What are Instagram Photography Creators?

Instagram photography creators are professional photographers and visual artists who use the platform to showcase their work, build their personal brand, and connect with audiences through compelling visual storytelling. Unlike traditional photographers who primarily work through galleries or agencies, these creators leverage Instagram's visual-first format to reach global audiences, attract clients, and establish themselves as industry leaders.

The most successful photography creators combine technical excellence with strategic content creation, understanding that Instagram success requires more than just great photos—it demands consistent posting, community engagement, storytelling ability, and the skill to translate their artistic vision into content that resonates with both photography enthusiasts and general audiences.

How We Created This List

This comprehensive list was compiled through analysis of follower engagement, industry recognition, and professional achievements as of September 2025. We evaluated creators based on comprehensive photography influencer rankings and performance metrics:

Selection Criteria:

• Technical Excellence: Consistently high-quality imagery demonstrating professional photography skills
• Industry Recognition: Awards, publications, and recognition from major photography organizations
• Engagement Quality: High interaction rates with photography-focused audiences and industry professionals
• Educational Value: Creators who share knowledge, techniques, and behind-the-scenes insights
• Brand Partnerships: Successful collaborations with photography brands, travel companies, and creative agencies

Data Sources: Photography influencer databases, professional photography organizations, brand partnership announcements, and industry publication features. We prioritized creators who demonstrate sustained professional success while building authentic communities around photography education and inspiration.

1. Paul Nicklen - @paulnicklen - 7.1M followers

‍Canadian photographer, marine biologist, and filmmaker specializing in polar regions and ocean wildlife. Co-founder of SeaLegacy ocean conservation organization, National Geographic contributor, and Sony Alpha Artisan of Imagery. Award-winning photographer with BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year (2012) and World Press Photo First Prize (2013). Perfect for conservation organizations, outdoor brands, camera manufacturers (Sony partner), and environmental campaigns seeking powerful wildlife storytelling.

2. Jordi Koalitic - @jordi.koalitic - 7.4M followers

‍Creative photography specialist from Navàs, Catalunya, founder of @koalitickollective with ambassador partnerships with Nikon Europe, Xiaomi Global, Insta360, and Cupra. His innovative creative techniques and massive reach make him perfect for camera brands, tech companies, and automotive partnerships seeking cutting-edge visual content.

3. Chris Burkard - @chrisburkard - 3.9M followers

‍Self-taught photographer and artist based in California's central coast, specializing in surf, outdoor adventure, and travel photography. Sony Artisan and ambassador who has won multiple awards including Red Bull Illume. Has worked with major brands including Apple, The North Face, Patagonia, Toyota, and Red Bull. Author of five books including "The California Surf Project" and "Distant Shores." TED Talk speaker with 1.5M+ views. Ideal for outdoor gear brands, automotive companies, travel destinations, and adventure brands seeking authentic storytelling and high-engagement content.

4. Murad Osmann - @muradosmann - 3.1M followers

‍Travel photographer best known for his ongoing "Follow Me To" series photographing his wife Nataly leading him by the hand to beautiful places worldwide. Named a Top 3 Travel Influencer by Forbes. Perfect for luxury travel brands, tourism boards, hotels, and romantic destination marketing.

5. Chris Henry - @chrishenry - 1.6M followers

‍Philadelphia-based travel photographer specializing in urban and travel photography. Offers LUTs, presets, and prints. Great for travel brands, urban lifestyle products, and photography education partnerships.

6. Emmett Sparling - @emmett_sparling - 1.1M followers

‍Vancouver-based photographer and director specializing in meaningful storytelling. Offers presets and photography workshops for 2025. Ideal for Canadian tourism, outdoor brands, and photography education collaborations.

7. James Lloyd Cole - @jameslloydcole - 1.1M followers

‍UK-based photographer specializing in the best of the UK and beyond, available for photoshoots. Perfect for UK tourism boards, British brands, and European travel campaigns.

8. Manfred Baumann - @manfredbaumann - 1.1M followers

‍Globally exhibited photographer capturing life's moments from Bond to Hollywood legends. Leica photographer and animal welfare advocate. Excellent for luxury camera brands (Leica partner), celebrity campaigns, and animal welfare organizations.

9. Cory Richards - @coryrichards - 973K followers

‍Speaker, author, and artist known for adventure photography. Ambassador for Vacheron Constantin watches and author of "The Color Of Everything" book. Great for luxury watch brands, outdoor adventure companies, and motivational speaking engagements.

10. Varun Aditya - @varun.aditya - 3.9M followers

‍World-famous wildlife photographer and environmentalist from India. NatGeo Nature Photographer of the Year 2016 (1st prize), Sony Alpha Ambassador. Self-taught photographer who learned basics through Google and YouTube. Perfect for Sony (current partner), conservation organizations, wildlife tourism, and Indian tourism boards.

