Exploring Europe is something that Mr Jeryl Tan had always wanted to do.
After reading a story on TripZilla about Singaporean Dominic Phua who traversed Europe in 50 days on a shoestring budget, he decided it was time to tick this item off his bucket list in June 2015.
Mr Tan, who had just finished serving his national service then, booked the cheapest round-trip flight he could find, and spent $1,000 of his savings on a Canon 6D camera to document his adventures.
An additional $6,000 - saved over his two years in the army - was used to fund his mission to visit 11 countries in 69 days. After his trip, he returned with a portfolio of snaps featuring landscape architecture, nature, food and portraits.
Getting started
Mr Tan's adventure began in Italy. Upon disembarking, he received a notification from Instagram that he had been selected as a suggested user who would appeal to others with similar profiles.
He started by travelling from Rome to other cities by train, using the long hours between the stops to read photography articles and watch video tutorials. He then applied what he learnt on the go, making regular posts on his Instagram feed.
By the time he finally ended his trip where it began - in Rome - a little more than two months later, the number of Instagram followers he had had rocketed from 2,000 to about 30,000.
Today, he has 48,300 followers on the platform, a following that Mr Tan attributes to his unconventional approach to visual storytelling.
After winning the SGIG x Club Med Instagram contest in the same year, Mr Tan soon went on another trip - this time to the Maldives.
Not only was it an all-expenses-paid trip, but he also had the opportunity to mingle with other photographers from Singapore.
"I rubbed shoulders with industry professionals, and admired how they pursued their passion full-time. They encouraged me to do the same, validating my work and giving me their vote of confidence," he says.
Career switch
Even so, the reality of a tough industry hit. A day after he returned from the Maldives, he had to start work in an events company, a gig he held for 1½ years before taking the plunge to be a full-time photographer this year.
At first, he scraped by with what he made from the few clients he had, with barely enough to procure more equipment.
At his lowest, he wondered if the gain was worth the pain. But he persisted, saying, "it was a matter of pushing through tough times until I reached the light at the end of the tunnel".
Turning point
After months of persevering, Mr Tan started Euphoria Creative House. Today, his clientele includes Coach, Bvlgari and the Land Transport Authority. Recently, a top law firm in Singapore commissioned him to shoot its campaign, allowing him to strike a balance between commercial work and personal pursuits.
"My dream is to have my photograph chosen for the cover of National Geographic magazine one day," he says.
With his nascent success, he is keeping things real. He knows there is much to learn, and each challenge is, to him, a new chance to grow.
