I hope you enjoyed the first post in my new monthly series introducing some of my favourite Instagrammers – Emma Harris of @aquietstyle really does produce the most stunning still-life images.
Next up is Sara Tasker (aka @me_and_orla), whose beautiful blog Me and Orla is an honest, insightful and often witty account of life in a small Yorkshire village. If anyone’s feed is going to make me want to up sticks and move to the country, it’s hers. She captures little snapshots of rural life in the most enchanting way: mist hovering over the moors, logs waiting for the wood-burner, the hen who lives in her kitchen… Wonderful stuff. She’s also written a series of posts sharing her Instagram tips, which are well worth a read.
Over to Sara to tell us more:
Please can you tell us a bit about yourself and your blog?
“I moved from the city to the West Yorkshire countryside with my daughter and fiancé last summer, in search of a slower, simpler life. I started my blog around the same time – really as an overspill for the things I wanted to say but couldn’t fit into an Instagram post! My brain is constantly writing and taking mental photographs, so it seemed like a natural outlet.
“I write about ‘whole living’; how I’m trying to integrate the slowness and simplicity we all seem to crave with the joys and influences of the modern world (which of course include Instagram!).”
How long have you been using Instagram, and how did you get started?
“In January last year I decided to ‘get serious’ about Instagram and try to gain 1,000 followers. I started posting one iPhone picture every day. By April I had 35,000 followers, and by Christmas I was at 50,000 and being interviewed by the BBC! It’s been such an adventure.”
What do you like about Instagram?
“I love that thousands and thousands of talented, brilliant people get up every day and create something, just for the joy of sharing it with others. I love peeking through tiny square windows into other people’s worlds; seeing breakfast in Japan as we get ready for bed, and connecting with other people who I’d otherwise never have got to know.”
What inspires your photos?
“Nature, light, the seasons, my home and my lovely little family. And of course the Instagram community – there are ever-changing trends and styles unique to the Instaworld that never fail to get me feeling excited and inspired.”
How would you describe your photography style?
“Natural, romantic and simple – which is very much a description of me and my values, too.”
What’s your top Instagram tip?
“Post something every day. Committing yourself to regular posts means you can start to build relationships with other users, and it also pushes you to be more creative. There are days when nothing is photogenic and you have to work twice as hard to find something to say – that’s when your skills really develop. Once I started posting daily, I found my brain was always searching for the next photo, and it hasn’t stopped ever since!”
Thanks Sara!
Do head over to Instagram and follow @me_and_orla to see more beautiful images from Sara – and please check out @thesefourwallsblog, too!
Photography by Sara Tasker
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