FocusOn Instagramers 1.30: @Kimou53
.
Each week, Instagramers.com discovers new people. People addicted to Instagram, revealing their lives, passions, tips in Instagram. This week, we dedicate our FocusOn, weekly interview number 30 to Kim Leuenberg. Kim is one of our @IgersSuisse (Instagramers Suisse ) member and one of the Switzerland´s user most followed in Instagram.
My name is Kim Leuenberger
.
I’m 19 years old and I will turn 20 the 5th of march (therefore the 53 of my nick! @kimou53).
.
I’m half swiss and my grandmother came from Germany, my grandpa from Hungary, so quite a mix!
I live and always lived in Switzerland, but I’ll soon go in Dublin for 6 months in January 2012, can’t wait!
I used to play a lot of tennis until the age of 18, so I got the chance to travel around Europe, especially in Spain (Barcelona) which is my second home. I speak french as my mother language but also speak german, english and spanish, which is really practical because I talk a lot, once my shyness gone it’s impossible to stop me. lol.
(profile pic by: @evee78)
.
I’m a really impulsive person and I like to do things I want to do immediately without thinking to consequences. Therefore I’m often lost in the citys and I can’t find my way back because I just followed some random way or jumped into a boat that was leaving one minute later. I’m always scared to miss something so I never regret being impulsive.
I wish I could have lived in the 1960’s. I just like the idea oft he mentality revolution that happened at that time, yes, I’m quite a hippy in heart. I’m a music lover, I just need music all the time.
My iphone is full of folk, pop, rock music. The music videos are also very inspring for me !! In this moment I can’t stop watching the music video of« Wenn Worte Meine Sprache Wären » from Tim Bendzko. I’d like to be able to film something like that someday..!
.
I think that photography and music are two arts that can really be good combined!
Therefore I’m planning to study at the university oft he Arts of London next year, in those subjects, it would be my dream to become a professional photographer. I always thought I wanted to be a doctor (even if I hate hospitals) but after trying to study pharmacy at the university of Basel, I figured that I needed something more artistic and less serious. I can be serious but only for a limited time
My friends say that I’m a tourist, but I prefer the word dreamer. I’m optimistic and an happy person most oft he time, I’m laughing quite all the time and always joking and teasing my friends. I’d love to travel the world and I really enjoy meeting new people !
I love my country, but I think I need to live by the sea, so I can’t wait to start a new life in Dublin, and share it with you through Instagram!
Thank you Kim for graciously accepting to answer our weekly interview, you can see all her gallery in Instagram here.
.
When did you first join IG?
.
I joined IG in February 2011… I was just looking for an app to edit pictures on the appstore and IG was number one so I had it during a long time on my phone but never used it, cause yes, I never read the notice! So one time, I wanted to try this thing and got so excited when I realized it wasn’t just an editing app but more like a twitter for photography..!
.
Why are you so addicted to IG? And how would you define your style?
.
I really enjoy the simple concept of instagram! You like pics, can comment them, follow a person whose work please to you… It’s really about sharing with others and it’s sooo easy to use! I think the contact was the most important thing to me.. I’ve met extraordinary people on it, and we use photography as a simple way of communication.
I have a very wide imagination, I’m always thinking of a new project.. I like creative pictures, but also landscapes.. I try to combine them as much as I can, and I’m having a lot of fun to put my “toys” (how my friends call them) in different situations. I like to do colourful pictures, it’s always hard for me to put a picture in black and white even if I’m a fan of those fabulous b&w that I see on Instagram. The thing which is the most important to me it’s to tell a story with my images, I like to combine them with quotes or lyrics that inspire me, therefore I’m really attached to @aleesio and @bradpuet’s movement called @lifetomusic.
.
Were you already fond of photography before you started instagramming?
.
I took my first photo at the age of 4.
It was a picture of my dad and when we saw it after development, it was terrible. His head was staying in the center and all the blue sky above, I’ve understand qui quickly how to center a subject in a photo… Then we had our first dslr camera when I started playing a lot of tennis competition, so it was good to shoot some action pics, and since then it has always been a great passion for me, always tried to borrow it all the time, my father lent me the camera for my study trip last year in England with my class and in 4 days I took more than 800 pictures!
My friends were happy, and then with Instagram it just became worse. I think I can’t spend more than one minute without thinking photography, everything I see around me is inspiring!
.
For you, which are the 3 best photo apps?
