10 Travel Photographers to Follow on Instagram Right Now

From remote surfing destinations to urban gems, the moments captured by these incredible travel photographers will make you want to pack your bags.
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Satiate your summertime wanderlust by scrolling through the epic feeds of these travel photographers. You’ll no doubt find some inspiration for your next adventure.

1. Chris Burkard | @chrisburkard

An experienced thrill seeker, Chris Burkard is a surfer-gone-rogue. Tired of the blasé destinations that others frequent, he set out to find swells in far-flung regions of the planet that most would never even dream of visiting—often, they can be quite dangerous. It’s his fearlessness and insatiable desire to dive into the unknown that has produced a jaw-dropping portfolio of images that have helped him lead a TED Talk, work with Fortune 500 clients, design product lines, and publish a range of books. Here’s to pursuing untapped waves and landscapes. 

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Sailboat creeping along the edge of an iceberg in Greenlands Sermilik Fjord.

Sailboat creeping along the edge of an iceberg in Greenlands Sermilik Fjord.

Three tiny travelers on a mountain ridge in Utah.

Three tiny travelers on a mountain ridge in Utah.

Surfing in Seward, Alaska.

Surfing in Seward, Alaska.

2. Karen Ng | @k_a_r_e_n_g 

Pop over to Karen Ng’s feed for an alabaster-washed view of the world. Her milky feed exudes minimalist vibes, but a closer look shows that she’s not missed any of the intricacies of her surroundings. From architecture to crosswalks, wilderness landscapes to tablescapes, she presents a fresh perspective through her lens. She is a visual storyteller, inviting viewers to step into her world for a more intimate understanding of her artful compositions where a boat can look like a leaf on a tree and everyday environments are transformed into geometric sequences dancing around her.  

Bicyclist at Superkilen public park in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Bicyclist at Superkilen public park in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Denmark.

6 a.m. on the beach in Da Nang, Vietnam.

6 a.m. on the beach in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Just a speck in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

Just a speck in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

Just hanging out in Seoul, Korea.

Just hanging out in Seoul, Korea.

3. Jordan Hammond | @jordhammond

For bold, exotic landscapes teeming with mountains, rice paddies at sunrise, endless deserts, and technicolor buildings, look no further than the feed of Jordan Hammond. He wanders far and wide with a portfolio of places so diverse you’ll never tire of scrolling through his feed. His images breathe a sense of mystery and wonder, creating fantastical panoramas out of cityscapes and remote territories. 

Grandpa Huang fishing on the Li River in Guangxi, China. 

Grandpa Huang fishing on the Li River in Guangxi, China. 

A pair of lovers in Dubai.

A pair of lovers in Dubai.

Rainbow Mountain in Peru.

Rainbow Mountain in Peru.

Magic in Bali, Indonesia.

Magic in Bali, Indonesia.

4. Olivia Lopez | @oliviavlopez

She is a fashion influencer, yes, but Olivia Lopez is also packing a sharp eye and the photo skills to match to capture her jet-setting lifestyle. Her knack for style translates into an ardor for luxe interiors and faraway escapes both urban and tropical. She finds astounding hotels, remarkable restaurants, and gorgeous landscapes to share with her followers. A quick scroll through her feed shows plush interiors, bold architecture, delectable eats—and of course, chic outfits galore.  

Salk Institute in La Jolla, San Diego. Photo taken by Minh T (@thismintymoment).

Salk Institute in La Jolla, San Diego. Photo taken by Minh T (@thismintymoment).

View from a Miami hotel window.

View from a Miami hotel window.

Luxe digs in Beverly Hills.

Luxe digs in Beverly Hills.

Lopez cozied up at Hôtel Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël, France. 

Lopez cozied up at Hôtel Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël, France. 

5. Paola Franqui | @monaris_

Personal narratives fill Paola Franqui’s Instagram feed. She captures humans in their natural states: sitting on the bus, reading a newspaper, looking out a window, or smoking a cigarette in the street. She shoots on the fly, but every image is thoughtfully composed to frame the subject; and each emanates a sense of dreaminess, as if you could walk into her subject’s thoughts. She leads the viewer’s eye across her shots with intention, revealing the beating heart of a city.

"Let them stare."

"Let them stare."

Connected in New York.

Connected in New York.

A perfect match in Barcelona, Spain.

A perfect match in Barcelona, Spain.

New York state of mind.

New York state of mind.

6. Steve McCurry | @stevemccurryofficial

Steve McCurry is perhaps best known for "Afghan Girl," the image of the girl with piercing green eyes that appeared on the cover of National Geographic. The award-winning photojournalist has covered armed conflicts around the world, including in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Cambodia, and the Philippines. He nearly drowned in India, and made it out of an airplane crash in Yugoslavia. It’s not always strife in his photos, however; McCurry shows us just how beautiful humanity is through portraying intimate moments in tradition and culture.

The world's ride.

The world's ride.

Mudmen in Papua, NewGuinea, 2017.

Mudmen in Papua, NewGuinea, 2017.

