The self-taught Danish photographer Kenneth Nguyen is one of a growing number of camera enthusiasts to find a degree of fame through the photo-sharing community Instagram thanks to some vertigo-inducing selfies.
He told Metroxpress recently how he went from setting up a profile just over two years ago to commanding an audience of more than 60,000 followers.
According to Nguyen, the platform has afforded him many opportunities.
“I’ve got a lot of things out of being on Instagram,” he said.
“It’s led to a lot of travelling. For example, companies and tourist offices have invited me to London and Italy several times, New York a couple of times and Rio de Janeiro. You can show your work to the whole world and meet like-minded people. It’s a medium that is constantly challenging you to do something new, improve and keep up.”
Must follow
Nguyen has been featured several times on Instagram’s ‘must follow’ lists, which has contributed to his success in attracting followers. But he has also caught people’s attention with death-defying selfies taken from the tops of tall structures such as a 4G mobile phone tower on Copenhagen’s Refshaleøen.
“That was the highest point I’ve photographed from, and it was also the most stupid,” he said.
“I didn’t know what it was, so I just climbed up. That was quite dangerous in terms of radiation. And I sat all the way up at the top on an area the size of a little stool. With no security.”
Nguyen has, however, vowed not to repeat the feat and these days is mainly occupying himself with portraits.