I mainly use Snapseed..! I can do pretty much whatever I want with it and I love how we can easily adjust the filter the way we like it and it’s impossible to have two exact same edit! Then when I need something more specific, I use filterstorm. It’s awesome to erase the pixelisation on a sky for exemple! Before I discovered Snapseed, I was a unconditional fan of camera+ and the clarity mode…! Just awesome.
.
How much time do you spend on IG on an average day? And what do you do?
.
Way too much but never enough ! I see my friend’s pics, try to comment them as much as possible, read the comments that people left on my feed, reply when I have the time.. During the day I try not to spend all my time on it, I check every hour, but in the evening when everybody is here, it’s way more fun to interact and laugh a lot !
.
Which is your favourite picture?
.
It’s a tough one… Well after hesitating for a couple of days I would say the one with my broken hippy van. It’s not the pic on itself but more the story behind it. Everything started with this van, it was the first of my collection, I took it everywhere and had fun to put it in many different situations.
And one month ago I forgot it outside where my mom is working and somebody didn’t see it and drove on it. I was devastated when I saw it. I even cried, everybody was making fun of me hahaha. Then the day after I went outside and started to shoot it again, all broken that it was, and actually had a lot of fun and laughed a lot! When I posted the pic the same night and everybody seemed sorry for my loss but quite amused at the same time! We can always find something good in every situations!
.
What was your first reaction when you had your first Pop? And do you still like the picture?
.
I was extatic! It was one of my favourite picture by the time (and still is) representing the silhouette my three best friends… I was watching TV with some friends and it was really hard to check the scores because we were in the mountains and the reception was sooo bad. Anyway once I checked the pop page and I saw my pic, I had to screenpic it! I used to do that and tag #popular every time one of my pic was pop, I was so proud!
.
Are your “non Instagramming” friends and family members bothered by your IG addiction?
.
Ohhhh yes they are, but they are getting used to now, and I’m trying my best not to be on my iphone when I’m with them! When I started I just spent my days in class on IG, it was so much more interesting then listening to our teachers! I often use my friends or my sister as model for my pictures so I guess they are quite happy to have new profile pics for their facebook account, it’s a win-win thing! My mom actually started using instagram to see my pics while she was gone abroad, and it was a good and easy way to exchange! She even calls me when she sees that one of my pics is getting super popular hahaha!
..
Tell us a little bit about Instagram addiction and users in your country?
.
Switzerland is very tiny country compared to others, but I think that Instagram is getting more and more popular! When I first join, I almost only interacted with people from France, Japan and Spain, then came more and more from Germany too. And since the creation of the IGersSuisse group is way easier to know people of my country! It’s a lot of fun cause Switzerland is a very multi-cultural country, and sometimes it’s hard to cross the culture borders inside the country but with Instagram, everything seems easier! Last week we were all in Lausanne for the instameet and people talked French, German, Italian, Spanish and English. It was quite incredible!
.
A funny anecdote in your short Instagram life?
.
I’m always having a lot of fun on instagram, with my friends @iris_a, @geygey and @giki, we laugh a lot together since I joined! But the most funny thing happened last Saturday at the swiss instameet!
I was taking a group photo of all the instagramers when i notice people saying random and stupid things that didn’t make sense to me, And when I turned my head, there was a naked ass just next to my face… I just looked at it without understanding and then continue to take my pictures… Later when I saw all the pics of the scene on Instagram I finally realized…! It was so funny to have those moments captured forever ahahah. Even the first time I went for an instameet in Lyon, we were doing a photowalk with @evee78 and @vati69, when a guy started a strip-tease just for us. Yes, I guess I’m lucky! Who knows what is waiting for me in my next instameet hahaha!
.
A trick you would recommend?
.
Just find your own style, be original, and if one day you are not inspired, just go back to the source, go out, have fun and the inspiration will automatically come back. At least it works for me! Lol.
.
Something you would say to a new user?
Don’t run after the likes or the followers ! You are missing the real fun of interacting with awesome people!
Who knows, you may find some friends for a lifetime there! Just enjoy it and have fun!
.
A user you would recommend?
Ouuuuuh that is the toughest one !!! I would say all the people that I follow are awesome, and I’m trying to put all my favorites pics under a hashtag (#kimou53faves) and they are mainly from my favorite users !
Now I’m working with some others young instagramers on a project, @ninish, @evanjamesatwood, @haileygolich and @josiahdunham.. !
We come from many different places of the planet and it’s so much fun to create something together with the help of instagram !
.
Thanks Kim! Very glad to share your thoughts here!
@philgonzalez
.
You can see all kIMOU53´S gallery in Instagram here.
