Friday Favorites: Favorite Outdoorsy Instagrammers, Part 2

For this week’s Friday Favorites, I’m sharing another installment of my favorite outdoor Instagram photographers. Two of my biggest passions are getting kids outdoors and photography, so I get so excited when I find other parents that share those loves. I’ve selected 8 gorgeous accounts from some of the most talented and inspiring photographers from our little online community. Each of these feeds is chock-full of gorgeous photos, beautiful words and lots of fun outdoor adventures, big and small.

If you follow us on Instagram, you probably recognize these photographers from our feed and you will certainly see them again (and soon…hint, hint). I have found Instagram to be a wonderful place to not only find an incredible outdoor community, but also to scout locations and get ideas for planning your own outdoor adventures with your kids. I’ve included some fun info on each of the accounts below with links to their feed, their websites and their answers to a few questions about getting their kids outside. I hope you’ll go check them all out and follow along on their adventures! 

@angie_mahlke

Angie Mahlke
Minnesota
www.angiemahlkephotography.com

• Favorite outdoor family activity: We really enjoy camping together as a family. As soon as the snow melts in the spring, we pack up the camper and go! We go as often as we can until the campgrounds close in the fall.
• Biggest struggle/obstacle to getting kids outdoors: In the winter it’s hard because of the cold temps in Minnesota and all the layers involved. Sometimes it takes us thousands of hours just to get out the door, but it’s always worth it once we’re outside and having fun.
• Advice for other parents about getting their kids outdoors: Getting outside with your kids doesn’t have to be a grand adventure. It doesn’t take hours of planning or preparation. Just going for a walk to look at the nature right outside your door. Or scribble on the driveway with chalk. Kids like the simplicity of being outside and you can often follow their lead on what to do.
• Tips for taking outdoor adventure photos of kids: The easiest thing to do is take photos of them in the action. Candid shots versus posed ones. That way you aren’t interrupting the moment or bothering them with a camera in their face. You’re just on the edge of the action simply documenting them having fun.
• Best lesson your kids have taught you about adventuring: Let go!! Don’t control and plan every minute of your outings or adventures. Just go with it and let the moments unfold before you.

@life_of_glow

Robyn Chubey
Western Canada
www.lifeofglow.com

• Favorite outdoor family activity: The kiddos and I love to go hiking and exploring to collect outdoorsy treasures and learn about wildlife and plants!
• Most anticipated outdoor activity with your kids this winter/spring: Winter is all about tobogganing, skating, and playing in the snow. Spring is all about gardening and hiking!
• Advice for other parents about getting their kids outdoors: The more you do something the easier it gets. I try to be sure to get outside with my kiddos (with or without my camera) every day for at least an hour. It’s so good for them to get that fresh air and be wild!
• Tips for taking outdoor adventure photos of kids: My best tip is to go out with a task in mind for them, building sandcastles, hunting for snails, picking a bouquet of wildflowers, puddle jumping. Buckets are always a fave accessory of mine because it gives them a chance to collect and hunt for things to carry back with them. Having a task makes for engaged images that keep them looking busy and entertained!
• Best lesson your kids have taught you about adventuring: Never EVER leave home without snacks!

@hollynicoletimekeeper

Holly Awwad
Michigan

• Favorite outdoor family activity: We love the great outdoors. We are blessed to live in the woods, and we love to hike and hunt for treasures all year round. We also love to camp and own a travel trailer that allows us to get out and explore areas outside of our own backyard.
• Biggest struggle/obstacle to getting kids outdoors: With my older kids, the biggest struggle is technology. The older they get, the more they are glued to devices. However, we keep a daily limit on screen time and encourage them to get outside when the weather/schedule permits. I rarely have to struggle with my youngest to get her outside. She would play outside 24/7 if I let her!
• Most anticipated outdoor activity with your kids this winter/spring: In the winter we love to build snowmen and go sledding. Although I will admit, I am already counting down the days (hours!) until spring. I love watching nature bloom all around us and it seems like there is something new to discover almost daily.
• Tips for taking outdoor adventure photos of your kids: I tend to take a more candid approach. I want to be in the moment, so I sit back and observe and when I see something that inspires me I’ll snap an image. If you force photography on your kids when you are out with them, they will hate it. So make sure you put the camera down and be present as well.
• Best lesson your kids have taught you about adventuring: Don’t be afraid to get dirty! The best times and the best memories often result in needing a full body hose down before you go back in the house!

@in_thislight

Shelby Zavala
Longmont, Colorado
www.inthislightphotography.com

• Favorite outdoor family activity: My favorite outdoor activity do with the kids or as a family would include anything that allows us to enjoy the beautiful scenery Colorado has to offer! Everything from exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, to our local nature areas or even the open space behind our home. We really enjoy anything that gets us away from the street noise and to where we can fully immerse ourselves into nature!
• Most anticipated outdoor activity with your kids this winter/spring: Warmer weather always brings an increased level of excitement to explore. After the feeling of being cooped up all winter, the warm weather is greatly welcomed and our real adventuring begins! We love to revisit our favorite spots and it is always refreshing to view the scenery through a new lens when the landscape starts to turn green!
• Advice for other parents about getting their kids outdoors: Just go! The hardest part is usually just getting out the door! Once you’re outside, it’s like a wonderful refresh! Let the kids run and just enjoy the scenery for yourself. My favorite times to go play outside is either an hour or two before naptime, or that golden hour before bedtime. Plus, kids nap better after coming in from playing hard outside!
• Tips for taking outdoor adventure photos of your kids: My biggest tip would be to just let kids be kids and capture that! Toddlers (especially) do not take direction very well and you will both end up frustrated if you try to make them do something that they are not willing to do (talking from experience here!).
• Best lesson your kids have taught you about adventuring: The biggest lesson my daughter has taught me about adventuring is to slow down and notice the little things. There are so many little things to see when you take the time to zoom in on the details. The sparkle of a rock, a trail of ants, a leaf in the shape of a heart. It’s amazing what kids will notice. Let them lead your adventure!

@jessie.b.photo

Jess Buttermore
Seattle, WA
www.JessieBPhotography.com

• Favorite outdoor family activity: Our family is happiest when our feet touch the sand, specifically Pacific Coast sand. We love climbing rock formations, searching for sea creatures, exploring caves, drawing in the sand, creating zen gardens, and collecting stones and shells. These are family experiences that never grow old and are fun for every age. Since relocating to Seattle, we’ve completely fallen in love with all the beautiful parks and beaches that line both the Washington or Oregon coasts. We pack up the car and venture to the water’s edge every chance we get.
• Biggest struggle/obstacle to getting kids outdoors: Rain. We are in the midst of rainy season here in Seattle, and it can really put a damper on adventuring. To make matters worse, adventuring along the coastlines can also mean high winds, especially during the colder months, and let me tell you, the sideways windy rain is just no fun for anyone. We keep an eye on the forecast and make the very most of the rain-free and light-rain days. Moreover, we’ve learned to embrace overcast and even come to love it as preferred adventure weather.
• Advice for other parents about getting their kids outdoors: I encourage you to embrace both old and new adventures. For example, if you have a particular location that is meaningful to your family, try visiting it during all four seasons. It’s amazing how different your local lake, beach, park or hiking trail can look and feel in different weather conditions. Alternatively, exploring locations that are new to your family can be some of the most memorable. There’s nothing like watching their excitement as they approach a new bend in the path. It’s one of my favorite parts of visiting new locations.
• Tips for taking outdoor adventure photos of kids: When I photograph my kids on adventures, I have a few goals in mind. First and most importantly, I hope to capture their personalities and their special sibling bond. Second, I love capturing them as they explore and discover. Much of the time, they don’t even know I’m photographing them, which is when I get the most genuine candid captures. Third, I make sure to always pull back to capture the bigger picture and beautiful scenic views of all of our adventure locations. Sweeping views help me tell my story. And finally, I love to capture the details. Adventuring with my children gives me endless opportunities to capture and freeze those precious details forever. Like their little hands showing you the stones they collected, the stone tower they are so proud of, or their favorite adventure sticks.
• Best lesson your kids have taught you about adventuring: They’ve taught me to stop and breathe the salt air. To look up, look down, and admire and appreciate all the little details nature leaves in our path. And that the woods and the beach are better playgrounds than a jungle gym could ever be.

@susan.grimes

Susan Grimes
North Carolina

• Favorite outdoor family activity: I love playing anywhere there is a little bit of water. Creeks, lakes, and oceans all seem to excite and entertain my kids more than anything else. I think it is partly because they can interact with the environment more. I love just watching them explore and pretend in a new place.
• Biggest struggle/obstacle to getting kids outdoors: I feel like our schedule is our biggest obstacle. As my kids have gotten older, after-school activities have reduced our free time to just get out and play.
• Most anticipated outdoor activity with your kids this winter/spring: I always look forward to those few scattered warmer days where we can get out and feel refreshed by the sunshine. We just created some natural play spaces in our woods and I can’t wait to see them put to good use.
• Advice for other parents about getting their kids outdoors: My advice would be to choose adventures where the kids can take the lead. As we are out exploring, I find my kids have a lot more patience when we go slow and I let them decide our path, stop to search for treasures, or just give them time to sit and play for a while.
• Tips for taking outdoor adventure photos of kids: I try to be a quiet observer first and watch how they are exploring, then think of creative ways to take the scene. I will look for ways to add depth with foreground or framing with the natural elements.

@susanbrooksby

• Favorite outdoor family activity: hiking, taking our pup out for a walk
• Biggest struggle/obstacle to getting kids outdoors: winter months in the cold
• Most anticipated outdoor activity with your kids this winter/spring: we love to go snowboarding!
• Advice for other parents about getting their kids outdoors: find new places to explore together
• Tips for taking outdoor adventure photos of your kids: let the kids run around and explore while you stay back and observe

@nataliegildersleeve

• Favorite outdoor family activity: We love pretty much anything outdoors. Anywhere there is space to experience a deeper sense of freedom and wild fills our souls. Hiking, biking, climbing and days at the river are some of our favorite activities. We live pretty close to the coast so we spend time there whenever we can. We love the dunes, tide pools, crabbing and making driftwood forts. Also, we love camping and sleeping under the stars.
• Most anticipated outdoor activity with your kids this winter/spring: Skiing is one of our favorite winter activities so we look forward to more of that this winter. The kids love Spring skiing when they can wear tank tops and cruise around comfortably in the sun. We also love to road trip every Spring. It is so nice to have a trip to look forward to after the gray winters we often experience here.
• Advice for other parents about getting their kids outdoors: My kids love an exciting adventure. Tell stories, teach them about the area, make it exciting. When they are little, start slow, but get outside as often as possible so it is just part of what you do. Encourage them by reminding them of how strong they are. Be a team. Also, plenty of snacks and comfortable clothing are essential.
• Tips for taking outdoor adventure photos of your kids:  I love to get candid moments of my kids. Often, I just follow them, moving around to get different angles and perspectives as we adventure. I find myself running a lot!  I will ask them how fast they can run to something or to check out something cool … any prompts to create action and genuine interest. It is also important to have time to settle in, whenever they have space to just be the most magical moments happen. Forcing them to pose never works for us.
• Best lesson your kids have taught you about adventuring:  It definitely not about the destination. Remember to pause and take in the beauty. Let go of rigid agenda.

A huge thanks to all these amazing outdoor photographers for sharing their tips, photos, and worlds with us. Make sure to follow them on Instagram and let them know we sent you their way! We’ll be featuring more of their inspiring images on our feed over the next few weeks.

For more outdoor photographic gorgeousness, check out Part 1 of our Favorite Outdoorsy Instagrammers.