Instagram is many things to me — an escape from reality, a way to quietly creep on people without them knowing and an endless source of visual inspiration. For food, I like Food52. For fitness, I ride or die with Kayla Itsines. For general joy, I stare at The Baby Animals.

When it’s Charlotte-specific inspiration I seek, I turn to local photographers who see the city in a different light.

You’ll find this unofficial crew of photographers posting under the hashtag #CharlittNC. It’s not formal but they initially banded together under the leadership of Josh Alvarez (imthejam on Instagram), a photographer with a following of 235,000+ who relocated from NYC to Charlotte. He’s referred to as “the godfather” of the group.


They shoot from secret locations using unique angles and otherworldly light to transform a familiar city into something totally different. Their artistry is a constant reminder to revisit familiar views with fresh eyes, to break the rules in the name of good work and to always seek beauty in the ordinary.

In case it doesn’t go without saying, don’t try this at home.

header photo courtesy of Justin McErlain (unclejut)