Colorful acrobatics.

Colorful acrobatics.

He who leads.

He who leads.

Tibetan monks debate at Sakya Monastery in Bylakuppe, India, 2001.

Tibetan monks debate at Sakya Monastery in Bylakuppe, India, 2001.

7. Eva Tsang | @thetrottergirl

Curator of city guides, Eva Tsang discovers gems from Portland to Paris, honing in on the best cafes, hotels, shops, and sweet treats. She captures quiet settings in otherwise bustling getaways—cozy corners, warm meals, empty alleyways. Interiors abound here, from textured nooks to airy, minimalist styles. You’ll be able to see all the ‘Gram-worthy spots from Portugal to Spain, and experience it all like a local.  

That footboard though.

That footboard though.

Modern tropical fantasy in Algarve Coast, Portugal.

Modern tropical fantasy in Algarve Coast, Portugal.

Luxe evergreen nooks in Paris.

Luxe evergreen nooks in Paris.

Strolling the streets of Florence, Italy.

Strolling the streets of Florence, Italy.

8. Alexis Coram | @alexiscoram

Alexis Coram’s images present the world as a magical wonderland filled with surfers under the Northern Lights, dazzling stars, and raging waterfalls crashing over jagged peaks. Her captures have a powerful stillness to them—bold, punchy hues and sharp contrasts in soft settings. Each landscape is meant to evoke emotion and contemplation. Accordingly, she furthers the dreamy nature of her environments by fusing some of her photos together to create ethereal worlds that could very well be Narnia. 

A water and sunlight cocktail at Yellowstone Falls.

A water and sunlight cocktail at Yellowstone Falls.

Coram melds three of her photos here: daytime photos of the Natural Bridge in California, a surfer on a California beach, and an Aurora storming over Alaska.

Coram melds three of her photos here: daytime photos of the Natural Bridge in California, a surfer on a California beach, and an Aurora storming over Alaska.

Cascading waterfall Faroe Islands.

Cascading waterfall Faroe Islands.

Psychdelic skies in Kirkjufell, Iceland.

Psychdelic skies in Kirkjufell, Iceland.

Another multi-layered image where Coram uses her most licensed image, Rainbow Cosmos—which is comprised of several hundred images from the Aurora in Alaska—and melds it with two other photos.

Another multi-layered image where Coram uses her most licensed image, Rainbow Cosmos—which is comprised of several hundred images from the Aurora in Alaska—and melds it with two other photos.

9. Hannes Becker | @hannes_becker

No matter the destination—be it camping in the Austrian Alps, kayaking in freezing waters in Antarctica, or trekking through a clay pan in Namibia—Hannes Becker captures striking dreamscapes. Unsurprisingly, like any good photographer, he spends hours and days prepping before a trip, researching cool spots and weather, and running through all possible scenarios. Growing up in a rural area in Germany, he is naturally drawn to raw environments, and strives to harness moods through composition, putting people in the rule of thirds and emulating old film photography. Beyond shooting pretty places, he documents moments, tying in his personal experiences with well-considered layouts. Generally, people are shot from afar to create a sense of scale between the person and nature. 

Flying high over the Namibian coast where thundering waves of the sea meet the rippling dunes of the desert Sandwich Harbour.

Flying high over the Namibian coast where thundering waves of the sea meet the rippling dunes of the desert Sandwich Harbour.

An aerial view of daily changing glacier rivers channeling their way through the highlands of Iceland. 

An aerial view of daily changing glacier rivers channeling their way through the highlands of Iceland. 

The Inca town at Machu Picchu, Peru.

The Inca town at Machu Picchu, Peru.

A 600-meter cliff above the fjord at Preikestolen, Norway.

A 600-meter cliff above the fjord at Preikestolen, Norway.

A massive crater lake in Iceland—see the tiny white car for scale.

A massive crater lake in Iceland—see the tiny white car for scale.

10. Melissa Findley | @melissafindley

Traverse the globe from Australia—Melissa Findley’s homeland—to Nepal, Africa, Samoa, and beyond. Working with multiple tourism boards and traveling to raise awareness for several charities, Findley’s work has benefitted organizations in Cambodia, Nepal, Uganda, Laos, and more. Her photos span across land and sea, from starry nights camping near home to crystalized glacier parks in Patagonia.

Taking in the cerulean seas and gilded sands of Gold Coast, Queensland.

Taking in the cerulean seas and gilded sands of Gold Coast, Queensland.

Swimming in Bitter Springs, crystal clear spring-fed thermal pools in Mataranka, NT, Australia.

Swimming in Bitter Springs, crystal clear spring-fed thermal pools in Mataranka, NT, Australia.

Peach-toned landscape in Delhi, India. 

Peach-toned landscape in Delhi, India. 

Hanging at one of her favorite beaches in Australia.

Hanging at one of her favorite beaches in Australia.

Jen Woo
Dwell Contributor
Founder of Rogue Habits, Jen is usually writing, wandering, or eating; chasing her insatiable lust for noodles, travel, and design.

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