What It's Like To Be An Influencer's

Why settle for an Instagram boyfriend when you can get a professional? Meet NICOLE QUEK, 23, a photographer who follows DJ-host Sonia Chew around (including on her travels!) to take pics for her social media.

- Celine Tan

8 DAYS: You were at Sonia’s 8 DAYS Swimsuit shoot (the issue was on newsstands last week; see the pics and read the story at 8days.sg) to take photos of Sonia for her social media. How did you come to be doing this?

NICOLE QUEK: I was hired to assist on the video production for SSBD [Toggle web travel series whose name stands for Same Same, But Different] after I graduated from Visual Comms in Temasek Poly. That’s how I met Sonia. But after a while, I stopped work with SSBD, and Sonia hired me to be her photographer. I’m been working with her for about two years.

Official influencer photographer. Now that’s a job title that didn’t exist until a few years ago. Do you work for Sonia full-time?

No, I’m a freelancer photographer and I shoot for Sonia when she has events or shoots, when she needs pictures for an Instagram campaign with a brand, or when she travels for SSBD. I also shoot a lot of Korean concerts and events. I shot the Big Bang concert here and also helped out with the photography when G-Dragon came to town. I also shot the recent Britney Spears concert. Yes, I speak Korean and I try to make friends with the stars when they come.

How often do you see Sonia?

I spend a lot of time with her lah. It could be every day when we travel for a show, or sometimes, I won’t see her for two weeks. But both of us like to do things that are different, and try new and refreshing things — working with her gives me the opportunity to showcase

what I can do.

What’s the craziest thing you two have done in the name of getting a great shot?

So far, all the shoots have been really crazy!