One of Krystle’s many extraordinary photos. For more, check out her Instagram.

1. Could you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?

@krystlejwright

My name is Krystle Wright and I am an Adventure Photographer sponsored by Canon Australia, F-Stop Gear, AquaTech and KEEN. Its been a wild ride and quite the journey the past 7-8 years in getting to this position.

I’ve always been a sports fanatic and would play anything I could get access to whether it was rock climbing, soccer, athletics etc etc. When it came time to finishing highschool, I knew I wanted to be outdoors and it was my Mum who suggested photography to study at university since I was always trying to take a good photo on camping trips. I was hopeless in the degree as I couldn’t stand theory but through finding mentors, I was able to really pursue photography. I began my work experience at the local paper, The Sunshine Coast Daily, during my second year at university and that in turn lead to occasional shifts and from there I began to build contacts, a folio and the rest is history.

2. There’s lots of ways to market your-self as a photographer these days. Do you use different strategies to reach your audience with each platform?

There’s only so much I can handle when it comes to an online presence. I am currently re-launching my website and the four networks I primarily use are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. I tend to have all the accounts linked together so that I only need to update one page. I am not a big expert on this and I know that there are other photographers who are much more savvy at having an online presence. I post a mixture of work and personal stuff and let people follow me naturally if they enjoy my work. An online presence I feel has not secured me a whole lot of extra work and so I put my energy elsewhere that does secure me work. I’d say its definitely important to have an online presence but be careful not to expend too much energy if its not rewarding you in the right way.

3. As an adventure photographer, you get to go on some pretty awesome trips. How do you manage planning, exploring, taking photos, editing, and business inquiries while on the road?

Its a big challenge! Some expeditions I do, I am completely offline with no connection whatsoever except a satellite phone for emergency. To be honest, I look forward to these trips and putting the auto response on as its great to be solely focused on the task at hand and deal with all the other daily distractions when the trip is finished. With other trips where I can access email as that is my primary source of communication, it’s a tricky balance but it all comes down to time management.

No doubt I am guilty of being sidetracked whether its checking out videos on Vimeo or chatting to friends on Facebook but if I am strict with my time on the computer, I try to choose the right time such as being stuck indoors when a storm rages outside or in airports. I’m certainly still learning and always trying to improve my time management skills so that I can spend more time doing what I love most which is taking photos on adventure.

The key is being self proactive. As a freelancer, you create your own hours and you create a lot of your own opportunities. I was taught to never expect an editor to come knocking at my door, instead I continually knock on theirs with new ideas and new images which ultimately leads to more work.

4. What one thing has made the biggest impact on you as a photographer?

Perhaps it would have to be the moment I came across Adam Pretty’s work in a magazine. I had enrolled into a University course and successfully made it through the entry process and I remember one day in town picking up photography magazines as I really had no idea (I didn’t even know what a shutter or aperture was). I saw the folio of Adam Pretty and immediately I knew that was what I wanted to do. I began my career chasing sports photography in the main stream media and sure things have changed slightly as I now focus on adventure sports but even so, that was a defining moment in figuring out what path I wanted to go down in life.

5. What advice would you give to someone looking to make a career out of photography?

I love to encourage others to get into photography and as for making a career, its tough to give a straight answer as so many of us take different paths in etching out a career. I’d say be patient and persistent as it takes time. But rather than become overwhelmed in focusing on the end goal, more so focus on the present tense… always take time on the side to pursue personal projects to keep the creative juices flowing. Make sure you do have something stable to help pay the bills which might be anything from assisting other photographers, working at a newspaper etc. Photography is a journey and just take it one step at a time. Eventually you can enjoy looking back on where you’ve come from.

