Photographers to Follow on Instagram: July 23, 2021

Every day, the PetaPixel Instagram account is sharing excellent photography from our readers and those who inspire us. Here’s a look at some of our recent favorite posts and the photographers behind the lens.

Our @PetaPixel Instagram page has been posting all the great work that finds its way in front of our eyes. Want to see your photos shared on our account? First, you’ll want to follow us. Then use the #petapixel hashtag in your posts to join our Instagram community of photographers. These steps let us easily find what to share.

Below, we recognize a selection of talented photographers who recently had their work featured on @PetaPixel. Keep posting your images with #petapixel and you could find yourself here next week.

Kristine Richer, known as @kristinerosephotography on Instagram, is a fine art nightscape photographer and educator based in Nova Scotia, Canada. Richer created this image at Seafoam Lavender Gardens with her late mother’s Nikon D5600 and 18-55mm kit lens, rather than her own full-frame gear, to show her students that Milky Way photography is possible with entry-level gear.

Joe Howard, found on Instagram as @joeph0to, is a landscape photographer from Saint Louis, Missouri. Howard said that some of his favorite photography subjects are waterfalls, the Milky Way, sunsets, and rustic barns. Chasing variety like that, Howard is one to follow on his adventures.

Justin Bartels, or @bartelsphoto on Instagram, is a full-time high school photography teacher based in San Diego, California. During his breaks from work, he enjoys going on trips to do photoshoots. This photo is from White Sands National Monument where Bartels was able to persuade his wife to do a little modeling. “It is truly surreal and serene there,” Bartels told PetaPixel through email. He said he was “hoping to capture the essence of the location with a beautiful fashion look and peaceful mood.”

Louis-Charles Bourgeois, or @lcbphoto on Instagram, is a multi-talented photographer but specializes in portraiture. What draws me to this photo from Bourgeois is of course the warmth and vibrancy, but also the use of layering and the alignment in its composition. It’s a deceptively simple image, but really there are some complex elements in the scene that needed to be worked out on location in order to appear that way.

Nina Wolfe, simply @ninawolfe on Instagram, is a city and landscape photographer based in New York City. Wolfe said that “sometimes with photography, one has to develop a special love for a particular genre.” For her, that was cityscapes and moon photography. “Looking for unique and creative lineups has always been a passion of mine,” she said. Wolfe uses the Nikon Z7 and Z7 II and recently won first place in the weather category for the annual Empire State Building photo contest.

Giulia Valente is a portrait photographer based in Italy and can be found on Instagram as @julyhendrix. Valente sees photography as painting’s “younger sister” and draws inspiration from Italian and Flemish painters of the 15th and 16th centuries. “I love recreating the mysterious atmospheres of the 16th century, and letting the viewer dwell on the image’s details, objects, symbols,” she said.

Ghaneshwaran Balachandran, or just @ghaneshwaran on Instagram, is a photographer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After purchasing his first camera, the Canon 7D, Balachandran shot this photo in Borneo in 2016 with a leased lens. Since then, his work has been featured in publications such as Daily Mail and Newshub and has even worked with National Geographic on a film in the Himalayas. Balachandran leaves us with this advice: “Work with what you’re given, add integrity, and you will be an inspiration.”

Be sure to follow us on Instagram to see more work from photographers like you and tag photos with #petapixel for them to be considered for a feature.

Image credits: All photographs used with the permission of their respective photographers.