Traveling the world and taking pictures is a dream for many. After all, who doesn’t want to spend their days looking at stunning landscapes or capturing colorful cultural moments? And turning that dream into a career is something reserved for a lucky few likely with some editorial connections.
But with the advent of social media platforms such as Instagram, the door to becoming a travel photographer is wide open. Now, amateur photographers can show off their skills by curating their accounts in the hopes of gaining followers and landing some paying projects. It was through this very process that Nikon found some rising stars in photography.
As part of the 100th birthday, the famous camera company researched photographers on Instagram that were creating inspiring work and telling amazing stories using their equipment and created a list of the top 100 up-and-coming shutterbugs. The final Nikon100 List was released on March 30 featuring photographers in all genres. But I was curious who topped the list in the travel world.
So, I asked Nikon to let me in on their top five up-and-coming travel photographers we should keep an eye on. Here’s what they had to say.
1. Noel Casaje of Lofoten, Norway
Casaje describes himself as “an avid student of light, exploring the nuances it creates while transforming scenes from the real to the surreal.” He loves working with tricky low light and has captured painting-like landscapes all over the world from Ireland to California. Recently, he wrapped a 40-day winter tour shooting subzero temperatures and harsh arctic conditions to get pictures of the Northern Lights.
2. Jason Fried of New York, New York
There’s a reason this self-taught photographer garnered a following of over 10,000 people. His cityscapes capture the vibrancy of The Big Apple and highlights the many architectural details found throughout the streets. It’s hard not to be inspired to book a visit to the five boroughs after browsing through his account.
3. Robert Stephens of Lake Junaluska, North Carolina
It’s hard to imagine that Stephens doesn’t consider himself a technical photographer given the photos he produces. As a lover of nature, the North Carolina native opts to approach his photography in a simple way: he sees something, sets up the camera, and shoots. There are not many preplanned sessions as he waits for Mother Nature to give him a moment of fog, some rainbows, sunrises, sunsets, or storms.
4. David Howes of Iceland
Iceland became a popular tourist destination in recent years after people discovered its natural beauty (and cheap flights). But, Howes has always loved capturing the landscapes of his home country. Of course, there are some Aurora Borealis snaps too. “I love the way photography has changed how I see the world,” he said. “And the pleasure of seeing ordinary scenes transformed into beautiful photographs just by the changing light of the different seasons.”
5. Noel Y. Calingasan of New York
