#BehindtheFeed: Meet the Man Behind @CincyGram

As part of a new series for the Kinglet blog to go #BehindTheFeed of our favorite Instagram accounts, I chatted with the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Dave Schmidt. We launched in Cincinnati this past February and we've had the pleasure of working with him alongside some projects. Looking through his feed, you can't help but see the city from such a unique and inspiring perspective.

1) You've grown quite an impressive following...your work is amazing! When did you start the account and what inspired you to do so?

I am very appreciative to all my followers and supporters out there. It takes a lot of time shooting but I love doing it. I started the account with my friend as a hobby because I had hurt my knee and couldn't run like I used to. I love being outdoors and this was a way to get outside. I started walking around town with my friend and taking photographs and it just developed from there. 6 months in he was burnt out from it all and I took it completely over and ran with it. It has been very fun seeing the amount of support I have been given for my feed. No real inspiration other than being able to enjoy the outdoors.

2) I noticed the #BeSomebody hashtag in your profile - can you tell us about that?

The #besomebody is an organization that is all about supporting inspiring artists to be what they want to be. It allows artists of all kinds to have a financial backing if they choose to do so. What I mean by that is, a photographer can setup their account and offer different types of classes to others interested. It is a really amazing organization that is definitely inspiring. Currently, it is still expanding but it is a movement that has many artist offering their services to others.

3) Tough question, but what is one of your favorite parts of the city to shoot?

That is a tough question, I think my favorite part of the city would be Over the Rhine. Seeing the growth and development over the last 10 years and just 4 years since I have been doing photography is amazing. It is so diverse with restaurants, shops and culture that I love shooting there. I love being able to still see the city from OTR when you look down the streets. I think that gives it a nice twist to it. I really enjoy shooting the older types of buildings in OTR.

4) What's your favorite account on Instagram right now?

Well that is another difficult question to answer. I know I inspire others, but other artists also inspire me. @jasonbayer @dave_dotson @ducinnati @gmsvachphotography @mpcomebackid are some of my favorite accounts on Instagram. All very great artists and I have shot with these artists many times. I really enjoy getting out with other photographers because we all have a different eye and we all have different perspectives and that makes it so cool to see the final photograph.

5) Do you have a tip you could offer to all of the aspiring photographers that follow you?

Keep shooting. You will hear a lot of times, photographers getting in a funk or not feeling creative and taking a break from photography or Instagram, but you've got to keep shooting. Keep going out there and find your creativity again. Next, keep learning. With that I mean, be proactive and ask other photographers in the area to go shoot with you. Many photographers are approachable and really thats where I learned the most. I keep asking photographers to go shoot and then when we meet up, I ask them tons of questions to learn more about photography. Lastly, be creative. You can shoot downtown a million times but each time is going to be different. Be creative with your mind and camera and the end result will be one of a kind.

Thanks for your time, @cincygram!

Work small, dream big,

Team Kinglet