11. Alan Schaller - @alan_schaller - 1.1M followers

‍London-based black and white street photographer and Leica Ambassador. Co-founder of Street Photography International (1.7M+ followers on Instagram), founder of the Irys App and Candela Podcast. Known for his high-contrast, minimalist style focusing on geometric composition, light and shadow. Has worked with Apple, London Fashion Week, and various fashion/tourism brands. Author of "Metropolis" photography book. Ideal for Leica (current partner), luxury camera brands, fashion brands, urban tourism boards, and brands seeking bold minimalist aesthetic.

12. David Yarrow - @davidyarrow - 507K followers

‍British fine-art photographer recognized as one of the world's best-selling photographers. European Ambassador for Nikon, advisor to Tusk Trust conservation organization. Specializes in immersive black-and-white wildlife photography and staged narrative Wild West scenes. Has collaborated with celebrities including Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, and Erling Haaland. Since 2018, has raised over $25M for philanthropic and conservation causes. Works sell for over $100K at Sotheby's auctions. Perfect for Nikon (current partner), luxury brands, conservation organizations, high-end art collectors, and brands with strong philanthropic values.

13. Sam Horine - @samhorine - 548K followers

‍Seattle-based (formerly NYC) travel and lifestyle photographer, educator, and former NYU instructor. Named "Best Instagram Account in NYC" by Village Voice. Has worked with major brands including National Geographic, Microsoft, Amazon, Lexus, Adobe, Delta Airlines, American Express, Nike, and Hilton. Published by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Travel and Leisure, Rolling Stone, and Conde Nast Traveler. Exhibited at Brooklyn Museum, Queens Museum of Art, and New Museum. Self-taught photographer and early Instagram adopter (2010). Ideal for travel brands, tech companies, luxury automotive, airlines, hotels, and lifestyle brands seeking authentic urban and travel content.

14. Paola Franqui (Monaris) - @monaris_ - 443K followers

‍Puerto Rican-born, New Jersey-based street photographer known for cinematic-style portraits and signature "Reflection Stories" series. Adobe Lightroom and Sony Ambassador. Self-taught photographer who started with iPhone photography for 3 years before transitioning to professional cameras. Has worked with Ray-Ban, Royal Caribbean International, HOKA, Deutsche Welle, ESPN, Sam Adams, Adobe, and Nike. Published photography book "Momentos" (2020). Active in NFT photography space since 2021. Inspired by Vivian Maier. Perfect for Adobe (current partner), Sony (current partner), lifestyle brands, travel companies, fashion brands, and brands targeting millennial audiences with authentic storytelling.

15. Kilian Schönberger - @kilianschoenberger - 367K followers

‍German photographer, geographer, author and speaker specializing in forests, mountains, and Bavarian Alps landscapes around Lake Chiemsee. Uses Nikon Z8 camera system. Known for atmospheric landscape photography capturing fog, mist, and dramatic natural lighting. Author and geography background brings scientific perspective to landscape work. Ideal for Nikon, outdoor gear brands, German and European tourism boards, environmental organizations, and nature-focused brands.

16. Sean Tucker - @seantuck - 374K followers

‍Photographer, filmmaker, and author of "The Meaning in the Making." Active YouTube content creator with substantial following. Known for philosophical approach to photography and creating educational content about the creative process. Combines commercial photography work with teaching and inspiration. Perfect for camera brands, photography education platforms, creative software companies, and brands seeking thoughtful, educational partnerships.

17. John Stanmeyer - @johnstanmeyer - 352K followers

‍National Geographic photographer, explorer, filmmaker, field recordist, and writer. Multiple award-winning photojournalist with extensive editorial experience. Offers storytelling workshops for November 2025. Known for documentary-style photography covering global humanitarian and environmental issues. Ideal for National Geographic partnerships, conservation organizations, documentary film producers, humanitarian NGOs, and editorial publications.

18. Tiffany Nguyen - @tiffpenguin - 350K followers

‍Los Angeles-based photographer, videographer, and dentist. Multi-talented creator balancing medical profession with photography career. Known for adventure, travel, and lifestyle photography. Has dog account @heylildood. Represents unique niche of professional photographers with day jobs. Perfect for dental brands, LA-based companies, adventure travel brands, lifestyle products, and brands seeking authentic multi-hyphenate creators.

19. Hannes Becker - @hannesbecker - 1.8M followers

‍Outdoor adventure photographer known for exceptional brand partnership work and breathtaking landscape photography. Skilled at creating content for paid partnerships that maintains artistic integrity. Specializes in outdoor adventure, nature, and wilderness photography. Ideal for outdoor gear brands, adventure travel companies, conservation organizations, and brands seeking high-quality adventure content with proven ROI.

