A few months ago we got an email from a cool Instagram guy who was like, “There are so many great cannabis accounts out there that don’t get nearly enough attention. I’d love to enlighten you.”
So we said, okay, tell us your favorite. And we’ll ask that person for their favorite, and so on, until we reach a magic number.
That magic number was seven. And the exercise did turn up shutterbug gems in the IG community that, indeed, were not on our radar. Enjoy all of them, beginning with the man who got the ball, ehhh, rolling.
BENTLEY ROLLING: 32.8k Followers
Full disclosure: After Bentley introduced himself and we’d properly stalked his hyper-zoom work, we asked him to make a few zooms for us, too. You’ll see them on our recent feed, and sources tell us there are more in the pipeline. By this measurement alone, the exercise was worth it. But wait, there’s more!
Bentley nominated @thiscannabislife. Hear about it in his own words, below.
THIS CANNABIS LIFE: 52k Followers
“I’ve used cannabis for many years. Until recently, it was pretty impossible for me to find someone I could identify with in the online cannabis community. That felt innately wrong, as most people I know who smoke weed are nothing like what’s perpetuated on social media. In a sea of rasta-drenched crap and borderline porn, a drop of style appeared. It was @ThisCannabisLife. Through her work, she shows the world that real creatives use cannabis and that there is more to our community than 1-ounce joints, weed balancing on butts, and shitty memes. Her feed is like the Urban Outfitters of cannabis and it has inspired more likeminded people to creatively share their love of the plant.”
This Cannabis Life nominated @cannaobscura.
CANNA OBSCURA: 24.9k Followers
“When I first started my own account, I was mezmerised by @canna.obscura’s macro and plant shots. Her use of color backdrops to highlight the natural colors in different strains is simply stunning. I had never seen cannabis photographed in such a captivating way. Every single photograph of Allie’s is so beautifully composed and captures this amazing plant the way it should be. It’s not just cannabis that Allie photographs though, she also shows life with her fiancé on their farm, where they grow everything from cannabis to vegetables (and also where they save animals). Allie defies all the stereotypes of a ‘stoner’ and has created a haven in this world on her farm. You can feel her love and heart in everything she shoots, and I’ve been inspired by her since the very beginning.”
Canna Obscura chose @bermanphotos.
BERMAN PHOTOS: 2,992 Followers
“Daniel Berman is the badass creative force behind the Northwest Leaf & Oregon Leaf publications. He’s a photographer, designer, branding guru, all rolled into one! When I started working for Dope Magazine in 2010, we were technically competition as two nascent publications in the Seattle cannabis space, but as a new photographer I always looked up to Daniel as a role model. His professionalism and technique make him stand out from the cannabis crowd. He’s shot everything from Jeff Bezos to Snoop Dogg. His technique of portrait lighting has always been so impressive, creative, and something I really admired as a photography student. What I really love is how diverse his work is, even though he’s the co-founder of a cannabis magazine, he doesn’t put himself in the cannabis bubble—his flawless portraits have been published internationally from daily news to tech publications.”
Berman Photos chose @apotfarmersdaughter.
A POT FARMER’S DAUGHTER: 6,219 Followers
“Kristen Angelo is a badass mother, photographer, grower, and entrepreneur residing in Tacoma, Washington. Kristen’s lifelong connection to the cannabis plant as literally a pot farmer’s daughter brings curiosity and obvious joy to her work. She doesn’t just shoot closeups. She wants us to experience how it felt to be out there at the garden, under the sun or the lights. Kristen is able to earn the trust of her subjects and the resulting photojournalism is always heartrendingly honest. Kristen’s inspiring photography—published in Northwest Leaf, and around the globe in the pages of major photo industry and cannabis industry publications—vividly captures the subtle, beautiful moments of cannabis gardens throughout Washington, Oregon, and the Emerald Triangle.”
A Pot Farmer’s Daughter picked @erik.nugshots. (“Good pick,” Bentley Rolling added, “he’s a legend.”)
ERIK NUGSHOTS: 45.9k Followers
“When it comes to photographing the anatomy and beauty of the cannabis plant, Erik Christiansen’s technical expertise is unmatched. Erik founded NugShots in 2009 and co-authored the book Green: A Pocket Guide to Pot. His macro-stack imagery, and 360° zoom-and-spin video clips are serious works of art appreciated by consumption enthusiasts and cultivators across the globe. He is a pioneer in cannabis photography, and yet remains humble in his achievements and reputation, and supportive of other photographers in the cannabis space.”
And finally, this legend chose @biergoggles.
BIERGOGGLES: 18k Followers
“Biergoggles has been shooting detailed macros of trichomes since before I understood what trichomes are. He’s one of the true OGs of cannabis macro photography, capturing trichomes in every shape and size, from pink and purple stalks, to alien-looking trichomes with two heads. Not only does he take impeccable macros, he grows every trichome he shoots! Seeing trichomes so close up and at such high quality is something most growers only dream of. Taking this deep understanding of trichomes to the final stage is the art of hash making, and Biergoggles is a master hash maker up there with some of the best in the world. It’s his multifaceted understanding of trichomes, from their life cycle, to the perfect harvest time, and finally to their extraction that set his photography (and hash) at the front of the pack.”
