KamloopsBCNow is excited to feature some of our favourite Instagram profiles from the area. These profiles are chosen based on their content, style and interaction with the community. If you would like to be featured, send an email to jbrown@kamloopsbcnow.com!

I’m originally from Edmonton, Alberta but I moved to Kamloops when I was 18 for University and I’ve never really left. I always tell people that Kamloops was my “gateway drug” to my adventurous lifestyle in B.C. Although, I grew up with six rowdy brothers so I didn’t really have a choice — I had to be big on sports and the outdoors to keep up! B.C. has this outdoorsy lifestyle and culture you can’t find anywhere else. It changes your perspective and your priorities in a big way and I’m thankful I made the leap! I’m now 25, finished with university and am currently living my best life.

Why do you use Instagram?

To tell my story, to share my adventures and passion for life with people and to inspire others to get out and explore. My Instagram is based on my love for board sports, which has taken me all over the world from surfing on the gold coast of Australia to riding the snow covered mountains in Japan! Board sports has involved me in the local community with the Kamloops longboard club and it’s helped me to connect with so many amazing people — I love boarding! It fuels my love for the outdoors in so many ways and I want to share that fire with others. I hope that my Instagram will someday lead to a career in tourism marketing and travel writing so my adventures never have to end!

What will people see on your feed?

A whole lot of outdoor adventures, recreational activities, action shots on my boards, and photos of the beautiful places that surround me on my adventures. Also, I’m in love with fashion, so I like to combine landscape and fashion photography as much as possible to show a little more of my personality. I think having someone in your photos makes the locations and adventures more personal and obtainable. So you’ll see me and my friends in most of my photos!

Do you have a specific style?

I'm always going for a vibrant and colourful layout! I’m very focused on the flow and aesthetic of my feed. It’s about the bigger picture for me. I think that’s the creative side of Instagram that I love so much. Instagram is its own little world — you see a lot of the same stuff and it’s hard to stand out and set yourself apart. All you can do is be you and at the end of the day people are following you because of your story and the way YOU tell it!  So, I try to let that shine through in everything I do and just be myself.

Favourite Instagram accounts to follow?

So many good ones! I follow a lot of pro athletes, photographers and tourism pages! My favourites are:

@sheshredsco

@radgirlscollective

@chasingsunrise

@tourismkamloops

@visitpenticton

@explorebc

@explorecanada

Why do you follow KamloopsBCNow?

It is such a great place to find information about the community! I love that it connects locals and features people, places, and events I otherwise wouldn’t know about. Community is so important and there’s so much we can take out of getting involved.

How do you decide on the locations for your shoots?

I think we are so lucky to live in Kamloops and all of B.C. for that matter. There's simply so much to see and do and everywhere you go has the potential to be a beautiful picture. I have a long list of places I’d love to visit and photograph and when I’m in those areas I try to make it happen! I also love exploring and finding locations by accident. It’s not always about the photo, it’s about the adventure!

Biggest Instagram moment?

Being asked to work on the tourism marketing campaign with @visitpenticton! It was my first influential partnership and it was such an honour to be asked to help create with them! I also recently won a photo contest! I spent my summer surfing in Tofino and posted a lot of photos of my adventures and the beauty that is Vancouver Island. I had seen a post about a photo contest with @the_real_west_coast and all I had to do was hashtag my photos with #canadassurfhighway! One of my photos took home the grand prize… So I guess that was a pretty big moment!

Favourite Hashtags?

My hashtags are always changing depending on where I am and what I’m posting. I love to follow local hashtags to find new inspirational people to follow and beautiful locations to hit! My favourite hashtag for kicks is #peoplestaringatstuff.

If you would like to be featured on Sunday Social Connection send an email to jbrown@kamloopsbcnow.com.