We had a party with Stoneleigh in an abandoned house where nature had run rife and it was magic. Every room, staircase and hallway of Stoneleigh No. 50 was inspired by the vineyard’s untouched home in New Zealand and the specific notes of the wines. Beds were brimming with wildflowers, the basement was dank with mushrooms, some of them edible, and every square inch of one of the oldest abodes in Sydney was meticulously covered with moss, grass or living organism of some description.
Still dreaming of this and with summer right around the corner, there’s nothing we’d like more than to get outdoors and soak up the good weather. But with work, school and everything in between, we haven’t quite found the time to scale mountains or take flawless pictures of glassy lakes. Most of the time, the closest we get to some grade-a scenery is a quick scroll through our Instagram feeds on the train. Kicking off our (and your) seasonal FOMO—but also making that scroll session a lot more interesting—we’ve compiled a list of 10 photographers living their best lives in the great outdoors (and posting it all for your viewing pleasure). From James Robinson’s lush views of Melbourne to Honey Long and Prue Stent’s striking beachside installation art, feast your eyes and give your thumbs a work-out on our definitive list of the best nature-inspired photographers on Instagram.
Honey Long
Sydney-based artist Honey Long‘s Insta might be just what you need if you find yourself forgetting the incredible landscapes on the other side of your front door. Along with photographer Prue Stent, Long frames discussions on femininity and body image against Australian environments, toying with the relationship between animate and inanimate objects and the space occupied by human beings in the natural world.
James Robinson
Melbourne photographer James Robinson lives in a world punctuated by bursts of green in the most unlikely of places, as well apparently as endless road trips with really good looking people. Have a look at his photos and see if you don’t find yourself looking out for a little plant time in your city.
Prue Stent
Often seen alongside Honey Long, Prue Stent‘s portraits evoke dreamlike views of Australian landscapes through distinctive use of colour and texture, juxtaposing her subjects with environments which seem both distinctively local and strikingly other-worldly.
Esther Ling
Moving into some textbook jealousy-inducing Instagram travel photography, Esther Ling is a photographer currently touring the world—working her way from Nepal to the US one sickening photo at a time. With Ling staying in Iceland atm, expect pristine shots of glaciers, lagoons and rock formations— aka one big travel treat.
Bec Capp
Pt. 2 in our travel FOMO Instagram mini-series is Bec Capp, a Melbourne-based photographer and designer who shares dreamy snaps from Australia and overseas. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself looking at a stunning shot, only to find it’s in your city (eg. this hotel is in Broadbeach!).
Ren Hang
While the app’s censorship restrictions might stop you from enjoying Chinese photographer Ren Hang‘s subversive, and often funny nudes in the way they were intended, his interesting use of organic props will probably be enough to perk your interest in doing a bit of research into his work.
Cloudy Rhodes
It seems impossible that Cloudy Rhodes is only 18 given all the amazing work she’s done but OK. Shot in dusky tones, often with beautiful and carefree youths, we can guarantee you’ll never want to drop everything and go to the beach more than after a quick scroll through her feed.
Parker Woods
Back, briefly to our regular landscape programming, Bad Vibes Brigade affiliate Parker Woods shares stunningly-lit shots of friends and views at his home in Portland Oregon.
Molly Matalon
Molly Matalon is a photographer who’s style is as gently funny as it is distinctive. Shooting friends and family on beaches, in the desert and on Florida golf courses, highly stylised natural scenes become an extra subject of sorts across Matalon’s work.
Ayqa Khan
Sharing beautiful shots of life and friends in the Bay Area, Ayqa Khan has an eye for mixing people, art and lush natural elements to perfect viewing effect.
Stoneleigh No. 50
The Stoneleigh No. 50 house is a breathtaking project with a level of detail going into the natural installation that really has to be seen to be believed. Like everything in nature though, it won’t last so, if seeing the Stoneleigh house IRL isn’t a possibility, the Instagram shots will help to reveal the intricacies of the work…
…Or to experience the Stoneleigh no.50 wine house yourself, sign up here.
Credits
Text Ellen Rule