{"id":17697,"date":"2017-05-21T23:11:46","date_gmt":"2017-05-22T05:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lastbestnews.com\/site\/?p=17697"},"modified":"2017-05-24T22:55:48","modified_gmt":"2017-05-25T04:55:48","slug":"the-top-10-plus-6-montana-photo-feeds-on-instagram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/2017\/05\/the-top-10-plus-6-montana-photo-feeds-on-instagram\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 10 (plus 6) Montana photo feeds on Instagram"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>You know when you start a project and you think it will be simple and straight-forward but then you dig into it a little and it turns out it is going to be way more complicated than you thought and if you had known that in the beginning you probably wouldn\u2019t have taken it on in the first place?<\/p>\n

That’s what happened to me last year when I proposed a \u201cTop 10\u00a0Montana photographers to follow on Instagram\u201d story to Last Best News.<\/p>\n

Turns out it it was neither simple nor straight-forward. Montana is home to some of the most talented and creative photographers in the world, which makes trying to pull together a list of the best ones a fool\u2019s errand.<\/p>\n

I knew there were many people to choose from but I didn\u2019t quite realize the sheer number of great photographers I would find. I quickly realized curating a Top 10\u00a0list was almost impossible to do without leaving out dozens of people who deserved to be there. I bailed on the article.<\/p>\n

But months later I couldn\u2019t quite shake the desire to bring attention to some of the amazing artists in our state, so I decided to make the list. Before I begin I must register some caveats to the reader.<\/p>\n

First, I limited my pool of photographers to those who shoot mostly outdoor, landscape and wildlife images. Second, I didn\u2019t include accounts that compile photos from photographers such as Visit Montana (@visitmontana<\/a>) or Montana Big Sky Series (@mtbigskyseries<\/a>) or really famous National Geographic Montana photographers like @ronan_donovan<\/a> or @amivitale<\/a>. Third, I tried to bring some geographic diversity to the list by featuring photographers from all over the state, not just Western Montana.<\/p>\n

Last but not least, I wasn\u2019t able to include everyone that deserved to be here. In fact, right now I can think of another 10\u00a0accounts off the top of my head that could easily be added, so please feel free to mention others that you know of in the comment section.<\/p>\n

Once I narrowed the field down I picked my favorite pages based on one criterion: I take notice of their photos. In a world saturated with images it is easy to just keep scrolling but these folks make every photo count. And instead of 10, I did 15. Ten was just not enough. In no particular order, here are my favorite Montana outdoor photographer Instagram accounts.<\/p>\n

First off is 1)\u00a0Andy Austin – @andyaustinphoto<\/a><\/strong>. A screen capture of his feed\u00a0leads off this piece.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t know Andy Austin, then you don\u2019t know Montana\u2019s most ambitious and outgoing outdoor photographer. His talent and enthusiasm for photography and our great state is palpable on his feed, which is filled with beautiful images from all corners of Montana, the greater interior West and his frequent trips overseas. Andy is a Billings native but currently spends most of his time in his Sprinter van roaming the country seeking out great photos<\/p>\n

2) Becca Skinner – @beccaskinner<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nBecca Skinner is a National Geographic Explorer, photographer, writer and conservationist based in Bozeman. If you love the West, fishing, outdoor recreation, falconry and compelling portraits of people, Becca\u2019s is a great account to follow. She already has over 50,000 followers, so I\u2019m sure this plug is unnecessary but hers is a feed not to miss.<\/p>\n

3) Erin Braaten – @dancing_aspens_photo<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nErin Braaten\u2019s feed is nothing short of spectacular. She lives and photographs mostly in northwest Montana including the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park. When I\u2019m missing northwest Montana, all I have do is go straight to her account and see what wonderful landscapes and wildlife images she\u2019s been able to capture.<\/p>\n

4) Colin Ruggiero – @colinruggiero<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMissoula photographer and filmmaker Colin Ruggiero is a self-described reluctant Instagrammer but we should all be grateful that he decided to jump into the social media fray and share his spectacular photos with us. You\u2019ll see amazing images and videos from Montana and from his travels all over the world. His feed is equal parts ocean and mountains and the photos are all exquisite. There is not one photo on his feed that isn\u2019t worth spending minutes looking at.<\/p>\n

5) Jess Mcglothlin –\u00a0@jess_mcglothlin_media<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nIf you love fly-fishing you won\u2019t want to miss the feed of Bozeman-based photographer Jess Mcglothlin. She is also a great writer so you can follow along with her images and words as she travels all over Montana and the world photographing and writing about fly-fishing and other outdoor pursuits.<\/p>\n

