KelownaNow is excited to feature some of our favorite Instagram profiles from the area!

My name is John Forbes, I'm 17, I live in Kelowna, and am graduating from OKM this year! I have always enjoyed going on adventures since I was a young boy and when I got my first phone I was always taking pictures of all the different trips that I went on. However I wanted to really be able to capture the moment to the best of my ability so I purchased my first camera two years ago, it was a canon rebel t5. Since then my love for photography has grown a lot and I have taken two photography classes in school this year which has helped me learn so much! I recently upgraded to a canon 6dmarkii and I love it, I take it almost everywhere I go be it off-roading, hiking, or just walks with my dog.

Why do you use Instagram?

I use Instagram because I want to show people the different pictures that I take from all the hikes and trips I go on, it's also great because I see other peoples amazing posts which gives me motivation and inspiration to go out and shoot. Instagram is a great place to be recognized by other photographers and to possibly collaborate with them.

What will people see on your feed?

My account is filled mostly with pictures of Kelowna's beautiful landscapes and some other photos of when I travel and go camping, most of my pictures are taken during sunsets so I can capture the amazing colors of the sky and the nice golden lighting. I also enjoy taking long exposure shots at night to capture the stars and light trails but I don't do that too often.

Does your page have a specific style?

What I like to do when I edit my photos is to make it look exactly how I saw it when I was taking the picture and then add a touch of color and clarity to give the image a little pop and make it a bit more interesting and attractive. I also like to bring out the warm tones a little depending on the photo to add a subtle sort of soothing feel.

Favourite Instagram accounts to follow?

A lot of my favorite accounts that I follow are local. I think it's really neat to see other great pictures near me! I also like to follow lots of travel accounts so I can see awesome photos from all around the world, it really makes me want to travel more. Some of the accounts that I'm following are @dailyviewkelowna, @marcusvoloshin_photography, @dailyviewbc, and @canon_photos, just to name a few.

Why do you follow KelownaNow?

I follow KelownaNow because I like how they support lots of local people, which is great! I also follow them simply because I like a lot of what they post. They have featured a post of mine before and I am very appreciative for that.

How do you decide on your location for shoots?

How I decide on the locations for my shoots really depends on the weather, time of day, and position of the sun. For example when it's slightly cloudy out and after the sun has just set I want to shoot something with the lake being a main part of the image because the water reflects the beautiful colors of the sky. And if it is a really overcast day then I like to take portraits of people or pictures of vehicles because the lighting isn't too harsh. When I take portraits of my friends I typically do it somewhere where there isn't much in the background, like an alleyway, so the eye doesn't wander.

Biggest Instagram moment?

I haven't really had a huge moment on instagram yet but the biggest for me was quite recent when I took a picture of the stars and I finally reached 80 likes. It may not be that big but it made me feel good about myself because I realized that my account is growing.

Favourite hashtags?

Some of my favorite hashtags would be: #kelownaviews #kelownanow #sunsets #offroading #landscapephotography and #explorebc

If you would like to be featured for Sunday Social Connection send an email to dylan@kelownanow.com.