6. If you were going on a 3 month trip around the world, what countries and/or experiences would you be sure to include?

That’s a tough one but funny that you ask as the other night, our group here in Colombia was staring at a giant world map asking each other where do we want to go next. The problem is, your list never ends as the curiosity is far too great. We then tried a challenge of listing which next 5 countries do we want to visit most. If I were to do a 3 month trip… Maybe I take this question too serious but rather than trying to cram in as many countries as possible, instead I love visiting places and spending at least 4 weeks there minimum if I can afford that luxury of time. I love experiencing the local culture through meeting people and that takes time. So I know at this moment that I would return to Mongolia for another expedition as its a country that I’ve fallen in love with. I would start there on a 4 week expedition. Next I would spend a month exploring Bhutan and then the final 4 weeks I would spend getting lost in Iceland. 3 months isn’t a very long time as I consistently done 3 month stints in the west coast states and I keep returning because there is so much to explore. I love the expeditions but in general travel, I love the places that are often off the beaten trail and take effort to get to as its always worth the reward.

One of Callum’s many stunning photos. For more, check out his website or Instagram.

1. Could you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?

@calsnape

My name is Callum Snape, I’m 23 and I’m a full time Adventure, Travel and Landscape Photographer based out of Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. I independently immigrated to Canada from England at the age of 18 and bought a camera to document the experience. My first Summer in Banff I discovered a passion for hiking and back-country camping, after a few trips I started to take my camera to share the incredible views with my friends and family on social media. Over time my technique got better and better and it slowly transitioned into a full time job within 3 years.

2. When did you first start sharing photos on Instagram, and how has your community grown since then?

I was very hesitant to join Instagram in the beginning because of a lot of the ‘rights’ attention it was getting with stolen photos and usage licenses, etc. In February 2014 I introduced it into my workflow on a daily basis. The first few months were very slow and this was because I didn’t quite understand the community aspect of the platform.

As soon as I started meeting up with other users I noticed people shared the same passion for the outdoors. Alberta has a very strong outdoor community and small groups of adventures started to form, meeting up on a weekly basis to hike, climb, ski, kayak and just generally have fun while documenting it along the way. I met my 5 closest friends through Instagram and have since become business partners with one of them. I also created the #WildMe hashtag for people to share their adventures with me. In just 9 months this grew from 5 hashtag uses to over 30,000.

3. With a myriad of different options for a photographer to market himself these days, which marketing channel seems to be the main source of your revenue?

In terms of social media, Instagram is my main source of revenue. Art directors, brands and potential clients used to find me primarily through 500px and Facebook, now its Instagram. The issue with 500px is that you’re directly marketing to other photographers, which isn’t my audience, so this works well for photographers using workshops as their main source of income. Facebook has become too limited to pursue properly with its paid reach system. Instagram is a well rounded platform to directly reach the public, art directors, clients and and many forms of potential work.

4. If you had to choose just one thing that made the biggest impact on you as a photographer, what would it be?

Instagram has had the biggest impact on me. I was getting sucked into the egocentric world of fine art photography where “professional” photographers would pat themselves and each other on their backs on a regular basis. Instagram took me away from this side of the industry and introduced me to some incredible people and clients who have taught me to be humble about the work I do, to help and be helped by people who genuinely want to see you succeed.

5. What advice would you give to someone looking to make a career out of photography?

There’s a saying ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. This is true to photography, my advice would to pursue one genre of
photography and not to branch out to multiple ones. Generally good portrait photographers are rarely good landscape photographers and vice versa, this applies to all genres. After selecting your focus in photography, hone your technique and skills. Reach out to a local client base, make them aware of you. After time your work will branch out to a regional market and eventually on a national or even global level.

6. How do you find the time to manage business inquiries and edit photos while on the road?

That’s a good question and one I’m still trying to find an easier solution too. I have to leave emails for up to 7 days sometimes and then (like I’m doing right now) when I get a couple of free hours I’ll go through them all or let clients know that I will get back to them as soon as I get chance to sit down and review everything. Wifi and 3G are non-existent in the back country around here, as much as I look forward to my next project and working with new clients, I also appreciate disconnecting from it all and focusing on enjoying my time out in the wild.