6) Dawson Dunning – @3bearsmedia<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6.5) Kathryn Socie-Dunning –\u00a0@scramblinhillsides<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nIf you\u2019re not following Livingston-based photographer and filmmaker Dawson Dunning, you’re missing out on some of the most jaw-dropping photos and videos of wildlife that I\u2019ve ever seen. And, the best part is that Dunning is from southeast Montana, my favorite. He also gave me an excuse to cheat a little and sneak in one more stunning photographer, his business partner and wife, Kathryn Socie-Dunning. How could I not love her feed? Her stunning images of the Paradise Valley area and her border collies were enough to grab a spot on this list.<\/p>\n

7) Tony Bynum – @huntphotos<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nIf you’re into hunting and want to see some images of wildlife that you won\u2019t see anywhere else, then you must check out the work of Tony Bynum. You don\u2019t get the shots Tony gets without putting thousands of hours getting into the backcountry and tracking wildlife. He puts in the work and it shows.<\/p>\n

8) Nathan Satran –\u00a0@nathansatranphoto<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nForsyth photographer Nathan Satran spends a lot of his time photographing the beautiful landscapes of southeast Montana and he is frequently featured on Montana\u2019s tourism department feed. You\u2019ll see amazing shots of Montana badlands, big skies, never-ending prairie land, sandstone formations and the Yellowstone River.<\/p>\n

9)\u00a0Megan Johnson – @montanamaggie<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nIf you spend any time poking around on Instagram you will certainly come across the feed of Missoula-based photographer Megan Johnson. She not only takes great photos but she has a great community on her page. It\u2019s a pleasure following along and seeing Montana through her eyes.<\/p>\n

10) John Stewart Wright –\u00a0@johnstewartwright<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nThe fact that photographer John Stewart Wright, of Bozeman, only has 488 followers is just not right. One could only hope to capture the images he does of Montana\u2019s native bird species. There is not one shot on his feed that isn\u2019t worth putting on your wall.<\/p>\n

11) Houston Harmon – @houstonharmonphotography<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nHouston Harmon is a Lavina-based photographer who\u00a0also happens to be the photography instructor at Billings Senior High. His beautiful landscape shots of the central Montana prairie are photos that you just don\u2019t see very often. I can\u2019t get enough of his big skies and open country.<\/p>\n

12) Erik Petersen – @erikpetersenphoto<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nYou can\u2019t miss the feed of southwest Montana\u2019s Erik Peterson. He is well known for his striking images of the Red Ants Pants music festival in White Sulphur Springs and his epic images of the Tippet Rise Art Center near Red Lodge, but his photos range from hunting dogs and big Montana landscapes to skijoring and people enjoying themselves in the outdoors. Like most Montana photographers, it seems like he’s always on the go.<\/p>\n

13) Danielle de Leon – @mssdeleon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nDanielle de Leon is an expert drone pilot and photographer, so if you want to see Montana from the sky, go check out her feed. Her photos aren\u2019t just your run of the mill landscape shots. You get to see Montana from viewpoints you\u2019d never be able to see without being in the air.<\/p>\n

14) Pat Clayton – @fisheyeguyphotography<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nIf you want to see what’s going on under the water in Montana, look no further than Bozeman-based photographer Pat Clayton\u2019s feed. You\u2019ll get to see sharp, clear and colorful photos of Montana\u2019s native fish species in their natural habitat. Fish Eye Guy Photography is indeed an apt name for his photography business.<\/p>\n

15) Nicholas Parker – @traunfoto<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nJust damn. If you want to immerse yourself in the sights of Glacier National Park, check out\u00a0Whitefish photographer Nicholas Parker\u2019s feed. Intimate photos of bison, bears, wolves, moose, mountain peaks and clear mountain lakes\u2014he\u2019s got it all.<\/p>\n

Others to definitely not miss: @mtmiller.montana<\/a>, @k.fryephoto<\/a>, @kevinleaguephoto<\/a>, @gnarangutang<\/a>, @chrismcgowanphotography<\/a>, @ridlephoto<\/a>, @stonefly<\/a>, @coltonstifflerphotography<\/a>, @hunterdayphoto<\/a>, @jasonsavage<\/a><\/p>\n

And, of course, you can find me on Instagram at @alexis_bonogofsky<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You know when you start a project and you think it will be simple and straight-forward but then you dig into it a little and it turns out it is going to be way more complicated than you thought and if you had known that in the beginning you probably wouldn\u2019t have taken it on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,747],"tags":[5873,3148,5874],"class_list":["post-17697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-photo-galleries","tag-instagram","tag-montana","tag-photography","prominence-top-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17697"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17745,"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17697\/revisions\/17745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montana-mint.com\/lastbestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}