracristu @ovidiupop @lavinia_cernau
