My top 3 inspiring photographers on Instagram
Although I studied Fine Art and Photography at university, once I left uni I got sucked into getting a 'proper job', which then morphed into my becoming a journalist, then editor. Before I knew it, words were my 'thing' and I hadn't picked up a camera in years. But I still went to exhibitions, still read photographer biographies from cover to cover. To me photography is the most wonderful/inspiring/disturbing/disruptive form of art. Over the past year I've seriously delved back into my photography and invested in my learning, to the point where I am about to add it as a service to my content publishing business. Meanwhile I've enjoyed using Instagram to research trends and new photographers, ones whom I might not have come across if it wasn't for the 'gram. Here I've picked out three photographers who I admire, for a variety of reasons. Let me know your faves in the comments!
Image belongs to Kaye McCoy, kaymccoy.com
#1 http://www.stylestructure.com.au
As well as being a photographer, Helen-Jayne is a style blogger with social media management experience too. She also happens to be one of very few bloggers who does her own photography - challenging at the best of times, but Helen-Jayne makes it look so easy. Dammit! When it comes to her style of photography, I love how she has claimed her own colour palette; tons of neutrals with pops of texture and the odd shade of red, with a dramatic rather than bold and bright cast to it. I'm gonna be honest here; I've tried using what I believe Helen-Jayne's technique is (tripod and remote) but I'm going to need a lot more practice (my focusing is OFF!). That said, she's absolutely improved my selfie game; I think that's because she approaches her work as photography rather than a style blog. These are self portraits, not just selfies.
Follow Helen-Jayne if: you love to travel and you want to learn more about developing a photographic style. https://www.instagram.com/stylestructure/
#2 https://seandalt.com
What I love about Sean is how he is super clear on what he does. Check out his Instagram page @seandalt and you'll see his bio says 'on the hunt for the world's best cup of coffee'. If you love 'cafe photography' then this is the account you need to follow. The way Sean captures light is everything. Take a look at many of his shots and they have an almost painterly quality to them, almost like an Old Master painting from decades ago. Another thing I love about Sean is that he is so open about how he works - he's actually one of the reasons I signed up for Skillshare a while back; trust me, you will not regret signing up, even if you just watch all of Sean's lessons and leave it at that! (I don't even use it anymore; that's how much I've learned from Sean. Sorry Skillshare!) Sean also offers a load of lessons and his own presets on his site.
Follow Sean if: you've always wanted to visit Thailand, are obsessed with coffee and want to play with Lightroom editing. https://www.instagram.com/seandalt/
#3 http://kayemccoy.com
I've been following Kaye for a little while now - I gave her a shout-out a while back on my Instagram Stories, just because I love how she plays with her work and she'd recently been in Hawaii creating the most beautiful images. What's she super amazing at though, is street style, particularly during Fashion Weeks. I love how she zooms in on accessories and/or colours, as well as capturing entire looks. During NYFW she challenged herself to take pictures on her iPhone and they were BEAUTIFUL. Black and white, full of drama... Kaye seems to be taking a wee break from Instagram right now, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't like every damn picture, seriously. Oh, another cool thing about Kaye is that she has a blog where she shares her tips and tricks and makes photography slightly less scary: http://www.cookayemonster.com.
Follow Kaye if: you have always dreamed of shooting at the international Fashion Weeks. https://www.instagram.com/cookayemonster/
Who's your fave photographer that's rocking it on Instagram? I'd love to know! Feel free to tag me or let me know below in the comments...