LIVES Instagram influencer Nathan Rollinson on his move to Bath

“All the hard-work that goes into the photographs stays unnoticed”

NATHAN ROLLINSON Brand consultant, content creator and photographer Nathan talks about his Insta life and moving to Bath

Originally from Cambridge and the Midlands, Nathan moved to London in 2008 and started snapping images of the hotels, restaurants and shops he was hanging out in, for his Instagram account. Soon his social media hobby was attracting a huge following, and as result, Nathan founded Rollinson London in 2015. As a brand consultant Nathan, who was born profoundly deaf, works with many international brands, helping promote them to his 80k followers.

I used to go to theatre school every Saturday until the age of 15 and soon after, I was selected to become a TV presenter for the Cartoon Network, and British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT) programmes.

The Queen inspired me during my first interaction with her at the Royal Enclosure ground at Royal Ascot.

My passion for travel and hotels has brought me to my current work. There has always been something special about exploring places and visiting hotels. I am always eager to find out more about the history and the offerings of a place.

People used to be a little confused when I said I was a content creator. Partly because doing brand reviews on Instagram was quite new back then. After a while, most of my audience understood what the role involved and they always felt inspired when I told them what I do – it is, ultimately, a dream job.

It is important to work with the brands that reflect your brand identity and the interests of your audience too.

On Instagram I only show the beautiful parts. All the hard-work that goes into the photographs stays unnoticed behind the scenes.

A hard part of this job is how competitive this industry can be as there are several other content creators out there. Also, sometimes the client gives you a very tight schedule to create the work in few days, and this is stressful when you have to look for another photographer, find a location whilst considering the weather too – but most of the time, it all goes well.

I am never without my phone, which is an iPhone X. On an average day I spend about 8-9 hours checking emails, social media platforms, editing, photographing, and texting. I try and switch my phone off after 9.30pm to allow myself to retreat away from the technology and have me time. But honestly this is rare, and I do find it hard to switch off.

Lockdown affected my job massively as the content that I offer is based on luxury in the travel, hotel, food, fashion and beauty industry. Many of my audience had lost their interests and changed their priorities. Also I decided to distance myself away from social media too as it wasn’t the right time to showcase such offerings but instead, I made the decision to support the communities in a different way.

Having been deaf from birth, I do wonder if my observational skills compensate for my lack of hearing. I don’t tend to talk about my disability as I want to focus on showcasing the work and my ability.

I have adored Bath since I was 18 and first visited. I always vowed that I’d move here one day. The neo-classical Georgian buildings never cease to amaze me – I am a huge fan of the Georgian era. Also, my partner grew up near Bath, and it was a perfect opportunity for me to move during the lockdown period as I realised that I am ready to move on, and have a quieter, and more balanced life.

My future ambition is to set up my own hotel somewhere in Somerset, and merge into interior design for private clients. However things might change again, as life is full of surprises. While it is nice to have an aim, it is equally wonderful to go with the flow and see what happens. n

For more: www.therollinsonlondon.com