I started the year by highlighting “7 Instagram Street Photographers To Follow In 2017,” a collection of my favorite photographers I had discovered the year prior. And by “discovered,” I strictly meant found for myself: the first photographer on the list, Aaron Berger, currently has over 37 thousand followers, and the list average is nearly 20 thousand. Perhaps not everyday names, but certainly not unearthed by me from some neglected corner of the internet.
Moving forward, though, I want to continue spotlighting street photographers I come across on the app, with an emphasis on shooters sharing great work with relatively smaller followings. Here’s such a photographer: Alex Ledford. Around March of this year, it seems he shifted his account from personal sharing to a street photography focus.
Alex Ledford
A quick Google search reveals that Alex is a copywriter living in NYC, whose portfolio includes a “This Is SportsCenter” spot of the Steelers Antonio Brown setting records at the reception desk. “Alll day.”
So it’s no wonder that his photos show a sharp sense of wit and humor, as if he were revealing punchlines to 30-second ad spots with the shutter button on his camera.
It’s this sensibility paired with a very naturalistic, almost smartphone-like aesthetic, that reminds me of another NYC-based street photographer I follow, Jay Giampietro.
In terms of commentary on Alex’s approach, I think a follower put it best on a post from July:
“At first, I thought this thread was just mean, but you have completely won me over with your exploration of modern humanity. You are the anthropologist of the modern age.”
— @wincheck
Here’s a few slices of that anthropology I enjoyed the most. Be sure to follow Alex on Instagram for more to come!
Leave a Reply