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#YouthMonth: The Instagram King, Gareth Pon

By Ruth Cooper

1 Jun 2016

1 Jun 2016

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What was it like winning Top African Instragrammer in both 2014 and 2015?

It was really a huge honour. The first year it happened it really took me by surprise, I was just doing my thing, loving Instagram, and when it was announced on Twitter I actually had a very sudden reaction because of the shock! I then sent out another tweet a little later thanking the guys at African Blogger Awards. It’s amazing that there are platforms like this that acknowledge influential people in Africa.

Image by Lauren Randolph

Your career allows you to travel and meet interesting people; where and who have been your favorite places and people to get acquainted with?

The list of friends I’ve met through my travels is honestly endless! I’ve met some of my closest friends, some of who I talk to on a daily basis. My favourite European city so far has been Amsterdam; I love the bicycle culture there and it’s just such a beautiful place to explore. The most memorable trip so far has definitely been Jordan; I travelled with my friends @lilyrose & @unclescrooch and got to meet a few other instagrammers along the way. Jordan is honestly the most beautiful place I’ve had the opportunity to explore.

How has Instagram changed your life?

In many, many ways. I would have never done half the things I’ve had the opportunity to do if it weren’t for Instagram. I think the main thing for me has been the ability to connect with amazing creatives from all over the globe. When I initially starting taking Instagram more seriously it was quite a risk, I was on course to setting up my own production studio or using the money I had saved to travel and meet people I’d connected with on Instagram. I had no idea if it would even amount to anything, but the one thing I did know is that I wanted to meet all the creatives I had met via Instagram. I took the leap and I’m glad I made the choice that I did. I’ve always been someone who really loves meeting new people and Instagram, at its core, is that – it’s the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who share your passion for photography and travel.

The common courtesy of a subtle distraction. Featuring @mishka.patel Inspired by @bird.ee #latergram #spotthegprocket #gpmeetsmu #whatmauritiuslookslike

A photo posted by Gareth Pon (@garethpon) on May 14, 2016 at 10:05am PDT

Can you explain the process of setting up the official South African Instagramers community as well as your current role in this community.

The process of setting up the local community involved reaching out to Phil Gonzales, the original founder of the global Instagramers community. We then built up a connection and then I was appointed as the lead of the South African community. I then connected with individuals from different cities around South Africa and over the same weekend we launched the national communities in 2013. My current role is overseeing these ever growing communities and being a link for relating communities around the world. It’s an organic process, a lot of the team get involved because of their passion for Instagram and it’s really directly translated into seeing some of the greatest instameets happen on the continent.

What advice would you give people or companies when it comes to harnessing the power of Instagram?

Instagram is an opportunity to tell visual stories about yourself or your brand. People often overlook this and just treat it like another social media platform, hand it over to the intern and post random photos that, in reality, no one cares about. As an individual or a brand, you need to harness the power and opportunity of creating a visually appealing story that people can follow.

How would you describe your approach to photography and film? What, for you, makes an engaging image?

I always joke with friends, I tell them I try to capture an image (photo or video) that you can’t Google. That said, I try different angles, I think before I shoot and if I don’t 'feel' it I won’t take a photo. Whenever possible, I also try to capture an image that evokes emotion, if I can accomplish that then the way the image looks isn’t really my priority, the feeling and narrative behind the image is what matters the most.

We're all in this together #spotthegprocket #thisissouthafrica #meetsouthafrica #southafricaletsme

A photo posted by Gareth Pon (@garethpon) on May 9, 2016 at 10:26pm PDT

What type of images on Instagram get you pushing that heart icon?

Lately I’ve been really intrigued by really strong creatively thought-out images. Even though I’m still inspired by travel photos, I feel that I’ve been drawn to more of a curated visual consumption when I look at images – I search for images that harness emotion and have strong creative concepts.

There are so many new career options and paths for young people today. What would be your advice for any youngsters trying to forge their own path?

Don’t be scared of failure. Fail as much as you can, that’s the only way you’ll find what you love – and when you discover that passion let it kill you, because you’ll realise that all that failure in the past was just stepping stones leading to where you were meant to be.

Our dreams in the sky, find us through the clouds #makeportraits featuring @solarisitu #spotthegprocket #thisissouthafrica

A photo posted by Gareth Pon (@garethpon) on Mar 2, 2016 at 8:52am PST

How do you see the phenomena of social media influencers developing?

I’ve always said that the term 'influencer' is a very loose term - it’s volatile and I’ve never marketed myself as an influencer, but rather as a photographer, filmmaker and creative consultant who so happens to have a fair following on Instagram. With that said, I feel that the influencers who have a creative skill (in whatever form), are the ones who will find their way into the future of how this world of social media is evolving. You see, numbers will always be there and numbers will always draw attention/popularity – but someone wise once told me that anything gained quickly is just as quickly lost. All my friends who are doing very well within the industry are those who have utilised Instagram just as another medium, not their main medium – life outside of social media needs to still go on and in a very real way. Creation and creativity should always hold presidence over 'influence', whether you’re an influencer yourself or a brand.

If you could travel back in time and give a message to your teenage self, what would it be?

I’d quote my favourite film, Big Fish: “I've been nothin' but myself since the day I was born, and if you can't see that it's your failin', not mine.” In the hope that I would encourage myself to take more risks and to not be scared to pursue what I really love.

@southafrica National Instameet 2015 from Gareth Pon on Vimeo.

Do you still dream of being an astronaut?

Every day and every night!

What are you currently working on?

A short film about Ruramai Musekiwa for Red Bull Amaphiko.

What is your favorite emoji?

The little poo or the Vulcan live long and prosper. But it depends who I am talking to ;)

garethpon.com
www.instagram.com/garethpon
vimeo.com/garethpon