The Top 15 Instagram Photographers You Should Follow
There’s been no stone left unturned when it comes to social media. Holiday snaps, adorable pets and decadent desserts all have their place. Journalists love Twitter, filmmakers are suckers for Vimeo and YouTube and photographers, amateur and pro, have found inspiration in Instagram.
In fact, if you’re addicted to looking at the world through a lens then Instagram is fascinating. There are literally thousands of photographers to gain not only inspiration from but also tips. Most Instagram photographers will not post a raw picture on their newsfeed but will use an online photo editor to make their picture the best that it can be.
Here is our pick of top 15 Instagram photographers that you should follow and why.
Who to follow on Instagram
A sucker for photographs with misty fog and mystical backdrop, Kilian Schönberger is a German professional photographer and geographer. According to his Instagram profile he is working with a Nikon D850 and with 114k followers on the social media site he is no joke. Schönberger utilizes a lot of natural effects in his photographs but the detail and contrast in some of his most stunning ones will leave you feeling haunted. Follow Schönberger for sensational scenic snaps, one after the other.
2. Devin Allen
No-one captures the urban landscape quite like Devin Allen. If you want credentials then a nomination for an NAACP Image Award should surely be enough. Allen’s acclaimed for his photographic story ‘A Beautiful Ghetto’, capturing the city of Baltimore in uprising. He amassed 114k followers who are rightfully inspired by his eye for capturing a place’s essence. It might strike you that there is a lot of black & white in Allen’s photos but he has a striking use of color, which makes for interesting features and will keep you lingering on his images a little while longer.
If you love celebrities and celebrity culture while being able to admire artistic and edgy imagery then you’ll love Greg Williams. Williams has snapped some hot A-listers for some of the top publications. Instagrammers should have fun trying to replicate Williams’s style through various effects and black & white filters. He has 309k followers on Instagram and we suggest you become another one.
4. Avihu
Many of the greats knew they needed no second name to be introduced to the world. Avihu, an amateur photographer from Israel with a (relatively) modest following of just under 3k, is perhaps sensing that greatness coming his way very soon. A relatively undiscovered talent his photos should appeal to those with a sense of adventure as he snaps his various exploits overseas. His photos have a vintage and occasionally antique feel to them. Some of his photos contain a tinge of green or blue in the highlights and shadows making them somewhat mesmerizing.
5. Röoful
Another one to watch who needs no second name is Röoful with just over 5k followers. He is already an award-winning photographer who takes culturally rich photographs, depicting modern Islamic lifestyles and heritage. He also likes a good wedding photo. One thing Röoful displays on his Instagram feed is a diverse range of photography skills and a knack for selecting wide angle, portrait or soft-focus settings for an awesome shot. His pictures are also bright and vibrant through subject and overall composition. Definitely inspiring.
6. Rhiannon Taylor - In Bed With
Instagram has certainly been cornered by luxury and hedonistic pleasure seekers so a luxury Instagrammer is a must-follow. Rhiannon Taylor is the photographer behind the ‘In Bed With’ brand with 104k followers, for which she ‘grams photos of opulent hotel rooms in destinations far and wide. This is wanderlust for the wealthy but it shouldn’t stop those who can only afford a staycation. See how Taylor frames her photographs and tempts you to dream and replicate this in your own cities and towns to show off equally pretty pictures.
7. Eric Matt
If you’re looking for wistful escapism then follow Eric Matt and add to his 8,226 and growing following. Clearly a keen hiker, climber and fan of mountains, lakes and the outdoors, Matt’s photographs capture isolation, adventure and nature in raw form, all together. You’ll definitely feel inspired to join Matt on his journey to wherever it is he is going.
8. Tim Urpman
Tim Urpman loves nature and it shows. He can make any scene truly unique with the effect of being shot on film. Urpman loves the Leica but what you’re lacking in equipment you may be able to fill with some effects. Sunsets and waterfalls are made ever so more majestic with a killer use of tones. He has 24.3k followers on Instagram.
