Instagram, the modern-day mecca when it comes to image sharing. In the last seven years, its actively monthly users have grown from one million to an enormous 700 million, of which 100 million have joined the site in the last twelve months; coinciding with the introduction of Instagram Stories.Every day, Instagram users share more than 95 million photos and videos, including some of the world’s most renowned photographers, along with some of the lesser known, niche individuals. Below we have put together a round-up of some of the photographers that should find their way into your ‘followers’ list immediately!
Victoria Siemer
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, photographer and graphic designer, Victoria Siemer (who also goes by Witchoria) has an abstract style that features very distinctive supernatural, ethereal nuances. She has amassed nearly 200,000 Instagram followers, and her long-running series, Geometric Reflections’ sees romanticised images such as misty beaches or snow-capped mountains, along with newly added cityscapes, being flipped on themselves.
Asa Sjostrom
Asa is a documentary photographer from Sweden, she focuses primarily on social issues such as international understanding, human rights and equality and the situations of women and children around the world. Her Instagram profile flits between behind the scenes images of events such as UN Women Politics Week and panel discussions about domestic violence, portrait photography and her travels to varying locations. Her images of children can be haunting bordering on unnerving, especially when you learn the context of the photo, for instance, children hiding from domestic violence. Asa has been awarded Swedish Picture of the Year several times, Unicef Picture of the Year and Swedish Red Cross Journalism award.
@asasjostomphotography
Dave Yoder
As a contract photographer for National Geographic, Dave Yoder’s varied pictures capture nature, iconic projects like the ALMA astrological projects, events such as fashion week and families displaced by war. His photos appear in some of the worlds most prestigious publications and his exhibitions have been showcased at prominent galleries such as Visa Pour L’Lmage in France. While Dave’s Instagram has been a little quiet of late, his latest post reveals that he has been working on his first documentary with his wife – so we expect his images should start to flow again soon, but vast collections can be found on his website.
Darryll Jones
His Instagram bio reads, “just a dude, photographing a little plastic dude”, but this doesn’t really give him his full credit. Darryll Jones is an ex-graphic designer from South Africa, who decided to move his life to the UK to become a conceptual artist. While his pal Eric the storm trooper aka, the little plastic dude, has amassed a cult following on Instagram, it has also catapulted Darryll into the limelight. Alongside his work for Tesco media centre, creating stunning images of products, customers and suppliers, his work has appeared in exhibitions in China alongside other like-minded toy photographers. Darryl’s talents don’t just stop at photography, he also paints (with coffee!) and prints sneakers, both of which can be found on his Instagram channel.
@darryljones
Alex Prager
Self-taught Alex has developed a unique style that draws inspiration from street photography, Hollywood cinema and cult movies directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Douglas Sirk, as well as fashion photography. Not one to shy away from unsettling the viewer, her images are often said to resemble movie stills and depict worlds that blur the lines between fiction and reality, leading the viewer to speculate about the context. Her signature style creates images that are posed with a retro feel, dramatically lit and shot from unpredicted angles and her Instagram features a mix of her finished images, behind the scenes shots and her travels.
@alexprager
Theron Humphrey
Theron Humphrey fell in love with photography at a young age, and after graduating with an MFA from Savannah College of Art in 2007, he went on to work in a commercial photography studio. One day, he woke with an epiphany that he was going to use his love of photography to tell stories and connect with people, and he embarked on a project called This Wild Idea. He now travels across America with his dog Maddie, taking shots of the idyllic countryside with images that impart both peace and inspiration onto the viewer.
Kirsten Alana
Theron Humphrey fell in love with photography at a young age, and after graduating with an MFA from Savannah College of Art in 2007, he went on to work in a commercial photography studio. One day, he woke with an epiphany that he was going to use his love of photography to tell stories and connect with people, and he embarked on a project called This Wild Idea. He now travels across America with his dog Maddie, taking shots of the idyllic countryside with images that impart both peace and inspiration onto the viewer.
@kirstenalana