Explore away with Delfina Calpanchay

Her name is Delfina Calpanchay, but you might know her as @incaminata. As an avid traveler, she shares her exciting adventures on Instagram. From tiny villages in Provence, France, to the many wonders of Italy, this Argentinian content creator/part-time teacher keeps increasing our desire to travel the world!  

How did you get started as an influencer?

I started my Instagram account a little over a year ago. I’ve always loved traveling, so I just started posting videos of my travels to keep them as souvenirs. I became familiar with the influencer job, which sparked my interest: I wanted to do some collaborations and get paid for traveling because traveling isn’t always cheap! So I took two online editing courses for mobile video and photo with an academy called Club Life Design. 

I also learned more about Instagram, the algorithms, organizing my feed, finding my niche, and defining the kind of account that I wanted to have. Learning about all of this enabled me to create content of much better quality. I started making viral videos, and most of all, I had a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t. More people started following and liking my posts, and it created a virtuous circle. It was impressive because all of this happened over a couple of months. I have to say that reels played a considerable role in that process. So if you’re reading this and are launching your company, you know what to do!

Why did you choose the Instagram name @incaminata

The Inca part of my Instagram handle is an homage to the civilization. My family comes from this civilization, and my grandmother spoke Quechua, so it was vital for me to have a part of my roots in my name. At the same time, I wanted to find a name connected to travel, so I chose the Spanish word caminata, which is Spanish for “a walk”. The result means “the walk of the Incas.” It’s a play on words to illustrate my wandering process. 

What made you want to move from Paris to Annecy?

Before moving to Annecy, I lived in Paris for four years and worked in a museum behind the Opéra Garnier. Even though I still love this city very much, I decided to move from Paris for practical reasons: Paris was too far from many places. For the time being, I get to do some great collaborations, but my travel expenses aren’t paid for yet, so being far from the places that I enjoy capturing the most was not convenient at all. For instance, anytime I wanted to go to Côte d’Azur, in the south of France, I had to take a train of over 5 hours or drive there for 8 to 9 hours. Annecy is ideally located for us: we’re closer to places such as Italy and Provence, which I love in the Spring!

What’s the most challenging thing about being an influencer? 

I think the trickiest thing is to manage time properly. Instagram is a great tool, but it’s also time-consuming. I have a beautiful community, which I have to engage with a lot. I receive the most beautiful messages, but answering each DM takes a lot of time. Planning everything, from content to music, to travel itineraries, also requires a lot of time, especially if you’re also trying to do some collaborations in the meantime. Handling everything yourself is a lot! It’s like doing several jobs at the same time. 

What do you like the most about your job?

Without a doubt, the love that I receive from people is also what keeps me motivated. I get nothing but positive feedback, which is probably due to my niche. I describe places so that people can connect with them and hopefully want to go there too. Inspiring people to travel is very rewarding, and it pushes to create content for other platforms. I’d love to start a blog and several Spotify playlists in the future because people are attracted by music a lot.

What type of equipment do you use to take photographs?

As of today, I only use the iPhone 11 Pro Max. People keep asking me why, but I don’t use any gimbals, just my hands!

What’s your editing process?

I don’t edit my videos with presets or anything; it’s easier for me since I do everything from my phone. Also, Instagram loves it when you use their tools to edit your post, so I only used music available in the Instagram library. When it comes to photos, I don’t edit much, except for cover photos, in which case I use Lightroom for some minor changes here and there.

Name the Top 3 countries in Europe that left you speechless.

Apart from France Italy is one of the places where I’ve seen the most beautiful sceneries. I lived in Austria for a year, and it also goes in my top 3! I have a soft spot for the Austrian Alps. And finally, Switzerland deserves a place on the podium!

Any advice on must-sees in Annecy? 

Sure! Annecy has a beautiful medieval town and a castle, but its surroundings are also fascinating! The city is surrounded by some gorgeous little villages like Talloires, by the lake of Annecy. This place is a great way to discover Savoyard architecture. Menthon-Saint-Bernard is also a great spot, with a castle built along the lake. Duingt is another place that I enjoy

What are your plans for Christmas?

I’m going to Paris, to see the Christmas decorations! I’m heading to Galeries Lafayette, and Rue Saint-Honoré also has some beautiful decorations for the Christian Dior shop. Other great spots for Christmas decorations include Rue Royale, Place Vendôme, and the BHV shopping mall near Hôtel de Ville. After that, I’ll go to Alsace for Strasbourg’s Christmas market and to explore the lovely city of Colmar. I’m also a big fan of a good old snowy Christmas, so Switzerland is on my list, with cities like Megève and Lausanne. It will be intense for sure: the goal is to fit all of this within two weeks!

What’s in store for you in the upcoming year? 

I’ll start the year in Argentina because I haven’t seen my family for two years. And when I get back, I’m thinking about going to Portugal to visit Lisbon and Porto. I would also love to go to Belgium as well and start Spring in Italy. Much of my summer will take place between Italy and Provence. I pretty much organize my travels according to seasons!

If you had any advice on how to take vacation photography to the next level, what would it be?

My number one advice is to not be afraid to draw inspiration from other people. Everyone has to start somewhere. You’ll get a better sense of your own style as you keep going. Another important thing is to always look for the light. Anything you capture during the golden hour, sunset, or blue hour will turn out beautiful.