Running a small business from home isn’t easy. You’re either working alone or with limited help, and getting the word out on social media without a specific team devoted to marketing can be challenging. On top of that, to stand out from the crowd, eye-catching photos for your business’s Instagram and Twitter feeds are necessary.
But hiring a professional photographer might not be financially possible for everyone, and smartphone camera photography takes time even though it’s easy to start learning.
So when South Tangerang-based food photographer Fernanda Gunsan announced his free services via Twitter, he was soon flooded with enthusiastic requests from individuals and small businesses.
Image credit: @FernandaGunsan
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge financial impact on a lot of people, so many took on additional jobs to support themselves and their families. While small home businesses have been around long before the outbreak, more people with cooking or baking skills have started to sell their creations online.
Fernanda Gusnan was fully aware of this and decided to offer the help he was able to give. One 1st June 2020, he announced on Twitter: “Hai, aku lagi buka jasa foto makanan gratis. tinggal kirim aja makanannya. Tapi seminggu cuma bisa foto 2x yah, takut keteteran. Siapa tau temmnya jadi ad yg jualan makanan semasa pandemi ini, boleh dikasi tau. Makasi.”
Image credit: @fernandagunsan
This roughly translates to: “Hi, I’m currently open to taking photos of food for free. Just send me the food. But I can only do shoots twice a week, for fear of being overwhelmed. In case your friends are selling food during the pandemic, spread the word. Thanks.”
He made a similar announcement on Instagram in May, but it didn’t take off until the more recent Twitter post.
If you or someone you know are interested, be sure to reply to the original tweet or Instagram post as Fernanda does not accept DM requests. He will ask some questions about the food product to know its shelf life before getting it delivered to his house in Pamulang, South Tangerang.
Fernanda isn’t only making a lot of small home business owners in South Tangerang and Jakarta happy by being so generous with time and skills, but it also gives him the opportunity to get even better at his craft. It’s a win-win situation.
Image credit: @mlnchlyhill
One of the people who benefited from Fernanda’s offer is Twitter user @mlnchlyhill from Kyurio Milky Pudding, whose pudding delivers to the Jadetabek area. She replied to Fernanda’s tweet out of curiosity, and she admitted to having low expectations because the photos were free of charge. But she was thrilled and grateful when she saw the results, noting that they looked great even without edits.
On 15th June 2020, Fernanda posted what seems like a clarification of his pure intentions, stating that he usually gave the food he received to his mother or to the nurses at the Cinere Siloam Hospital. Don’t worry, Fernanda – a lot of people appear to be very thankful for your services!
While social media platforms have been getting a lot of flak over the years, they can also be effective community-building tools. In a time when most of us are spending a majority of our waking hours at home as a result of COVID-19, social media shows that people will always find a way to connect and offer each other support. There’s no form of help that’s insignificant.
Also read:
Cover image adapted from: @fernandagunsan and @fernandagunsan
Enjoying The Smart Local Indonesia? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more stories like this.
These family-friendly itineraries in Singapore will bring your kids and loved ones to educational sites,…
Tourists are now allowed back into Bali on regular visas on arrival, as Indonesia's tourism…
Good news - the new Singapore VTL for Indonesians has been announced by the city-state.…
Keraton Kasepuhan is one of Cirebon's oldest palaces and it has stunning architecture and an…
Hey Beach Cafe is the cafe for your next Instagram post with coastal-themed decorations inspired…
Check out Dusun Bambu in Bandung, a Sundanese-style resort which offers scenic nature views and…