7. Anything else you would like to add?

Social media is the biggest asset to yourself as well as clients at the moment, however, it shouldn’t be relied upon as a sole source of income for a photographer. No one should use just one platform either. Photographers source their income from multiple sources including but not limited to: Licensing, Assignments, Workshops, Writing, etc. Good business manners will also take you a lot further.

One of Eric’s many sensational photos. For more, check out his website or Instagram.

1. Could you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?

@erubes1

My name is Eric Rubens. I’m 28 years old, live in San Diego and work full time as an electrical engineer. I traveled a ton playing tennis growing up so photography was a way to remember the places I visited.

2. When did you start uploading to Instagram, and how has your account grown since then?

I started a few years ago but only started posting higher quality pictures about a year or year and a half ago. My account has grown pretty fast lately since I put a larger emphasis on building relationships and engagement with the people who follow me.

3. How would you compare Instagram to other marketing channels?

I only use Instagram as a source of marketing my photography. I post pics occasionally on Twitter and Facebook but don’t put any effort into growing on those platforms. I think Twitter could be the most effective but I invested my time in learning Instagram more so I don’t understand how to use my time effectively on Twitter.

4. You mentioned you’re an engineer as well as a photographer. Is there a point where you would ever give up engineering to pursue photography full time?

I don’t think I’d ever give up engineering for photography. Obviously photography is more fun but it would be hard for me to justify throwing away all my years in school. Also, I don’t like the lighting in the middle of the day so photography as a hobby fits well into my schedule.

5. What advice would you give to a photographer looking to market himself better on Instagram?

I would advise people to respond to comments and actively comment on others’ feeds. I started growing much faster when I began networking and responding to people who spent the time to comment on my pics.

One of Andrew’s many impressive photos. For more, check out his website or Instagram.

1. Could you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?

@andrewpavlidis

I started getting into photography during high school. I had my dads old Canon AE-1 film camera that I played around with for a few years but after I lost access to the dark rooms I eventually picked up a digital SLR which I used mostly for hiking with friends.

It’s when I started to take my camera on adventures with me is when I really fell in love with photography. It allowed for me to share my experiences with friends and family back home because if you knew me you would know I’m pretty shit at telling stories!

2. As a photographer, there are plenty of ways to market yourself these days. Do you use different strategies to reach your audience with each platform?

There are so many ways to get your photos out to people these days. I have used several different methods but nothing has been as useful as Instagram.

Instagram has been the only platform (for me) which has successfully connected the general public to the photographers themselves. All other social platforms such as 500px are great for finding amazing photography but they aren’t regularly used by anyone but photographers. As of right now I have only been focusing on Instagram to get my photos out on social media as it seems to be providing the most opportunities.

3. What advice would you give to someone looking to build up their own community of followers on Instagram?

When trying to build a following the only thing you can do is post often and be active with whatever social community you are trying to be apart of. After that, all you can do is hope that people enjoy your style of photography or story that you are sharing.

4. Your website mentions you spend your summers in Canada and your winters traveling around the world. How do you manage exploring, taking photos, editing, and business inquiries when on the road versus when you’re home?

Trying to balance work and travel is a full time job in itself…especially since I don’t make any money from any of my travel work. To be moving year round I have been trying to pick up weddings to fund plane tickets.

Trying to balance business inquiries and advertising when your living in a car on the road is can be quite difficult but you learn to be quite efficient with limited battery life and you learn pretty quick which cafes have free internet.

5. If there’s one thing that has changed the way you work as a photographer, what would it be?

Nothing has really changed over the years towards my outlook on photography. The kit gets bigger and ideas get better but in the end I’m still just taking photos of what I enjoy doing everyday. The one thing that has changed is the push to create something different. Through social media, we are surrounded by so many talented people making beautiful things everyday and its hard to create unique images daily.

