I’ve always loved all things creative, but have had the curse of getting bored very easily.
- Dr. Seuss’ Oh The Places You’ll Go! which is something I always have with me—it helps me to remember there’s an adventure hidden inside all of us.
- Samsung NX Series Lenses. Ideal for traveling, creating, shooting and making awesome photos/videos.
- My MacBook Pro 13″ for all those times when I need to process images or catch up on some TV shows.
- A business card on top of my MacBook Pro, because you never know who you’re going to meet.
- Samsung NX1 Body, 28MP, 4K Video, what more could you ask for? I’ve got a Lucky Straps Leather strap to keep it close at hand.
- Gaffer Tape, because it’s cool and can hold planes together. It also works great for basically anything.
- Samsung S6 Edge, for the on-the-go photo and editing moments, so I can WhatsApp my mom and show some behind the scenes on Snapchat.
- Zoom H6 Audio Recorder for interviews on the go.
- My Passports. I have dual citizenship—the Mauritian Passport is great because it lets me get around Europe much more easily.
- Kindle. I’m currently reading Creativity, Inc.
- Reuzel Greece Wax, for the dapper hair do’s
- A leather bound notebook, for taking notes on the go.
- My wallet, with a gym card—in order to stay creative I believe you need to stay active!
- Level over noise-cancelling headphones for people like me who always seem to end up next to crying babies on planes.
- Coffee, because #MorningsSuck
- Gorillapod mobile tripod for those moments where you need them the most.
- An iPod Classic, music is the one thing that helps me stay focused and find my rhythm whenever I’m out creating.
- A pen, because pencils are over-rated.
- Retro Super Future Glasses and Clip on sunnies. I’m pretty blind without them and the sunglasses are great for hiding my eyes when I’m tired!
Who are you, and what do you make?
I am Gareth Pon (@garethpon); a half Mauritian, half Chinese, Asian-born South African. I believe in ridiculous dreams, I love the color yellow and I have an obsession with ice cream. I love hugs and, if you ever meet me, you’ll notice I always have a smile on my face. I also collect backpacks, wallets and Slinkies and will gladly welcome any of the pre-mentioned items as gifts.
I’ve always loved all things creative, but have had the curse (or blessing, depending on how you look at it) of getting bored very easily. Because of this inherent tendency I’ve had a very interesting creative journey—I’ve done everything from fashion to 3D animation, even briefly dabbling in architecture. At this moment filmmaking and photography are my two loves, however my heart always brings me back to the moving image. I have a yearning to discover human emotion and as a result I make photos and videos with the hope of capturing it.
What do you keep on hand at all times?
My backpack! I’ve always got a backpack with me, it’s got all my most important items in it.
You started Instagrammers South Africa, a community of people sharing South African culture and events through Instagram—what are some of the most exciting things happening in these online communities right now?
The South African Instagram community is full of vibrant individuals who love capturing their respective cities through photography. Every day I see people capturing the untouched beauty of their particular regions, using Instagram and instameets as a great channel to showcase South Africa in a really original way.
Most recently, @instabikerides has taken off. Some awesome guys and girls are involved in combining instameets with cycling. This is something that isn’t my initiative, but an amazing example of how people have really made Instagram a platform of collaboration!
Your website notes that you first wanted to be an astronaut. You’ve given us your daily essentials for your earthbound job—what items are your must haves for potential interstellar travel?
I would take a slice of pizza, ice cream and definitely a packet of gummy sweets. Other than those three items, I’d obviously take a camera, enough memory cards to last me a few light years, a onesie (do you get space-suit onesies?) and my Kindle. I think I’d have to take a few friends and family with me to make sure I don’t go mad while I’m star-trekking. I’d try to get my hands on a Babel Fish too, just in case I run into any aliens while I’m up in space.
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