Top 10 Travel Instagrammers of 2017

Or, perhaps more accurately, keep that fire lit and the excitement level high for the next border crossing or big road trip.

A perfect example happened the other day. I came across this list of the best travel photographers of 2017. I got inspired and I soon found myself in the Instagram vortex. There are some absolutely amazing travel photographers out there capturing the world in incredible ways.

I’ve been jotting down notes and links all year to my favourite photographers and images. There’s no way to deny it: 2017 has been incredible for travel media. This list took quite a while to narrow down, as I wanted to showcase a variety of styles.

Finally, here it is, my Top 10 Travel Instagrammers of 2017.

1. Oliver Vegas

@ovunno

No matter the time of day, the weather, or the setting, Oliver Vegas tells a compelling story with his pictures. I love how he captures shots from many different angles, often from quite a significant height, to give the viewer a good idea of where he is or what is going on around him. Spectacular work.

2. Loic Lagarde

@loic.lagarde

Years of constant travel has led me to believe that the world truly is a beautiful place. Loic’s feed dispels any doubt. The shots bring out every aspect of colour and variety possible – whether that be in a mountainside or historic structure. I can’t stop looking!

3. Oneika Raymond

@oneikatraveler

Oneika’s photos are stunning without being overly-done. By that, I mean she chooses to publish images that speak loudly because of the image itself, not because she spent hours on post-production. She specialises in cities on a budget, but her Instagram feed takes her far and wide. 

4. Erick Prince

@minoritynomad

Erick is on a quest to be the first African-American to visit every country in the world. His journey, on top of from being inspiring, is vividly captured through his camera. Many travel bloggers struggle to mix in shots of the food they eat along the way with the sights, but Erick’s found a way to seamlessly blend the two. He’s also another who really brings human emotion into many of his shots.

5. Kevin Lu

@sweatengine

It seems like he’s everywhere, and that’s because he is. Kevin Lu captures the role of fashion in modern culture (he recently featured a collection of iPhone 8 shots in Elle) and melds it seamlessly with location travel shots – but he isn’t afraid to catch the sun setting over Yosemite or broad cityscape either. A great channel to follow for contemporary urban travel.

6. Jacintha Verdegaal

@urbanpixxels

Never before have I seen someone utilize white, and brighter colours in general, with such force. Considering the diversity in the locations of the shots, Jacintha’s feed is a perfectly consistent balance of natural beauty and urban lifestyle

7. Christian McLeod

@christianmcld

If you’ve ever wanted to see a seemingly endless roll of still-frames depicting the true beauty of mountains and waves, Christian’s feed is a one-stop shop. The way he captures the natural elements that bring out colour, movement, and pure rawness of nature is mind-blowing.

8. Quin Schrock

@everchanginghorizon

Quin’s adventure and landscape photos are jaw-dropping. He plays with big spaces and has a unique ability to frame them in a way that they appear to stretch to infinity. When he adds a human subject, the effect is amplified.

9. Lucy Laucht

@lucylaucht

What I love about Lucy’s photography are the vivid colours. No matter which country she’s in, whether shooting urban or rural, you’ll never see a dull photo in her feed. The framing of her shots is near perfect.

10. Konsta Punkka

@kpunkka

If you love nature, then Konsta is your guy. He captures the natural beauty of Finland with a trademark dark, edgy style. He also goes further afield and shares his journeys around the world. 

Honourable mentions:

@dave.krugman - Dave’s not technically a “travel photographer” but he’s got a luring, dark urban photographic style that captures raw emotion. 

@danielkordan - Daniel’s more of a landscape photographer, than pure travel. But his execution is flawless and each shot draws the viewer in with perfect framing in dreamy lighting in a variety of locations around the world.

@travelwithbender - The list wouldn’t be complete without shamelessly plugging myself  Follow along on my adventures around the world. 

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