20. Johan Lolos (Le Backpacker) - @johanlolos - 374K followers

‍Belgian documentary-style travel and wildlife photographer. Most-followed Belgian photographer on Instagram. Toyota 4x4 Ambassador. Author of "Peaks of Europe" photography book documenting a 5-month journey through Europe. Published by National Geographic. Specializes in outdoor adventure, wildlife, and authentic travel storytelling. Known for genuine, non-overly-edited aesthetic. Perfect for Toyota (current partner), outdoor brands, European tourism boards, camera manufacturers, and adventure travel companies seeking authentic content.

21. Steve McCurry - @stevemccurry - 3.6M followers

‍Legendary photojournalist and National Geographic photographer best known for the iconic "Afghan Girl" photograph (1985 cover). Born in Philadelphia (1950), studied film at Penn State University. Career-defining work includes coverage of Afghanistan during Soviet invasion, Gulf War, and conflicts worldwide. Winner of multiple prestigious awards. Author of numerous books including "Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs."

22. Linda Lomelino - @linda_lomelino - 749K followers

‍Swedish food photographer, stylist, and author based in southern Sweden. Creator of the bilingual blog "Call Me Cupcake" with 458K+ blog followers. Author of four internationally published cookbooks translated into multiple languages including English, French, German, Finnish, Dutch, Danish, Russian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Studied photography, English, and cinematography.

23. Helen Graves - _foodstories_ - 987K followers

‍Berlin-based duo of photographer Laura Muthesius and food stylist Nora Eisermann. Started blog over 10 years ago specializing in gluten-free, vegetarian recipes. Laura studied photography, Nora was a fashion designer. Known for cool, moody Nordic aesthetic and minimalist styling. Creators of "Dinner Stories" series celebrating communal dining experiences.

24. Theron Humphrey - @thiswildidea - 1.2M followers

‍Pet and lifestyle photographer known for capturing adventures of his dog. Documentary-style approach to everyday life and travel. Creates images celebrating the joy in ordinary moments and relationships between humans and their pets. Known for authentic, heartfelt storytelling through photography. Perfect for pet brands, outdoor companies, lifestyle brands, travel companies, and brands focused on celebrating everyday adventures and human-animal bonds.

25. David Guttenfelder - @dguttenfelder - 1.1M followers

‍National Geographic Explorer and photojournalist. Pulitzer Prize finalist. Known for powerful documentary photography covering global events and humanitarian issues. Captures compelling visual stories that document modern history and social issues. Creates touching, meaningful narratives through static images. Perfect for National Geographic, news organizations, documentary film projects, humanitarian NGOs, and editorial publications seeking impactful photojournalism.

26. Simone Bramante - @brahmino - 934K followers

‍Italian conceptual and artistic travel photographer. Named by Forbes as one of the top Instagram photographers. Known for whimsical images and creative storytelling approach. Plays with perspectives and scales creating double-take worthy compositions. Has worked with OPPO Mobile and promoted electric car launches through creative travel narratives. Creates worlds through photography rather than just capturing them.

27. Becky Lynn Sim - @beckylynnsim - 75K followers

‍Canadian photographer based in Canadian Rockies and Vancouver Island. Specializes in landscape and nature photography. Known for "living in the moment" philosophy and capturing the beauty of Western Canada. Micro-influencer with engaged following. Perfect for Canadian tourism boards, outdoor brands, conservation organizations, and brands targeting adventure seekers in the Pacific Northwest region.

28. Pierre T. Lambert - @pierretlambert - 324K followers

‍Travel photographer whose images transport viewers around the world. Known for wanderlust-inspiring content and global portfolio. Creates photography that makes viewers feel they're experiencing destinations firsthand. Active content creator and educator. Perfect for travel brands, airlines, hotels, tourism boards, camera brands, and travel gear companies seeking aspirational destination content.

29. Creations of LA - @creationsofla -110K followers

‍Dubai-based visual artist representing new school of creative photographers who identify as "visual artists" rather than traditional photographers. Works with fashion labels and musicians. Known for urban, youthful, edgy aesthetic with more artistic, out-of-the-box approach. Uses creative tools beyond traditional photography. Style is becoming mainstream with LA as a leader in this new generation. Perfect for fashion brands, music industry clients, Dubai-based companies, urban lifestyle brands, and companies seeking contemporary, boundary-pushing visual content.

30. Jimmy Chin - @jimmychin - 3.4M followers

‍Asian American professional mountain athlete, National Geographic photographer, Academy Award-winning film director, and New York Times Best Selling author. The North Face Athlete team member for 20+ years. In 2006, achieved first successful American ski descent from Mount Everest summit. Co-directed "Meru" (2015 Sundance Audience Award) and "Free Solo" (2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary).