Instagram remains to be one of the most popular social media platforms in 2022 with over a billion active users.
While it started pivoting to become a more entertainment and video-centric platform with the introduction of Reels, Instagram started out as a photo-sharing app that got anyone with a phone snapping more pictures for the world to see.
It’s also been the home of the world’s top photographers and influencers in the creative space since the app skyrocketed into the mainstream.
We’ve recently talked about Instagram Marketing for Photographers where we sought the help of 10 pros to help you level up your Instagram game. But today, we thought it’d be interesting to take a quick peek into the camera bags of the most-followed photographers on Instagram.
Brandon Stanton’s Camera Gear – (Humans of New York) @humansofny – 11.8 million Followers
What started as Brandon Stanton’s photography project in 2010 has now evolved into a little pillar in social media culture and photography itself, with close to 12 million followers on Instagram alone. I want to say Humans of New York falls into the street photography or “street portraits category”, but I’d be doing the project a great disservice if I stopped at that.
HONY shines the spotlight on the everyday pedestrian’s personal stories that can range from amusing to tear-jerking, heartfelt anecdotes and inspiring attitudes toward life that can make you feel a lot of feelings.
In the gear department, Stanton started with minimal gear in 2010 and he’s kept it simple since:
- Canon 7D – (B&H, 2012)
- Canon 50mm f1.2 – (B&H, 2012)
- Canon 5D Mark III – (Shutterbug, 2017)
- Canon 5D Mark IV (See current price) – (New York Times, Behind the Scenes Photo 2020)
For more Canon options, see our other guides:
Paul Nicklen’s Camera Gear @paulnicklen – 7.2 million Followers
Photographer and marine biologist Paul Nicklen has been documenting the most beautiful vistas on earth for over twenty years. He’s a Nat Geo contributor and had been the recipient of many of the most prestigious awards in the field of wildlife and photojournalism – and he’s not stopping anytime soon.
Nicklen’s grid is filled to the brim with breathtaking images of wildlife that are always backed with wonderfully written stories and facts about the species he’s capturing in photos. You’ll always learn something new and care a little bit more about the environment every time you click off of the conservationist’s work.
For his work, Nicklen, also a Sony Artisan, uses the top-most end of Sony bodies and optics that’ll allow him to work freely in his expeditions (Paul Nicklen Photography):
- Sony α9 II (See current price)
- Sony α7R IV
- Sony α7S III
- Sony 12-24/f2.8
- Sony 200-600/f5.6-6.3
For more Sony options, see our popular guides:
Mario Testino’s Camera Gear @mariotestino – 5.2 million followers
Mario Testino has spent the last 40 years in the upper echelons of fashion photography. Testino’s work first graced Vogue in 1983 and he never really stopped working. He’s had the pleasure of photographing high-profile personalities for equally high-profile brands, beauty houses, and publications.
Testino’s style is often described as “luxury realism” which brings out more energy, engaged-in-life attitude from his subjects — a stark contrast against the blank, mannequin-like aesthetics of a stereotypical fashion model.
Unfortunately, the master doesn’t seem to like talking about gear all that much but we do know he’s shooting a Contax T3 for casual photography and the medium format monster that is the Hasselblad H6D for professional work. (Anatomy Films)
Chris Burkard’s Camera Gear- @chrisburkard – 3.7 million followers
When you think of travel and outdoor photography, something along the lines of what you’ll find on Chris Burkard’s grid may come to mind. This jet-setting creative is perpetually sharing stunning landscapes, astrophotography, and trail rides that make you want to set out on an adventure yourself.
Burkard is always on the move, from one project and or location to the next, and it’s evident with his choice of gear. He’s heavily invested in the Sony system for the weight savings. Check out his gear for inspiration if you’re trying to build a travel kit yourself, but here are some highlights:
- Sony α7R IV
- Sony α7S III
- Sony α6500
- Sony α7C – (Which we featured as one of the top small full frame cameras)
- 16-35mm f/2.8
- 24-70mm f2.8
- 70-200mm f2.8.
Murad Osmann’s Camera Gear (#FollowMeTo) @muradosmann – 3.6 million followers
If you’ve spent some time on Instagram, even if you’re not a photographer, you’ve probably already seen some of Murad Osmann’s work. A #FollowMeTo post’s premise is simple: it’ll always be an image of a woman leading the photographer into some of the most beautiful places in the world.
The series went viral in 2013 and Murad Osmann and Natalia Zakharova are determined to keep the trend alive and well. Its replicability and accessibility are only two of the driving factors of #FollowMeTo’s success, and Osmann’s relatively simple kit reflects these.
- Canon 5D Mark II
- Canon 5DS
- Canon 16-35mm f2.8 – The key to the #followmeto look, a wide-angle lens. See the current price and some of our other favorite wide-angle lenses for Canon.
- Fuji XT-1
- Fuji XPRO-1
- Sony a7
- Sony a7R
- Unspecified 16mm and 14mm lenses
Steve McCurry’s Camera Gear @stevemccurryofficial – 3.3 million followers
The next Instagram-famous photographer is a name I never thought I’d find on this list — Steve McCurry. He’s shot some of the most recognizable photos in the world, the “Afghan Girl” being one of them. Fans of McCurry would be happy to know he’s garnered a massive following showcasing his body of work on the platform, and he’s continually sharing his equally massive body of work on the platform.
McCurry is a legendary photojournalist who’s been braving warzones and documenting cultures in the least known parts of the world well before the transition to digital. As you may have already gathered, that kind of work will require a system that can take a beating. Well, he shot Nikons a lot on assignment, namely the F3 and FM2 (Shutterbug, 2020), and it looks like the Nikon bug stuck.
- Nikon D850
- Nikon 28-70mm f2.8
- Nikon 28-300mm f3.5-5.6
- Hasselblad H6D-100c
- XCD 120mm Macro
- XCD 45mm
Jimmy Chin’s Camera Gear @jimmychin – 3.1 million followers
If they ever think of putting a photography category on the X Games, Jimmy Chin would dominate everyone hands down. He’s a filmmaker, photographer, mountaineer, climber, and skier who makes images that make you weak on the knees while he’s hanging off the side of a cliff.
Chin’s work leans heavily on the kind of stuff you’ll only see after some of the most hardcore expeditions that only a handful of creative daredevils dare make — the long list includes scaling Mt. Everest and descending Mt. Everest on skis.
For action shots, Chin likes to use his trusty Canon 1DX for its burst rate and a Canon 5D Mark IV for everything else:
- Canon 1DX
- Canon 5D Mark IV
- 24-70mm f2.8
- 16-35mm f2.8
- 70-200mm f2.8
- 14mm f2.8
- 24mm f1.4