Jess Siggers, or Porthjess as you'll probably know her, captures colour-soaked photography featuring Bristol’s rainbow hues that never fails to show just how vibrant our city is. As community manager of IGers Bristol, Yuup experience curator and with a far reaching social following of her own, Jess knows good Bristol photography.
You don’t necessarily need all the expensive photography kit to take great shots of Bristol, and in Jess's create colourful Bristol photography experience she shares all her top tips on capturing rainbow shots of the city on your phone's camera - all on a wander around some of Bristol’s most colourful streets. Alongside snapping great photos, Jess also shares her Instagram knowledge in the experience to help you both create and share your shiny new photos on social media.
We asked Jess about her love for colour, what Bristol means to her and why she decided to create an experience for Yuup...
How did you get into photography and running the IGERS community?
I fell into photography by accident, when my daughter was small and we’d head off on epic walks, armed with snacks and my camera. I joined Instagram in 2013 to showcase my photography and also promote Bristol’s colourful side and not long afterwards was asked to take over running the IGers Bristol photography community, back when it had less than a thousand followers. Today there are more than thirty thousand in our community, all photographing their way across our city and showing it off to the rest of the world!
Why do you love Bristol?
Three B’s - bold, beautiful and big-hearted.
What is your one Bristol tip for someone visiting the city?
As we’re a maritime city, our harbourside is a must. Food lovers, street art hunters, history fans – it has it all! Plus you might even get to spot a balloon passing overhead if you’re lucky.
"Bristol is a city with a buzz like no other, where you feel anything is possible."
What moments throughout your journey with Instagram really stand out for you?
My first ever paid job via Instagram was with a well-known paint company, who asked me to create my own version of a Bristol skyline using their paints and wallpaper. Since then I’ve worked on dream projects with Canon, Toyota and Canopy & Stars, but my first love will always be working on Bristol-related projects and being able to work with the Bristol Balloon Fiesta team every year is a childhood dream come true.
What makes being in Bristol special?
It’s a city with a buzz like no other, where you feel anything is possible.
Why have you decided to share an experience on Yuup?
I’ve hosted similar walking and photography tours by myself on and off over the years but being able to fine-tune them and advertise via Yuup alongside other creatives makes me feel as though we’re all part of a team!
What do you hope people will get out of doing your experience?
I’d like the people who take part in my experience to come away feeling much more confident at taking photos with their phone and realising that fancy kit’s not always necessary! Hopefully they’ll also enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery too.
Why did you want to become a Yuup experience curator?
I love both Bristol and connecting people equally, so becoming an experience curator and joining the Yuup team was the perfect opportunity to merge those two passions.
What do you think makes a great experience?
A great experience to me would be something that leaves you with a skill or some knowledge you weren’t previously in possession of, plus a big smile!
Join Jess on her brilliantly creative outdoor experience and create your own colourful Bristol photography.
