Instagram. It’s the first thing I look at each day after my alarm plucks me from my sleep. Before Twitter and email. Even before the weather forecast.

I love seeing other people’s lives and feeling like I’m a part of it. Seeing how their life looks provides me with a greater understanding of them. Some of the best photography is not the physically stunning scenery, it’s the snippets of real life: watching coffee brew on a windowsill, a blooming flower, toes immersed in water.

Facebook recently purchased the SF-based Instagram for a staggering $1 billion. It’s what every start-up dreams of: to have your idea fill a niche so valuable, that you cannot possibly say no to the offer. And a billion is something few people would be able to turn down. But much like any big company gobbling up a smaller start-up, I imagine Instagram’s demise to be fairly swift.

So, while the app still bringing me joy, here are my top 10 instagrammers to follow:

1. sandrajuto

Sandra Juto is one of all-time faves. She’s a Swedish artist, illustrator and graphic designer living in Berlin with her husband. Each day, it seems the Swede goes on long walks around her new adopted city of Berlin, makes wrist worms, creates amazing illustrations, drinks tonnes of coffee and eats amazing food. I have always wanted to live in Berlin, and I think I love her Instagram stream the most out of anyone I follow.

Site: Sandra Juto

{Source: sandrajuto}

2._frommetoyou

Jamie Beck is a photographer who is chasing her dream of being a fashion photographer. She’s based in New York, and dresses like a Hollywood bombshell. I love her sense of style and the interesting places and faces she encounters. In partnership with her fiance Kevin Burg, they have pioneered ‘cinemagraphs’: they’re not quite photos, and not quite video.

Sites: From Me To You and Cinemagraphs

{Source: _frommetoyou}

3. theoriginal10cent

Lori Andrews is a self-confessed ‘insanely happy interior designer and photographer’. She lives somewhere in Canada, and posts some of the most beautiful images I have every seen. She’s the best looking 44-year-old woman I have ever seen – must be something in the water up there.

Site: The 10 Cent Designer

{Source: theoriginal10cent}

4. thiswildidea

I think I’ve posted on the blog once or twice before about Maddie the Coonhound. Well, Theron Humphrey is the owner of the adorable po-faced Maddie who likes to stand on things. He’s on a quest to meet one new person everyday, and tell their story. It’s interesting to see the people he meets, and what Maddie’s up to next.

Sites: Maddie on Things and This Wild Idea

{Source: thiswildidea}

5. Cinloughridge

Until about a week ago she used to live around the corner from me, and always wondered if I’d ever bump into her when out and about. What I loved was waking up and finding out what the weather is like outside my window by looking at her feed of a morning. SF is cool like that.
I really admire her perspective – so clean and joyous. She takes the photos that make you notice the beauty in the simplicity of life.

Site: Cindy Loughridge Photography

{Source: Cinloughridge}

6. hellosandwich

Ebony Bizys is an Aussie artist and graphic designer living in Tokyo. She makes cute things, and love seeing the aspects of life in Japan. She has a craft book coming out shortly – it’s so great to see Aussie girls do well! And we could totally bond over our love for mt tape.

Site: Hello Sandwich

{Source: hellosandwich}

7. bonnietsang

Bonnie Tsang is a lifestyle photographer based in Los Angeles, CA. Her Instagram feed is chock-a-block with great photos, particularly of amazing food. She never fails to make me hungry.

Site: Bonnie Tsang Photography

{Source: bonnietsang}

8. grantourismo

Lara Dunstan and Terence Carter are living my dream life, trekking around the globe and writing/photographing it all. I would love to meet them one day and ask them 20 questions. I particularly liked the session they did the other day at the Art Gallery of NSW, which is one of my favourite places in the world.

Site: Gran Tourismo

{Source: grantourismo}

9. sfgirlbybay

Victoria Smith has a great design blog I read regularly, called SF Girl By Bay. I like her design aesthetic, and really admire her work. And the woman is cool because she blogs in a hammock or a teepee. Bonus points for the adorable dog.

Site: SF Girl By Bay

{Source: sfgirlbybay}

10. gemmacorrell

Gemma Correll is a Norwich (UK) based freelance illustrator. She has two pugs, Mr Pickles and Bella, that feature regularly on her feed in both the flesh and in cartoon form. And her love for eating Nutella out of a jar with a spoon? We’re kindred spirits.

Site: Gemma Correll

[Source: gemmacorrell]

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Welcome to the fifty-third post of the Great Writing Challenge of 2012.
At least three days a week until the end of the year, I will post about a topic of choice. The stipulation: it must be 250 words (or more), and positive in tone.
If you would like to suggest topics for me to write about, please email me at TheRebeccaProject [at] gmail [dot] com.