Upcoming Hong Kong Instagram Project

**Thanks to everyone who contributed to this campaign. It was a success and I was able to complete all the projects necessary. This project has now come to a close. Anyone contributing to my PayPal account from now on is making a general donation to my website and YouTube account. I will still email back a thank-you but this project is now closed for new contributors. Thank you very much for your support. I will leave this post up and follow up with a new one soon.

In less than 2 weeks I'll be in Hong Kong on a work assignment. MonogramAsia has invited me to shoot a series of YouTube videos for their upcoming event with renowned landscape photographer Michael Kenna. To accomplish this, I asked Ryan from Arcade Original to join me on this project as my videographer and editor. Since I'll already be in Hong Kong with no family obligations (my wife is not coming) I decided to produce some smaller projects for myself. I'm flying out a week early with Ryan and we're going to hook up with some old and new friends to shoot some unique videos. I will also have some pre-production equipment and review cameras with me from Fujifilm, Leica and Canon (sorry no Ricoh). Because of this, I have some unexpected expenses to cover. To raise extra funds, I wanted to do so in a creative way, as well as offer unique content for those who wish to help. Instead of selling prints, conducting workshops or asking for outright donations, I decided to create a private IG account. How will this funded IG project work?

With a one time donation to this project, you as my supporter will receive these unique features found only within this private account:

•  exclusive pictures and video content
• daily IG stories while I wander the streets of Hong Kong
• extra back stories and b-shots in conjunction with my main IG account @bigheadtaco
• previews to all my video projects in Hong Kong
• tutorials on image capture and post processing on the images that I post
• Q&A posts. I'll answer every question in a timely manner
• exclusive discounts and prizes from my sponsors

This doesn't mean I won't be posting daily to my main Instagram account @bigheadtaco. I will give my 100% effort (I treat every image as a deliverable) on all my social media accounts and platforms. However, for those who wish to donate and participate in this experimental 'crowdfunding' project, I will produce unique and exclusive content. I won't be using stories on my main IG account, nor will I post any videos (for now). I also won't be running any contests or giveaways on my main account. I won't be running tutorials or Q&A sessions either. I'm saving all this bonus content for this special IG project.

To make this project happen, there is a $10USD minimum donation. I've done the math and a $5 minimum donation would be eaten up in service and transaction fees. For those who donate more than the minimum, for every $10 over the minimum amount, I will enter your name again towards prizes and contests. For instance, if you donate $40, your name will be entered 4 times towards prizes and you'll have 4 entries towards the contests. Currently I have two confirmed sponsors with prizes and discount codes, and more sponsors are on the way. So far, Two Stops Apparel has donated two of their awesome t-shirts, and @YBPutro Straps has donated two beautiful premium leather straps. There will also be special discount codes from various sponsors (you'll find the codes and details inside the the IG account). 

Again, this is just a special project to raise extra funds for my upcoming trip. If you currently enjoy my YouTube videos, IG account and this blog, there is no obligation to sign up. Please continue enjoying my articles and videos and images. However, for those who wish to contribute to this special project, I appreciate your support and help. I'm really excited to create content for this exclusive account for you to enjoy and participate in.

If this project seems interesting and you wish to support it with a donation, here are the steps to follow:

• make a one-time donation to my PayPal account (info@bigheadtaco.com). The link is at top right section of this blog or go directly to PayPal.com
• minimum donation of $10 USD (and increments of $10 USD for extra entry for prizes and contests). You can use your PayPal account, or most credit cards
• I will email you back (with the address you provided to PayPal) with the private IG account name
• please request to follow this account and once confirmed, I will accept your request to follow

That's pretty much it. I'm really excited to give this project a try and I look forward to interacting with you all during my trip. If you have any further questions, please email me directly. You can decide to join at any time, including during my project in Hong Kong. Just remember you will miss the IG stories since the posts disappear after 24 hours (just like Snapchat). If you decide to support this project and you live in Hong Kong, you'll also have a chance to meet me in person as I'll be continually updating my location. Don't hesitate to message me (DM me directly to keep the comments  section clean) and let's try and meet up.

Thanks again for your support, look forward to all my upcoming projects, and happy shooting!

BHT