Animal Photography Influencers to Follow

From tiny lizards and birds to massive whales and big cats, the planet is home to all sorts of creatures who leave us in awe. And, in many cases, it’s safer to view them from a distance, rather than up close. Fortunately, plenty of animal photography influencers have made careers out of capturing exotic wildlife on camera. Follow these photographers to see captivating animal snaps.

Animal photography influencers cataloging wild animals of all shapes, sizes and temperaments

Cristina Mittermeier

Mexico-born Cristina is a marine biologist who’s also skilled with a camera. With 1.5 million followers on Instagram, her goal behind the lens is to capture pictures that make people more aware of the impact humans can have on wildlife and the environment. Her emotional shots are intended to stir people into action. Her striking images have earned her numerous awards, including the Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year Award. You can find her work in well-known publications such as Time and National Geographic.

Alongside her Canadian partner, Paul Nicklen, Cristina co-founded SeaLegacy. This nonprofit aims to use storytelling to call attention to the need for ocean conservation efforts. The team brings together scientists, photographers and conservationists who share the same vision of cleaner oceans.

Joel Sartore

Named 2018’s National Geographic Explorer of the Year, Joel shares beautiful animal photography with his 1.6 million followers. With that in mind, expect nothing less than detailed and expressive photos in his collection. Joel is particularly fond of taking pictures of endangered animals. In fact, he’s the founder of Photo Ark, a National Geographic project that aims to document endangered species and educate the public on conservation. So far, the 25-year project contains images of over 9,500 species.

Isaac Spotts

Isaac Spotts started sharing his animal photographer life on TikTok, which has helped him gain just under 1 million followers. But if you’re looking for his photography, his Instagram is a better fit. Issac shares beautiful animal photos with his Nikon camera and even sells prints and calendars on his website. Issac is originally from Florida but moved near the mountains of Wyoming in 2016 to be closer to wildlife for his photography. Issac was also named 2018 Nature’s Best Youth Photographer of the Year.

Mattias Klum

Mattias is an artist, NatGeo Fellow, photographer and filmmaker. Based in Sweden and Spain, Mattias has 744,000 followers on Instagram where he shares wildlife and nature photos. His captions are filled with how he got the shot and his favorite parts of the photo.

Keith Ladzinski

Keith is a National Geographic Photographer and Emmy-nominated director. He is dedicated to documenting our ever-changing planet. He shares his work on his Instagram page with 1.7 million followers. Keith won first place honors from Communication Arts, PDN, the International Library of Photography, and National Geographic. He’s also shot over 100 magazine cover stories.

Beverly Joubert

Beverly is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker who produces African wildlife conservation documentaries with Dereck Joubert. With 382,000 followers on Instagram, Beverly’s page is filled with gorgeous, in-the-moment photos of wildlife in Africa. From lions to hippos, you’re bound to find photos that have you drop your mouth open in awe.

Gamander López

Gamander loves to share how he captures the beauty of nature with 4.7 million followers on TikTok. His beautiful videos on TikTok are a unique way to watch the process of nature photography and watch the animals in their natural habitat. You can find Gamander’s beautiful still shots on Instagram, where he shares with 376,000 followers.

Paul Nicklen

Paul is the other co-founder of @SeaLegacy and a NatGeo contributor. With 7.2 million followers, Paul is one of the biggest photographers you’ll find on social media. You’re bound to find an awe-inspiring photo on Paul’s page with gorgeous editing and one-of-a-kind moments that we don’t normally see in our everyday lives.

John E. Marriott

Canadian photographer John has been snapping shots of wildlife since he was a child with a Kodak Instamatic camera in hand. His earliest adventures took place in the Canadian Rockies. Since then, he’s spent time honing his skills by capturing images in places ranging from Yellowstone to Scotland.

Although he’s not formally trained, he’s found incredible success in animal photography. His images have appeared in publications like National Geographic Adventure and Reader’s Digest. He’s even published several books, including “Central Rockies Mammals,” “The Pipestone Wolves” and “Tall Tales, Long Lenses: My Adventures in Photography.”

Giuliano Scarparo 

Giuliano is a wildlife photographer from Italy who has made a name for himself on TikTok with 754,000 followers. He shares crazy behind-the-scenes moments on TikTok, but you can find his still photos with their signature cool preset on his Instagram. 

Rathika Ramasamy

If you’re a fan of colorful, feathery creatures, you’ve got plenty of birdwatching to catch up on on Rathika’s social media. Rathika specializes in bird photography, a field she took an interest in back in 2003. This influencer, who has 120,000 followers on Instagram, was born in Southern India, and now she often spends her time leading workshops and giving talks around the country. She believes each shot she takes helps her forge a closer connection to Mother Nature.

Shawn Heinrichs

Shawn’s under-the-sea photos and Reels will have you coming back to see when he puts up new posts. With 215,000 Instagram followers, Shawn is another SeaLegacy co-founder as well as a co-founder of Only One,  a platform “for stories, solutions, and community action to protect the ocean, tackle the climate crisis, and help build a more just, equitable planet.” Shawn is a Emmy-winning cinematographer, photographer and conservationist.