Instagram is the photo sharing and social networking service of the moment, bought solidly to the forefront with the acquisition of Instagram by Facebook and the release of the iPhone 5. With more than 5 million photos being uploaded every hour by the 50 millionusers across the world, Instagram is certainly representative of a larger iPhoneography movement that is captivating and inspiring mobile users around the world.
Instagram has allowed a whole new group of amateur and professional photographers to take the stage, taking truly stunning photography with just their mobile phones. As well as capturing the world in unique ways, some users are also making a living from their Instagram work, some selling fine art prints of theirimages and some even being hired for advertising campaigns off the back of their showcase on Instagram.
From architecture to travel, to culture and scenes of daily life, here is a showcase of the top 30 Instagram users out there that you should be following for photographic inspiration.
1. Mike Kus
Mike is a UK based graphic and web designer and illustrator,Hewas one of the first designers to start using Instagram. Now with over 500,000 followers, it’s no wonder why. He has an incredible collection of beautiful landscape photos of his local area, some taken with a fisheye lens, from beaches to country scenes, as well as interesting historical buildings.
2. Daniel Waldron
San Francisco-based Daniel is a designer by trade who looks at everyday life around him for inspiration when taking photos. From plants and insects to buildings and bridges, Daniel takes very design focused images.
3. Johnny Lace
Las Vegas photographer, Johnny takes lots of fashion focused imagery with an urban twist. Expect to see lots of blingingstreetwear and city scenes.
4. Mal Sherlock
New York City based Mal, takes fashion-focused shots, very often showcasing the styles being worn by strangers on the streets of the city. He also takes shots of the urban scenes around him, from traffic to local architecture.
5. Dustin Vaughn-Luma
Interaction designer, Dustin lives in San Jose, CA. Dustin enjoys taking photos of his wife and two sons, as well as incredibly detailed close-ups of insects and plants and well-composed landscapes.
6. Brenton Clarke Little
Brenton is a graphic designer and live session drummer, living in the Ozark plateau in central United States. With a love for balance, geometry and colour, Brenton takes breath-taking photos of the natural beauty found in the Ozark mountains.
7. Carli Keine
Carli is one half of the husband and wife photographer and design team based in Austin Texas. They believe every creative endeavour is about love and they have a passion to uphold and preserve it through their work. Follow Carli for beautiful heart-warming photos of real life.
8. Chris Connolly
Professional photographer, Chris, takes incredibly wellbalanced shots of architecture and urban scenes across the United States and on his travels abroad too.
9. Juan Marceira
Juan is a Miami based photographer who says he finds all things interesting to shoot. Juan’s Instagram account is full of scenes of urban life and some beautiful sunsets.
10. Timmy
USA based Timmy uses his Instagram account to tell the story of his world through the eye of his phone. Follow him for amazing urban scenes taken in many American cities, in particular, the decay of Detroit.
11. Deniz Suerkan
Deniz’s beautifully composed, colourful images of the city of Istanbulcan be purchased as framed prints, canvases, greeting cards and iPhone cases.
12. Denise Bovee
Denise is a mother and she has dedicated her Instagram account to capturing all the precious moments, as her children grow-up and explore the world.
13. Delbarr Moradi
Delbarr is a professional wedding photographer based in San Francisco. With a background in graphic design, she’s passionate about creating compositions that have a special artistic touch. Delbarr’sInstagram is full of shots of beautiful moments and happy couples.
14. Cory Richards
Cory has an insatiable passion for exposing the story and richness of the human element, which is why he is one of the leading adventure and expedition photographers. Follow Cory for breath-taking images of human endeavour across the world.
15. Melissa Farlow
Melissa lives in Pennsylvania and Oregon and has worked extensively in the American West for National Geographic. Her Instagram account contains some magnificent images that document her travels for National Geographic stories.
16. Zak Shelhamer
San Francisco based surfer, snowboarder, photographer and filmmaker, Zak uses his Instagram account to document his pursuits in the great outdoors. Follow him for truly remarkable action shots that will make you want to get outdoors.