From nature to the streets, Craig Whitehead show his serious following of 97.4k some serious street photography. Whitehead’s photos are all about shapes, shadows and visually popping blocks of color. Technically excellent Whitehead captures truly wondrous moments by visualizing the scene before it happens. This is the biggest part of taking wonderful photos and the rest can be edited.
10. Donal James Boyd
If people aren’t really your thing then you could take inspiration from the animal world by following Donal James Boyd. It’s no wonder that Boyd has an epic following of 222k as his photos are astounding and haunting as he captures wildlife up close and head on. Boyd creates drama and a sense that you are intruding in a world you don’t belong. His wildlife shots are often portraiture with an out-of-focus backdrop so you discern the individual beast’s presence amid a jungle full of animals.
11. Dane Isaac
Dane Isaac is another photographer who gets up close and personal but this time with people and his portfolio of Instagram portraits are truly impressive. Not a green screen or high wattage lamp in sight. Isaac uses the natural environment – sometimes urban, sometimes country – to capture the mood and beauty of people. His pictures speak for themselves. There is some impressive editing at play – browse through and join his 55.3k followers.
12. Brenda Waworga
Brenda Waworga is an Indonesian photographer who specializes in natural light photography. Most of her photos are taken outdoors with exactly what it says on the tin - natural light. The interplay of light with her subjects really produces some stunning effects. She’s amassed 129k followers on Instagram posting her results from some quite exquisite photoshoots.
13. Michael Sidofsky
Michael Sidofsky takes a good photo – and that is a vast understatement. Sidofsky captures the might and beauty of architecture in multifarious ways – through scale, detail and even movement. What’s more, his use of tone is to die for. He’s based in Canada and if you want to live with his photographs forever – and we can’t blame you if you do – he sells prints. He has a 294k following.
14. Mariano Vivanco
Mariano Vivanco does fashion. Although he describes himself as a photographer global citizen he’s as pro as they come and has 264k followers. Following Vivanco’s profile is like endlessly flicking through the pages of a major glossy like Harper's Bazaar and GQ, which happen to be just some of the titles he shoots for. Striving to produce the same editorial standard results as Vivanco won’t come easy but try and you may just come out with something incredible.
15. NKCHU
What we love about Instagrammer NKCHU is that they are staying true to Instagram’s essence, which was always for a more arty and abstract take on life. NKCHU curates some fantastically edgy and abstract geometrically enticing shots, taken in the cities they travel to. A good online image editor can ultimately enhance images like this. NKCHU even uses a bit of cinematography. 221k are following his simply delicious Instagram feed #Instamazing #Instatravelling #Instamore.
To sum it up
When it comes to who to follow on Instagram there are thousands of potential awe-inspiring photographers who are creating jaw-dropping images and covering a whole host of genres. This selection of our top 15 Instagram photographers provides a flavor of just what’s possible with some photography skills. A pro photo editor like Fotor delivers an all-in-one photo editing suite which is easily accessible.
Fotor is a smartphone app on Android and Apple with free and pro versions that covers just about any editing tool you’re looking for as you can perform small touch-ups, extensive edits or ‘enhance’ photos with a rapid uplift function. There are also a number of effects and filters to choose from – Film, Vintage, B&W, Kaleidoscope – that give photos the artistic edge regularly seen on Instagram.
You can display them using the different photo collage templates that Fotor provides. And once you’ve created beautiful images you can enter them into one of Fotor’s events where the sponsor contests along with brands like Uber, Ctrip or Sichuan Airlines. Or else licence your photos to their stock marketplace PxBee by pressing ‘Sell my Work’. After all, Fotor is not just an editing tool but a big photography community as well, which you can search through using tags or photographer names. If you need any further inspiration then Fotor’s own Instagram fotor_apps is another account you need to be following.
