Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Si Qi @preserve

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

My name is Si Qi and I’m a fresh graduate with a totally unrelated diploma (Chemical Engineering, to be specific) to what I love doing. I’m a creative who shoots film, .RAW and draws.

I’m from 1°17′22″ N, 103°51′00″ E, Singapore.

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

Topics of interest… hmm, having a themed feed. I consider my Instagram as a gallery so I would curate specifically chosen photos before posting them.

I mainly post doodles, products, people (including myself) and architecture. Sometimes I would just post a cat because I love cats. My dream is to walk a cat.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

Well, I wanted to ‘preserve’ memories with photographs. We keep this love in a photograph~ We made these memories for ourselves~ Where our eyes are never closing~ Hearts are never broken~ Times forever frozen still~

Yup, that Ed Sheeran moment.

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

Snapseed and Phonto.

I use Snapseed to edit the saturation and contrast of my photographs. I don’t like to manipulate my photographs too much. After that, I would open Phonto to put credit on my photographs. Sometimes I would hide it so that it’s not obvious. I did it so well, my friends would go to my Instagram when they are bored just to look for the credit.

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

Who inspires me? I would say @moonothing for his amazing minimalist illustrations. Sigh, it’s not like he is going to notice me. (SENPAI PLEASE NOTICE ME!)

But, usually I get inspired by Instagram hubs and from there I would stalk the featured artists.

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

Film photography. You all need that Kodak Brownie again. You all need to smell that fresh roll of film again. It’s all about the process of taking photographs and then processing and developing it. It’s about thinking of what to shoot and waiting for that perfect moment before hitting that shutter.

I always live by the quote, “Photography is the power of observation, not the application of technology.”

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

Being an influencer allowed me to speak out for people in need and show people that they can do what they love to do, even with strong objections from society.
I love art. I love photography. I want to wear black everyday, even during festive seasons. I might even wear black during my wedding in the future! #NewTrend
Do what you love, do what you want, as long as it doesn’t hurt people emotionally or physically. Don’t let people bring you down. We can do anything. We don’t need to listen to people’s comments.

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

Number one, be neutral. Number two, pick an influencer whom you think would provide high-quality photographs and quality reviews/advertisements. Number three, it would be best not to pre-write the captions for the influencer.

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

Get off the internet and dive into the world of reality to get your ideas and inspiration. Then, get back to social media and post it.

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

It helps to improve my photography skills and boost my creativity. Also, by partnering and working together, both of us can achieve our needs. What a win-win situation, right?!