Top 10 Adventure Photography Instagrams to Follow
June 16, 2022
Adventure photography is akin to storytelling. Here at Holiday River Expeditions, we love to include professional photographers on a lot of our trips to do just that. To tell a story. It’s one thing to write out an itinerary for things you might see or experience on a river or bike trip, but it’s another to visualize it, and better, to be able to look back on it. We are inspired by so many people in this industry, with their way of portraying their unique stories, and we wanted to share those that inspire us the most with you!
In no particular order, this is our list of the Top 10 Adventure Photography accounts that we love to follow on Instagram.
Sofia Jaramillo
Sofia is a Columbian-American adventure photographer based in the Tetons. Her background is in photojournalism, which led to her pursuit of adventure photography in the outdoor industry. Sofia aims to tell meaningful stories with her photography, using it as an outlet to express herself and create work that promotes inclusivity, and representation for underrepresented communities.
We recently read an interview with Sofia where she expresses that “If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my career so far, it’s just to listen to your heart and go with the flow”.
…Sounds familiar!
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Scott Osborn
Scott has been on multiple trips with Holiday (and also happens to be the brother of our social media director Natalie), we chose to include him in this post because of how versatile and broad his photography talents are.
Holiday – How long have you been doing photography?
Scott – It has been 12 years since I bought my first semi professional camera. I’ve been getting paid for 9 years, but working full on as a professional photographer for about 6 years now.
Holiday – What is your favorite thing to shoot?
Scott – My favorites are adventure landscapes, including a human in the photo, or even just straight up landscapes without a human. But despite that being my favorite I also really love sport and portrait photography.
Holiday – Who are some of the companies you have done work with?
Scott – I do aerial paramotor photos with local paramotor guide Dom Clarke. I have done work for Camelbak, Crystal Geyser, Teton Sports, Peak Refuel, 5 Hour Energy, and of course, Holiday River Expeditions.
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A few photos from Scotts trips with Holiday.
Abbi and Callen Hearne
Abbi and Callen Hearne have built their lives around adventures like skydiving, paddling with icebergs, climbing desert towers, and living life on the road. They specialize in small weddings and elopements in breathtaking locations that you’ve only dreamt of going to.
After traveling to places like Utah, Alaska, and Yosemite, they’ve put down roots in Southern Utah with their dog, Charlie, and baby Hyder–named after the small town in Alaska! If you are looking for an intimate, one-of-a-kind experience, The Hearnes are your Go-To for adventure wedding photography.
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William Woodward
William (Willie) Woodward uses his adventure, lifestyle, and outdoor photography as his journal. He lives a nomadic lifestyle living out of his VW Vanagon, traveling along the American West Coast, and spending time doing activities like backcountry skiing, climbing, and sailing. Willie’s amazing eye really shows you some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes and gives you a glimpse into the lifestyle he’s curated for himself.
He also just got engaged to writer/influencer Brianna Madia (who we featured in our Top 10 Adventure Influencers to Follow on Instagram).
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Erin Sullivan
Erin Sullivan has a strong love for travel, nature, art, and science. She fell in love with photography when she was in high school, eventually turning it into a full-time career. In 2019, Erin was invited to speak on the TED stage about her photography, and the way it has changed the way she lives.
We already admired Erin’s knack for photography and sense of wanderlust, but then in 2020, she found a way to channel her creativity into her #OurGreatIndoors miniature series during quarantine and we fell in love with her even more. If you are searching for travel inspiration or photography resources, Erin Sullivan is your gal. Not to mention she has great hair!
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Stephen Shelesky
Based out of Jackson, Wyoming -the mecca for skiing- Stephen Shelesky perfectly captures human connection within the outdoor and LGBTQ+ community, promoting the space to accept, and include everybody. Stephen’s incredibly inspirational photography has us all wanting to get out there and get after it in the mountains. After all, what is a whitewater rafting trip without snow?
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Noah Wetzel
The connection between the ski slopes and the river has always been strong. Noah is no exception to that; we met him on the slopes of Alta, but it’s the rivers in Utah where we’ve built a relationship with him. He’s done 3 photography trips with us now: in Cataract Canyon, Lodore Canyon, and on the Yampa River.
Holiday – How long have you been a photographer, and what are your favorite images to capture?
Noah – When I was twelve I acquired my first camera and started to slowly shoot more (both photo and video) throughout my high-school years, however it wasn’t until acquiring my first DSLR in 2007 that I began to shoot more seriously. I respect all disciplines of photography, however I’m most driven through the pursuit of technical imagery – capturing unique landscapes with a new perspective, or conceptualizing action sports imagery that contains layers of complexity. I enjoy landscape photography because I’m immersed within the environment and hyperaware of my surroundings. Although it can be a very challenging (weather conditions, early mornings/late evenings, and battle-some terrain), it’s a meditative experience for me.
Holiday – What’s the furthest you’ve gone to capture an image?
Noah – When an idea comes to mind that I’m really inspired by, I often can’t ignore it until I’ve given it a shot. There have been many landscape locations that I’ve returned multiple times to capture within the right conditions, often hiking in the dark miles within the wilderness, or spending sleepless nights adjusting exposures. However, some of the images that have required the most dedication have been action sports images – skiing & biking. A couple years ago for instance, an idea for a shot came to mind of a MTB night ride, two riders ripping through a forest of fog underneath the moonlight. In June of 2021 I finally decided to pursue the shot. To say the least, after roughly 150 hours and nearly $5,000 (research, planning, technical equipment troubleshooting, travel, scouting, assistants, athletes) …we captured some imagery that I’m really proud of.
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Some photos from his trips with us that we love!
Nina Mayer Ritchie
From wildlife to landscapes, and unique locations where she parks her Airstream, Nina’s profile has it all. We also love how aesthetically pleasing it is to look at with all the beautiful colors! Nina and her husband took up photography as a creative outlet during their residencies in pediatrics and internal medicine in Boston. When she learned about an Instagram contest in 2019 to be featured as Nat Geo’s “Next Great Storyteller”, Nina submitted five of her best nature photos. To Nina and her family’s surprise, she was chosen as 1 of 3 finalists to compete in the National Geographic show “Assignment: Inspiration”. Nina’s story shows us how true passion can turn into something unexpected. Nina and her husband live in Chinle, AZ where they both work to provide medical care to underserved populations through the Indian Health Service (IHS).
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JJ.Trailwalker
You know someone has a passion for what they do when their photos look like they are from a different planet. Based in Utah, but traveling around in his Toyota 4Runner, JJ specializes in outdoor, adventure, landscape, and product photography. He views photography as not only his biggest passion but as a method for healing and telling stories. Not only is JJ an accomplished photographer, but he is also a Videographer. Give JJ a follow for some awe-inspiring content, or if you need someone to collaborate with on a project!
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Karina B Wild
Karina is based in the beautiful PNW. You can find her in the mountains, backpacking or skiing with friends. We particularly love Karina’s photo style because it is a great mix of landscape and portrait photography. She has visited some extraordinary locations and we are inspired by her dedication to backpacking and accomplishing challenging hikes, as well as being involved in the outdoor community. She also has a “punny” twist on her captions and we always appreciate a good pun 🙂
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