My name is Aidan Grether and I am a journalism student at TRU, and resident of Sun Peaks. I started shooting after learning on my grandpas’ old analog camera years ago, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I’m an active volunteer for Scouts Canada and am involved in my church and TRU’s Christian Ministries. I have a passion for the outdoors and can usually be found canoeing, skiing, hiking or camping.

Why do you use Instagram?

I use Instagram to showcase my photography and connect with people. I’ve made some great friends from all over the world who inspire me to practice and improve my photography every day.

What will people see on your feed?

On my feed, you’ll see a mix of nature, portraits, clothing and things that interest me. I like to shoot old churches, antiques, nature, my favourite types of whiskey and landmarks like the lions in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. I’m going to start incorporating some cool shots of clothing and watches.

Do you have a specific style?

I don’t have a very specific style. I edit my photos all a bit differently from one to the next. I prefer photos that maintain realism in them, so I try to cut out harsh or moody tones in favour of something more natural and lifelike.

Favourite Instagram accounts to follow?

@terranaut showcases an awesome collection of photos from different times and places. I recommend him for those looking for inspiration.

@davey provides a needed sense of adventure to my feed.

@christiantisdale is based on Vancouver Island and takes incredible shots that make me wanna kick up my photography game.

@aircraftrestorationcompany have a brilliant staff photographer who shoots their early 20th-century plane rebuilds in action. The history/aviation nerd in me can’t wait for their posts.

@jakedotgerom is a buddy of mine who takes brilliant nature shots.

Why do you follow KamloopsBCNow?

I follow KamloopsBCNow to connect with other locals! It’s a great way to meet other creative students who want to go out and adventure or shoot.

How do you decide on the locations for your shoots?

If I find a landmark or area particularly interesting, I’ll try to shoot there, but generally, I like to visit new places. Often packing some food into a canoe and driving to a lake is the best way to go about it.

Biggest Instagram moment?

I don’t think I’ve had an “Instagram moment”. I’m fairly active, but I don’t get huge spikes in attention or anything like that. Meeting my friend @juancabrejo was awesome and we’ve become quite close, and the constant contact through group chats with other Kamloops photographers is great as well.

Favourite hashtags?

Probably #destinationBC or #exploreBC. I don’t like to drown my captions in hashtags so I use one or two rather broad ones that will bring some like-minded British Columbians to my photos. #nectarcollectors is a hashtag that's an inside joke among a few of my friends and I, so I use that one quite often as well.