One of Christian’s many remarkable photos. For more, check out his website or Instagram.

1. Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got into photography?

@christianmcld

I was originally born in Montana in the US of A, and was raised in Ireland since I was 8. Didn’t hit photography until I was 18, and since then it’s been a roller-coaster love affair  still on it’s way up.

At 18, I picked up a camera lying in my room, as I was bored on that day, and then I just started bringing it to college, as I studied Engineering, and the camera slowly started to consume my life.

2. When did you first hear about Instagram and how has your account grown since then?

I first heard about it about 3 1/2 years ago, and joined up. However I didn’t get as great of a response as I was initially hoping for, and it turned me off immediately as I was quite impatient back then. However just under a year ago, I started uploading regularly to instagram, and have managed to build a decent following which I hope will grow larger.

3. How would you compare your usage of Instagram to your usage of Facebook?

I’ve essentially bailed on my Facebook page, due to the extremely poor interaction percentages and just letting my Instagram posts fly over to it, to keep it populated. Facebook is great if you have links to share, however with having over 6000 followers and only getting 80-190 likes on an image or link post, I can’t justify my time spent on it. As they say, time is money. Even writing this Q&A is emptying my pockets.

4. Speaking of strategies, what advice would you give to photographers looking to build up a following on Instagram?

Connect.

Plain and simple. Connect with Brands, People, and Pages. Find people whose work you truly enjoy, follow them and continue to interact, talk to them, learn from them, encourage them, collaborate with them, and help each other. That’s how this works. #CommunityNOTCompetition

5. If you could choose just one thing that has made the most impact on your work as a photographer, what would it be?

Sharing. If you’re in a position to help someone, or teach someone, or lend a hand, DO IT. It’s invaluable, it’s exactly what our society is missing and its the very thing that helps you, even though you’re the one aiming to help.

6. Any advice for someone considering a career in photography?

One HUGE tip.

The most dangerous risk of all is the risk of not spending your life doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.

If you love something and focus on something enough, you can make it happen.That’s something they don’t teach you in school.

7. Anything else you’d like to add?

Enjoy Instagram and don’t take it too seriously. But one big thing for any photographer out there looking to use Instagram as a good marketing tool is to ONLY upload your best work, show your strict style, show a lifestyle others would like to live, and make them crave it, then they will follow, and when they follow, treat them with every ounce of respect and interact.

One of Sylvia’s many splendid travel photos. For more, check out her website or Instagram.

1. Could you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?

@goldie_berlin

I started about 4 years ago just with doing some random pics on instagram. I started to follow people with beautiful Landscape images and discovered the first HDR pics. My goal was to one day create a HDR picture like I saw before.

I bought a DSLR and started to practice and improve my skills ins photography by watching tutorials, asking real photographers and practicing every day. I was fascinated by the results and this is how I started with Landscape photography.

2. Could you share a little bit about your shooting/editing style as a photographer and how it’s evolved over time?

My style is just simple : Nature & Landscape & Lifestyle, its all about the colors in the world and fantastic places.

I take pics with different Cameras – DSLR, Compact or sometimes Gopro – it’s all about the situation and the light conditions. I love to do long exposure, HDR and action pics too.  I don’t think about what to capture, I just take a look around me and always find a special place to capture. The world always gives you many chances to capture something beautiful. It’s not about complaining you missed something, its about capturing the beauty you see forever. I don’t edit that much as I use either Lightroom or Snapped just to brighten up the images and add some colors.

I don’t like faded colors as they look sad to me – that is why my pics will be colorful – that means happiness to me.

3. What has your social media journey been like since you started taking photos?

You should focus on one main platform and use this to create add-ons – you can’t be on 2 journeys at the same time.

I started with Instagram and the reach is very big right now, but I put a lot of work and effort into this. After a certain time I created my fanpage on Facebook to show my images uncorked. And least and def. the last (for a long time) is my Blog, where you find all behind the scenes pics from all my journey.

