We've been fans of Daniel Arnold's stirring, slice of life street photos for a while now -- not to mention his Instagram account @arnold_daniel -- and could think of no one better-suited to turning us on to ten Instas whose feeds are beautiful, demented, thought-provoking or all three. Take a look at his list of his favorite Instagrammers of 2014.
Whenever I talk about Instagram lately, my eyes start rolling and the grumbling sounds coming out of my mouth aren't even words, but I would never pass up an opportunity to exclude/offend my friends, so I decided to round up a list of my favorite accounts of the year. I'm not saying they're the best. I'm only saying that you should follow these folks, too, and then we'll have something to talk about next time.
@gh0sts
An unsung Instagram great. Steadily subtle and haunted and timeless in a way that reminds you what that word means. See also: @internetfamous
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[Photo via Tumblr, her account is currently private]
@artburp6666
Here is a big nasty pulsing fucklight of a human. Nasty being a compliment. A walking sexual revolution in the mother of all sheep suits, out to crush the mystery and raise up the mucusy vulgarity of what gets worshipped. Like it or not, the energy that comes off her is flooring. Also a gateway to all kinds of challenging new girls. If she's banned by the time you get there, you can re-find her via her Tumblr. See also: @jasonnocito666
@troyholden
Just a great, great street guy. Softest touch and sweetest tones. Quality over quantity. A refined palette in a garbage world. See also: @martin_cartagena, @colorinthecorner, @anabb, @mariamoldes, @lulaore, and more people than I can think of off the top of my head.
@meriembennani
Meriem is human cilantro except nobody thinks she tastes like soap. She has the strangest hornball cornball imagination and the most excellent execution of her ideas. So special that she makes everyone in her company better, like cilantro would do if other people were avocados. Meriem is perfect. Go to her website too, somesillystories.com See also: @ryaneugenekelley
@chronicholas
He never posts anything but when he does, he's the funniest funny guy on Instagram. See also: @jokemichaels
@lulahyers66
It is a newfangled treat to so intimately watch a teen stranger open her eyes and discover her power.
@thewets
My brother is a genius. My mother worries that maybe that's not enough. She is right but she is wrong. See also: @lsdworldpeace
@maeelvis
People are quick to dismiss Mae because people are lazy. People say "Cindy Sherman," imagining themselves to be champions of knowing things, and then they stop thinking. First of all, by that line of thinking, you will miss out on cherries because they look like grapes, idiot. Second of all, if you don't care about things that remind you of Cindy Sherman, uhhhhh, what things exist that don't remind you of Cindy Sherman? Calculators? Anyways, Mae takes pictures that leave you wondering about the next one. That's actually a pretty rare thing on Instagram, right? See also: @kalen_hollomon
@_singley
Dave is the secret wizard son of Don Johnson and PeeWee Herman. He is California in New York. A guy whose hands are always busy making something, which somehow never seems to get in the way of his mind thinking of what to do tomorrow. He says "mon" instead of "man" in a non-joke way. Are you beginning to see what I mean about Dave? See also: @jasonpolan
@saharaborja
Sahara does not set out to be a crowdpleaser and she doesn't do a thing that grabs you, or that you'd even necessarily notice if you didn't hang around for a long time and let her happen to you. With no trace of pretense or hipness or shallow ambition, Sahara is a woman who goes through the world and simply looks at things and keeps track of them and makes up nicknames and little jokes to herself and shows them to you and doesn't care if you look, in a way that is refreshing and intimate and inspiring. A great representation of a person. See also: @timobarber
BONUS: @schwartzberg
Only because nobody wants to be followed by you more than she does.
Whenever I talk about Instagram lately, my eyes start rolling and the grumbling sounds coming out of my mouth aren't even words, but I would never pass up an opportunity to exclude/offend my friends, so I decided to round up a list of my favorite accounts of the year. I'm not saying they're the best. I'm only saying that you should follow these folks, too, and then we'll have something to talk about next time.
@gh0sts
An unsung Instagram great. Steadily subtle and haunted and timeless in a way that reminds you what that word means. See also: @internetfamous
[Photo via Tumblr, her account is currently private]Here is a big nasty pulsing fucklight of a human. Nasty being a compliment. A walking sexual revolution in the mother of all sheep suits, out to crush the mystery and raise up the mucusy vulgarity of what gets worshipped. Like it or not, the energy that comes off her is flooring. Also a gateway to all kinds of challenging new girls. If she's banned by the time you get there, you can re-find her via her Tumblr. See also: @jasonnocito666
@troyholden
Just a great, great street guy. Softest touch and sweetest tones. Quality over quantity. A refined palette in a garbage world. See also: @martin_cartagena, @colorinthecorner, @anabb, @mariamoldes, @lulaore, and more people than I can think of off the top of my head.
@meriembennani
Meriem is human cilantro except nobody thinks she tastes like soap. She has the strangest hornball cornball imagination and the most excellent execution of her ideas. So special that she makes everyone in her company better, like cilantro would do if other people were avocados. Meriem is perfect. Go to her website too, somesillystories.com See also: @ryaneugenekelley
@chronicholas
He never posts anything but when he does, he's the funniest funny guy on Instagram. See also: @jokemichaels
@lulahyers66
It is a newfangled treat to so intimately watch a teen stranger open her eyes and discover her power.
@thewets
My brother is a genius. My mother worries that maybe that's not enough. She is right but she is wrong. See also: @lsdworldpeace
@maeelvis
People are quick to dismiss Mae because people are lazy. People say "Cindy Sherman," imagining themselves to be champions of knowing things, and then they stop thinking. First of all, by that line of thinking, you will miss out on cherries because they look like grapes, idiot. Second of all, if you don't care about things that remind you of Cindy Sherman, uhhhhh, what things exist that don't remind you of Cindy Sherman? Calculators? Anyways, Mae takes pictures that leave you wondering about the next one. That's actually a pretty rare thing on Instagram, right? See also: @kalen_hollomon
@_singley
Dave is the secret wizard son of Don Johnson and PeeWee Herman. He is California in New York. A guy whose hands are always busy making something, which somehow never seems to get in the way of his mind thinking of what to do tomorrow. He says "mon" instead of "man" in a non-joke way. Are you beginning to see what I mean about Dave? See also: @jasonpolan
@saharaborja
Sahara does not set out to be a crowdpleaser and she doesn't do a thing that grabs you, or that you'd even necessarily notice if you didn't hang around for a long time and let her happen to you. With no trace of pretense or hipness or shallow ambition, Sahara is a woman who goes through the world and simply looks at things and keeps track of them and makes up nicknames and little jokes to herself and shows them to you and doesn't care if you look, in a way that is refreshing and intimate and inspiring. A great representation of a person. See also: @timobarber
BONUS: @schwartzberg
Only because nobody wants to be followed by you more than she does.