17. Jared Chambers
Los Angeles photographer, Jared, takes perfectly composed images of his urban surroundings and the people that share it with him, as well as beautiful landscapes from his roadtrips.
18. Bex Finch
Brooklyn based professional photographer, Bex, uses her Instagram account to document her personal life and the beauty that fills it. Follow her for truly interesting compositions of New York life.
19. Ken Kaminesky
Ken is a travel and lifestyle photographer from Montreal. He uses his Instagram account to document his life on the road. From Jordan to Santa Monica to Venice, follow Ken as he travels the world taking pictures.
20. Lauren Lemon
Lauren is a creative portrait photographer who works and plays in Los Angeles, CA. Her Instagram account documents her life as a photographer, as she moves from shoot to shoot.
21. Jane Samuels
A professional photographer by trade, Jane takes beautiful photos of the UK landscape. Expect to find scenic photos of the glorious English mountains and countryside. She also hosts a project finding the beauty in old abandoned houses.
22. Pei Ketron
Pei travels around the globe with a fellow Instagrammer on this list, Chris Connolly. She has a love of symmetry, which is showcased beautifully in the shot below.
23. Cole Rise
Landscape photographer Cole, is also a pilot which leads him to shoot at some fantastic locations. Expect to find photos of glorious beaches and incredible mountains on his account.
24. Dan Cole
Seattle-based Dan,has a love of symmetry which is reflected in his photos. His Instagram features close ups of some of the great architecture found in his city.
25. Angeliki Jackson
Angeliki takes inspiration from some of the more unique sights in New York City. Expect to find unusual photos of her urban dwellings in the Big Apple.
26. Hiroaki Fukuda
Based in Japan, Hiro takes some truly beautiful photos of his surroundings. Hiro may have never owned a real camera, but he sure knows how to work his iPhone to create some amazing photos.
27. Nir Lesham
Scenic photographer Nic finds inspiration from his travels around the Globe. Nir tends to experiment around with the colours of the sky. Follow him for some amazing sunsets, sunrises and cloudy days.
28. Brandon Shulz
Expect to find a mixture of landscapes and portraits from Brandon. His Instagram is filled with some creative photos from his base in Seattle and his world travels, but it’s his portrait photography that really makes this a must-follow account.
29. Scott Rankin
The stunning images of mountains found on Scott’s account, come from photo walks around his home city of Vancouver with his equally talented partner @bittadesign. Although Scott is not a professional landscape photographer, his Instagram account will definitely surprise and inspire you.
30. Brandy Byrd
A graphic designer by trade, Nashville-based Brandy uses her Instagram account to document her day-to-day life. Brandy shoots using only theEarlybird filter on Instagram with no other editing. Follow for a snap-shot into her unique life.
About the author: Claire writes on behalf of Printerpix, an online photobook specialist. Claire is a keen photographer, and enjoys to learn and develop her technique in her spare time. To find out more, read Printerpix Reviews.
You should really check on @cesinha.
pretty cool !! checkout @instakaran
You forgot @samuelwells
I do not understand this obsession with Instagram. It is probably due to the filters they use, the pictures link back to nostalgic times where photography looked different. I also noticed this square format. And if you capture pictures with an Iphone, you probably react faster than with a professional camera, which enables you to capture more candid moments, I would assume. It is also an off guard taking pictures, no pressure, I take pictures with my Iphone, it if for fun, which might make you question more about your photography in general, and why you are taking pictures in the first place. ( the professional photographers ). Generally speaking, because otherwise, I do not think photography is all about having fun. Or it should be considered/regarded as being more than that.
How is @Robertdwilson not on this list? SO many great cat pics. haha
Simona, having been in the photography business nearly 30 years, I find it a shame that none of the great Instagram pics get printed, and dying computers lose them. Early days for it yet, but i made an Android and Iphone Instagram printing App called Metroprint
dont forget @ignewyork – shes arguably the best photographer in nyc
@claireonline Check her out!
Also snowdudejohn too – a British fashion and documentary photographer