I've had my Instagram account for a couple of years now. I have had bursts of activity during trips and events but for the most part it's just brilliant for being inspired by the work of others. Here are 5 photographers I would recommend following regardless of your niche.
Lisa Michele Burns: From Australia, Lisa has travelled to many wonderful destinations and seems to have a soft-spot for natural scenery and wildlife.
You will notice that her Instagram is a beautiful array of pastel pink and orange skies, cold blue snow and rich orangey sand dunes. She boasts "keeping it real" and never adds or changes elements in her photographs. She says she shoots in RAW format and "uses tools to bring them to life".
Follow the_wanderinglens today to have your feed filled with beautiful imagery from all over the world.
Jonathan Mannion: Raised in Cleveland, Ohio Jonathan has shot over 300 album covers for huge stars in Hip-Hop and R&B since 1996. His range of classic B&W and colour portraits include Notorius B.I.G, Run-DMC, Public Enemy and Terror Squad. Some of his imagery is in colour but it's his black and white imagery that strikes hard with their high contrast and fine grain.
Follow jonathanmannion to get a window into the world of hip-hop.
Angie McMonigal: Based in Chicago, Angie has been capturing the sweeping curves and stabbing corners of the city for nearly two decades. Her images require a moment of observation to orient yourself and understand what you're looking at. Take this image. I spent a moment observing its contents and until I read the images description I didn't realise that it was a staircase. The image is actually on its side with the left most edge being the top of the image originally. The human brain is excellent at recognising patterns and rotating your image is a great way to break this ability.
Follow angiemcmonigal for more inspirational abstract architecture.
Cian Oba-Smith: This image in one of a series aptly named bikelife. The series documents the lives of youths who spend their time riding motorbikes and quad-bikes around various industrial estates in London. Each image is a window into the world of these young people. The series really captures the atmosphere of the organised events, additionally the composition, colours and tones are fantastic.
Follow cianobasmith for more incredible documentary photography in your Instagram feed.
Michael Yamashita: An American photographer born in 1949, Michael has travelled the world including Somalia, Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. The last 30 years, however, he has focused on Asia including Japan, China and Tibet.
His images are stunning and usually feature mountainous landscapes and vividly coloured portraits depicting cultural life and events.
Follow yamashitaphoto for more stunning landscapes and documentary photography in your Instagram feed.
Closing Thoughts
If you're looking to get into photography more seriously I'd strongly advise following any profiles that stand out for you. Look at Instagram, less as simply a platform for your own work and more as a fantastic resource for inspiration.
Happy snapping.
All images used are property of the owners of each corresponding Instagram profile. I lay no claim to these images. Images are not my creative product, nor do I intend to sell or profit from the images. My sole goal is to appreciate, educate and promote awareness.
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