Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Jenna Echakowitz @echoesofsummer

1) Tell us a little about yourself. What are you doing now and where do you come from?

I started dabbling in photography from a very young age – probably around ten or eleven, with plastic disposable film cameras. I moved to digital when my grandfather gave me my first point-and-shoot at about thirteen – and my passion and love for it has grown ever since. After high-school, I studied photography professionally for two years. I’ve been freelancing for about four. Now I work as a student advisor and studio manager at the college I graduated from, while also continuing with freelance work.

2) What are your topics of interest? What do you post on Instagram the most?

My topics of interest are definitely people, travel, and unusual spaces. I post a lot of portraits on Instagram, trying to capture the essence of a person in the image I take of them. In that way, Instagram has taught me how to better interact with people, how to engage with them in order to create portraits that speak of their personalities and characters.
I also travel quite a bit around my own country, and Instagram then serves as my journal – chronicling the places I see, and the misadventures that undoubtedly happen along the way.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

It might sound super hipster-ish, but it’s actually built around my name. The first syllable of my surname is Echo, and there’s a tendency within my family to use that first syllable within whatever ventures we set up – my aunt has used it, my dad has used it, and my cousin’s use it, too.
As for the rest, I’m born in the middle of March – the tail-end of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, leading into autumn.
Hence, I am born in the last echoes of summer – EchoesOfSummer, see?

4) What are some apps you use to edit your photos? Share with us your photo-editing routine!

Depending on which device I’ve taken the image, I’ll either start off in Lightroom (if it’s a DSLR shot) or jump straight into VSCO (if I’ve taken the image on my iPhone). I do basic corrections (cropping, straightening, brightening the eyes, etc.) on Lightroom, then sync the images to my phone via Dropbox or something similar, and do colour/filter processing in VSCO. Sometimes, if there are some spots to heal or distracting elements in the shot, I take those out in Snapseed (where I also sometimes do a little contract adjustment). Other than that, I don’t really edit my images a whole lot.

5) Any Instagrammers whom you really like? Which Instagrammer inspires you the most?

So many to name, so little time!
In terms of portrait inspiration, I adore @basementfox, @jesseherzog, @agataserge and @_marchayden – Hayden’s portraits really push me to photograph people in unconventional ways, and his post-processing is my favourite thing ever.
I draw a lot of travel inspiration from accounts like @pangea, @stevemccurryofficial and @into_theworld. I’ve always wanted to see what the world has to offer, and these accounts inspire me to do just that – and they also give me a list of places to start off with.

6) If there’s one thing your fellow Instagrammers just gotta try now, what’s it gonna be?

Scanography – not enough people realize that you don’t need a camera to make images. It sounds completely ridiculous, sticking your head into a flatbed scanner, but the results are always really cool and it’s a lot of fun. I wish more people experimented with it – it’s a break from all the over-done trends floating around right now.

7) What’s your favorite part about being an influencer?

Getting to connect with the people behind the brands – the users and the consumers and the enthusiasts. My favourite is partnering with brands that are conscious about where their strength comes from – the public. It’s always nice to work with companies that don’t forget the little people.

8) What are some of your top tips to brands for running campaigns? How do you maintain authenticity?

My top tips for brands looking to run authentic and engaging campaigns is to remember where they come from – to be invested in what interests their consumer base. And be genuinely invested – show appreciation for the people who have gotten you where you are. Listen to what they are saying about your brand – their likes and dislikes; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Your consumers are the ones who will give you the most honest feedback.

9) What would your advice be on the importance of quality and original content?

Content is what drives your online reputation – it’s super, super important. In this age of social-media marketing, it’s probably the most important. People like to see content that they can engage with – stuff that is relevant and up-to-speed with current trends or fads. Things that they can identify with.
Especially with it comes to brands that have hubs in different countries – people don’t like to see content that has been copy-pasted from head-office stock imagery. It doesn’t resonate with them. Original content produced and marketed in specific countries – specifically for the consumers in those countries – resonates far better with an intended target audience. It shows people that the brand is consciously thinking of them and their specific demographic.

10) What do you like best about partnering with brands?

The thing I like most about partnering with brands is the eagerness most of them show in regards to wanting to engage with their user base. In contacting an influencer, they’ve already done their research – what people are interested in, what kind content they’re engaging with. It shows that they want to move their social media profiles forward. I like that sort of investment.

Topics:

• Animals & Pets
• Cars & Motorcycles
• Food & Drink
• Nature & Outdoors
• Photography
• Travel

Country:

South Africa