The Instagram Interviews: Eric Rubens
1. Could you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?
My name is Eric Rubens. I’m 28 years old, live in San Diego and work full time as an electrical engineer. I traveled a ton playing tennis growing up so photography was a way to remember the places I visited.
2. When did you start uploading to Instagram, and how has your account grown since then?
I started a few years ago but only started posting higher quality pictures about a year or year and a half ago. My account has grown pretty fast lately since I put a larger emphasis on building relationships and engagement with the people who follow me.
3. How would you compare Instagram to other marketing channels?
I only use Instagram as a source of marketing my photography. I post pics occasionally on Twitter and Facebook but don’t put any effort into growing on those platforms. I think Twitter could be the most effective but I invested my time in learning Instagram more so I don’t understand how to use my time effectively on Twitter.
4. You mentioned you’re an engineer as well as a photographer. Is there a point where you would ever give up engineering to pursue photography full time?
I don’t think I’d ever give up engineering for photography. Obviously photography is more fun but it would be hard for me to justify throwing away all my years in school. Also, I don’t like the lighting in the middle of the day so photography as a hobby fits well into my schedule.
5. What advice would you give to a photographer looking to market himself better on Instagram?
I would advise people to respond to comments and actively comment on others’ feeds. I started growing much faster when I began networking and responding to people who spent the time to comment on my pics.