I will focus on Instagram and my Blog in the future, as I think that this is the best composition to show my travel experiences. The choice of a platform is related to a goal that everyone has and a special vertical (Fashion, Food, Travel, Automotive).

4. Speaking of social media, what advice would you give to someone looking to reach more people with their photos?

It’s always the same and will stay the same: focus on one thing and do it regularly with PASSION. You can’t be successful without living and loving what you do.  If you are not passionate about what you do, you will stay average , even if you put in more effort than others.

You have to love what you do 🙂

5. What one thing has made the biggest impact on you as a photographer?

There are different impacts, but the biggest impact is, to see what spectacular images other photographers made – that’s my goal. When I think I can achieve the same one day – I will try it!

6. Anything else you’d like to add?

Just believe you can – and you are halfway there.

One of Nicole’s many superb nature and adventure photos. For more, check out her Instagram.

1. Could you share a little about yourself and how you got started with photography?

@nicolehunziker

My name is Nicole Hunziker from Switzerland. I work as an accountant with a local auditing company. Photography was a passion since I was 15 years old. In my late teens I forgot about that passion and rediscovered it in 2012 when I first downloaded Instagram.

2. How has photography and Instagram affected your life?

Without a doubt Instagram changed my life. I’ve found 2 very good friends through this fancy little app and I met a lot of interesting people from all over the world. Before I started to use Instagram I was something like a fine weather photographer. These days I love to be outdoors even when the fog is thick or when it rains. The mood can even be much better on a cloudy day, than on a day when there is not a single cloud in the blue sky.

3. Speaking of social media, there are many ways to share your work with your fans and community these days. What platforms do you use, and how do you tailor your marketing strategies to each platform?

I’m a passionate Instagramer. I use Twitter as well, but I’m not a huge fan. If I have time I sometimes use the new app @stellerstories. It’s great to write stories and combine it with my pictures. l will then share it with my community. On the other side I love to read the stories of other people and their impressions from all over the world.

4. Any advice for someone looking to make a living from Instagram?

I’m not yet living from photography. I still need a job with a regular income. I had the chance to earn some extra money through a few campaigns I shot last year though. It was a very cool experience.

5. If you had to pick one thing that has had the most impact on your as a photographer, what would it be?

The moment I started using Instagram! I can say it changed my life in a positive way.

One of Peter’s many magnificent photos. For more, check out his Instagram.

1. Could you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?

@peteracarey

I have been into photography for quite a while. I used to always purchase disposable cameras when I was in middle school and take shots of my friends and I skateboarding around town. When I became an archaeologist and began participating in surveys in the outdoors, I started to really enjoy landscape photography. I was hiking around while working in some beautiful places and had a strong desire to capture them.

2. When did you first hear about Instagram, and how has your account grown since then?

I first heard about Instagram in early 2011. At that time it was only an Apple app and I had an Android. I picked up an iPhone 3GS in September of that year (not specifically for Instagram, but that was one of the first apps I DLed). For the first year or so I used Instagram like 99% of people do, for pictures of things I was doing and my friends and I, stuff like that. I would occasionally post some of my landscape shots and began to realize people were responding to them. I decided in probably January of 2013 to change what I used Instagram for, and since then I’ve gained the approximately 22,000 followers I have now.

3. Do you use other platforms besides Instagram to share your photography? If so, how does your usage of them compare to Instagram?

The only other platform I use to share my photography is Facebook, and that is solely for my friends and family. I still use Instagram way more than Facebook, though.

4. What advice would you give to photographers looking to make the most out of using Instagram?

Really, it just depends on what you are looking to get out of Instagram. If you are just looking for something to share your daily moments, what you are eating, who you are hanging out with, etc., etc., then just post and that’s all you have to do.

If you are looking to grow and gain exposure then it becomes a lot different. First of all, I think posting good pictures is important. Second, being very engaging (e.g., liking and commenting on peoples pictures, commenting back to people who comment on your pictures, etc.) is important.

