20 Vancouverites worth following on Instagram

A totally subjective list of interesting smartphone photographers from around Metro Vancouver

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      Remember the early days of Twitter, when everyone tweeted about what they were eating? Now it’s generally frowned upon, unless you’re a food blogger or an especially gifted cook.

      Thankfully, for foodies everywhere, Instagram has made it okay to share your latest meal with the world again. On this super-popular photo-sharing service, a quick snapshot of that greasy slice of pizza you had after way too many tequila shots at the bar will likely garner more likes than that picture you got at the anti-poverty march.

      Of course, Instagram—acquired by Facebook earlier this year—isn’t just about over-filtered, square food pics. There’s art, concerts, friends and family, landscapes, pets, self-portraits, street scenes, weather-forecast screenshots (why?), and more. It all depends on who you follow among Instagram’s reported 100 million users.

      So who’s worth following in Vancouver? I asked for your suggestions on Instagram and Twitter, and received dozens of recommendations.

      I’ve taken a look at all your suggestions (thank you, everyone), and whittled them down to this totally subjective list of 20 Instagrammers from the city and suburbs worth following. Subscribe to these smartphone photographers (presented in alphabetical order by username) and you’ll enjoy a variety of interesting perspectives on the place we call home.

      Any list like this is doomed to be incomplete. If you think I missed anyone deserving of mention, please tell us all about them in the comments.

      1. JongSun
      @adl2enaline

      As we hear endlessly, Vancouver is a beautiful city. And Vancouverites sure love to bask in the scenery. In this feed, you’ll find lots of candid shots of people—and a few birds—enjoying a shoreline walk or going about their daily business.

      2. Tina Albrecht
      @bittadesign

      Every image Tina Albrecht posts on Instagram is the kind of thing people pay money to hang on their walls. Who knows? Maybe one of her followers is taking advantage by running her photos through a digital picture frame. Enjoy the lonely cars and doorways.

      3. Bob Kronbauer
      @bobkronbauer

      The editor-in-chief of the blog Vancouver Is Awesome, Bob Kronbauer is into fishing—big-time. In between snapshots of his son, Kronbauer captures the best that beautiful British Columbia has to offer.

      4. Cat Segovia
      @catsegovia

      Photographer Cat Segovia shoots everything from people and animals to still lifes and cityscapes. However, it’s obvious from Instagram that she loves food. And drinks too.

      5. Cody Briggs
      @codeu

      This is a gorgeous feed. Whether the focus is the transit system, bridges, or city streets, Cody Briggs’s photos have a timeless quality to them.

      6. dan lum
      @dudelum

      This Instagrammer calls himself a visual storyteller and he means it. Lots of great people shots, plus city scenes with words like move and different inscribed on them.

      7. Flo
      @flolum

      Looking for different angles on the city? Flo Lum’s got ’em—whether it’s looking up at buildings, down at the sidewalk, or through a playground slide.

      8. TwoThirds Photography
      @hipsterbabe

      Featuring cozy cats, peeling paint, fresh fruit, and a lots of smiles, this a happy, colourful feed to follow. Psst—that cat’s doing a crossword puzzle.

      9. Joann
      @hootlicious

      Joann Pai is a food stylist and photographer, and it shows on her Instagram account. Delicious.

      10. Jasmin Yip
      @jasminyip

      Whether the subject is cherry blossoms, Canada geese, or False Creek, Jasmin Yip posts one beautiful shot after another. She only Instagrams sporadically, so don’t expect see her photos every day.

      11. Maurice Li
      @maurice

      Photographer Maurice Li garnered more recommendations than anyone else on this list. His angles, framing, and use of shadows are perfect. Vancouver’s indoor and outdoor spaces never looked so interesting.

      12. Melanie Kimmett
      @melaniekimmett

      A designer and illustrator, Melanie Kimmett knows something about what makes an image work. It’s no surprise, therefore, that her pictures of dinners and drinks, cats, and her travels tend to feature great lines and shapes.

      13. Helen Park
      @missyhelly

      Helen Park seems to like her photos to have the faded look of yesteryear. In between artful personal snaps, there’s lovely shots of the city and local businesses. Did I mention she has over 50,000 followers?

      14. Scott Rankin
      @othellonine

      With an eye for composition, Scott Rankin makes Vancouver look amazing with every image his iPhone captures. And he does a lot of processing before posting. On one photo, he writes: “AvgCamPro + snapseed + picfx + blender + rise + blender = need to charge my phone.”

      15. Rachael Ashe
      @rachaelashe

      Like paper cutting, strong colours, and flowers? Visual artist Rachael Ashe’s charming feed is for you. Plus her pet photos are unbelievably cute.

      16. Rachel Ng
      @rachelng

      A designer, Rachel Ng’s feed resembles an album of memories—that just maybe you wish were yours. There’s food and friends, plus gorgeous buildings and landscapes.

      17. Sophia Ahamed
      @sophiegram_

      Creative designer Sophia Ahamed puts out what looks, at first glance, like an endless stream of CD cover art. Too bad no one buys CDs anymore. Thankfully, there’s Instagram.

      18. Cheeky
      @streetcheek

      If you always pay attention to what other people are wearing or fancy yourself a style icon in your own mind, Cheeky is your kind of blogger. This feed captures your fellow Vancouverites in all their fashionable—or not—glory. You just might see yourself.

      19. Jacs Apollo
      @themaxsavage

      Jacs Apollo’s Instagrams are dark and moody. Through his lens, we see the streets of the Downtown Eastside and the homes of Strathcona. The Jericho Beach pier never looked so sinister.

      20. Clayton Perry
      @vanclayton

      Photographer Clayton Perry is regularly featured in the Georgia Straight’s Photo of the Day and blogs around the city because of the vibrant landscapes he consistently captures around Vancouver. His Instagram followers get those and more.

      Stephen Hui posts his square photos of vegan donuts, Kitsilano sunsets, and East Van cross rip-offs on Instagram and Twitter.

      You can also follow the Georgia Straight on Instagram.

      Comments

      13 Comments

      shannonmfisher

      Oct 3, 2012 at 5:30pm

      cbruntlett and hellofisher are two of my vancouver faves.

      moogiee

      Oct 3, 2012 at 8:59pm

      definitely cbrunlett! I thought for sure he'd be on this list.

      Irene

      Oct 4, 2012 at 12:56am

      @phanyxx

      joseph_wu_origami

      Oct 4, 2012 at 9:48am

      @shannonmfisher, you're biased! :)

      Linda Tsang

      Oct 4, 2012 at 9:59am

      I'm surprised no one has mentioned Niknaz K's instagram feed yet. You guys should check out her work. http://statigr.am/niknazk Her photos of Vancouver are amazingly beautiful. With a strong sense of composition and style, she is able to make the most mundane everyday things in life look like extravagant pieces of art!.
      a few seconds ago ·

      missyhelly

      Oct 4, 2012 at 2:16pm

      Thank you!

      MichelleHui

      Oct 4, 2012 at 2:25pm

      You guys def missed out @foodessdotcom instragram... check it out.

      Cath Ennis

      Oct 5, 2012 at 3:58pm

      razzy_b is awesome too

      _cuddlefish_

      Oct 7, 2012 at 9:08pm

      I'm giving myself a plug here! @_cuddlefish_ I think my photos are worthy of this list too. :)

      anon

      Oct 8, 2012 at 11:59am

      @erinireland!