There are always exceptions to those “rules,” but those are the things I have found work well and get attention in a good way, rather than a bad way.

5. If you could choose just one thing that has made the most impact on your work as a photographer, what would it be?

It has actually been a few of the people I met through Instagram that have really affected the way I not only shoot, but also edit. I think the different points of view have made me think of things differently and therefore changed the way I approach photography. It has also given me the opportunity to adventure with like-minded people.

One of Chris’ many breathtaking photos. For more, check out his website or Instagram.

1. You once stated your work is split up into three ways: commercial, editorial, and social endorsements. How does Instagram fit into your workflow as a professional photographer?

@chrisburkard

Instagram is pretty much my personal advertising consultant but I get to be the one making the decisions and yet I can still reach thousands of people. It’s now become a very big part of my workflow in that I will push content out on a regular basis so that my friends and fans can see continued new, curated work on the daily and be inspired to get out and see what our world has to offer.

2. How has your experience with Instagram changed since your first started using it as a medium to share your photos back in 2012? Has your style as a photographer changed as well?

At first, I was pretty resistant to social media but I soon learned that I could reach many people and share my work on a global level as opposed to just my website or in print form at an art gallery. Now though, Instagram keeps me from staying stagnant by constantly pushing out content and continually challenging myself to shoot better photos at new destinations.

3. To make a living as a photographer, you need to know how to manage both the artistic and the business aspects of photography. Comparing Instagram, Facebook, ChrisBurkard.com, and word of mouth, which channel would you say is responsible for the majority of your revenue?

I’d say definitely Instagram and Facebook has helped me reach the masses. With that, all my fans talk amongst each other and through word of mouth I find many new folks being introduced to my work. This alone brings lots of people out to my book events or film screenings. Aside from my fans though, IG and FB have helped me book many commercial clients because at a glance they are able to see my portfolio and the fan base I can potentially reach out to for them.

4. Where do you see the future of how people share photography heading to?

I see it growing more and more as a user-based experience that can bridge the gap between professionals and amateurs. Before, we could not directly get in contact with the big names of photography but with the likes of Instagram and Facebook we can easily direct message anyone and start a relationship from that way.

5. If I were going on a 2-3 month trip around the world next summer to see if I could make it as a photographer, what tips would you have on how prepare myself over the next 6 months?

To prepare yourself for the next 6 months (or even 6 years), I’d say you should definitely plan every aspect of your trip beforehand. Yes, the spontaneity and surprising elements can make for a great photo, but more likely than not, bad weather conditions or travel hiccups can ruin any shoot or image. Also, find your inspiration from other people’s works but don’t directly shoot what they’ve shot — find your own angle and vision and keep it true to yourself. It’ll translate and show on the photograph!

One of Taylor’s many awe-inspiring landscape photos. For more, check out his website or Instagram.

1. Could you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?

@taylormichaelburk

My name is Taylor Burk, I am an adventurer and photographer of sorts! I got started in photography by being out in nature and experiencing unique places that not many people get to see. I wanted to take back photos of the places I visit and share them to inspire others to get out. I got introduced to Instagram and started posting my iPod touch photos. I then upgraded to iPhone and eventually a DSLR.

2. When did you join Instagram, and how has your account grown since then?

I joined a couple years ago, I started off posting what I was up to on my travels and random selfies. Once I started learning more about photography, posting higher quality photos and got involved into the community I saw a substantial growth.

3. How would you compare your usage of Instagram to other social media platforms?

My goto apps are Instagram and Snapchat, I have the most fun with those. Instagram is my main form of income out of all the apps I use.

4. What advice would you give to a photographer looking to market himself on Instagram?

Post what you love, post what inspires you and stick to you. Don’t market yourself to things you are not interested in.Make it organic!

5. Anything else you’d like to add?

Have a great day and don’t forget to
smile!