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17 best Chicago Instagram accounts

Written by
Nick Kotecki
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The owners of some of the most beloved Instagram accounts are based in Chicago. Yet, some of the city's best aren't even run by professional photographers. Chicago has a unique blend of obsessive curators and filter-savvy photo buffs as well as average Joes and Janes snapping away as they walk the streets. Here's a selection of the Time Out team's favorite accounts that aren't our own.

Cody Bralts

 

A photo posted by Cody Bralts (@bralts) on


Minimalism is a common theme throughout photographer Cody Bralts’ Instagram account, finding simple lines, curves and minor details dotting our cityscape. —Lisa White

Effingdelicious


Serving up hands-on cooking tips and delicious bites with a side of sass, photographer Lucy Hewett and writer Rachel Adams combine their talents to form the site Dinner Was Delicious. Their Instagram account highlights some of their own work but also what “was delicious” as they enjoy eating around Chicago. —LW

Clayton Hauck

 

A photo posted by Clayton Hauck (@claytonhauck) on


Clayton Hauck's Instagram account is a glimpse into the world of food photography as well as other commercial work, mixed together with lots of cute cats and the random neighborhood oddity. —LW

Joshua Mellin

 

A photo posted by Joshua Mellin (@joshmellin) on


Chicago-based photographer Joshua Mellin has a knack for catching the perfect shot at the perfect moment, especially when it comes to live music. He shares some of his best takes as well as scenes from around the city, from Wrigley Field renovations to snapshots of our glittering skyline at night. —LW

Good Eats Chicago

 

A photo posted by @goodeatschicago on


Eat your way around Chicago without consuming a single bite when you follow Good Eats Chicago. They showcase all types of cuisines around the city, but if you’re a fan of pizza, ice cream and doughnuts, you’ll fit right in. —LW

The Butcher & Larder

 

A photo posted by Rob Levitt (@butcherlarder) on


Meet your meat when you follow The Butcher & Larder. Their account shares massive cuts of meat they are busy breaking down and some new recipes they are testing out at the local butcher shop. —LW

John Khuu

 

A photo posted by John Khuu (@john.khuu) on


Chicagoan John Khuu’s Instagram is currently living the Chicago summer dream, full of patio drinking, festivals with friends and an occasional cute pup on the city sidewalk. —LW

Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits


Daily biscuit and pie shots are enough to motivate just about anyone to make the trek to Logan Square for a slice. Plus, they post photos out and about at more of our favorite locations in Logan Square and throughout Chicago further fueling our FOMO. Erin Delahanty

Nick Ulivieri

 

A photo posted by Nick Ulivieri (@nick_ulivieri) on


If anyone does a better job of regularly capturing our beautiful city (especially from above), we don't know about it. Nick's photos capture everything that's great about being a Chicagoan, from cheering on the Blackhawks to the green river. —ED

Vintage Tribune

 

A photo posted by Vintage Tribune (@vintagetribune) on


In this mobile age, there are few better arguments for institutional memory than this must-follow, where Chicago Tribune photo editors share city shots—historical, inspirational or whimsical—from the paper's last century or so, with as much context as they can provide. It's an indispensable glimpse into the city's history as it was told. Kris Vire

Trash Hand

 

A photo posted by trash (@trashhand) on


This Chicago-based photog regularly delivers mouthwatering city shots and travels the world to boot, making his feed ideal for worldly Chicagoans and homebodies alike. Nick Kotecki

David Allen

 

A photo posted by David Allen (@davidallen) on


The subject of tattooer and painter David Allen is almost universally the human body, both in choice of medium and the studies in his paintings. He also tattoos for a good cause, actively seeking out clients who’ve had mastectomies as well as other victims of extreme scarring. —NK

Jimmy Papadopoulos

 

A photo posted by Jimmy Papadopoulos (@jimmypapadop) on


More than photos of pretty food, I love to see what's behind the food—raw ingredients, foraging, butchering meat. Chef Jimmy Papadopoulos does a great job capturing life in the kitchen at Bohemian House, plus he throws in some adorable pictures of his kids now and then. Amy Cavanaugh

Brookfield Zoo

 

A photo posted by Brookfield Zoo (@brookfieldzoo) on


Keep track of all the cute animals you can visit at the Chicago area's biggest zoo. While Brookfield Zoo doesn't update its Instagram everyday, someone there certainly knows their way around a camera. —NK

Galerie F

 

A photo posted by Galerie F Chicago (@galerief) on


You don't even have to leave your house to see some amazing locally produced art. Galerie F's Instagram feed is like a gallery opening in the palm of your hand, featuring photos of colorful prints and street art produced by artists from Chicago and beyond. Zach Long

Chicago Matt

 

A photo posted by Matt (@chicagomatt) on


Matt is always finding new ways to capture Chicago's beautiful architecture, from sweeping skyline panoramas to towering shots of individual buildings that make you feel small. —ZL

Paul Octavious

 

A photo posted by Paul Octavious (@pauloctavious) on


The work of Paul Octavious, while not exclusively Chicago-focused, contains a certain joie de vivre often absent from the stark cityscapes that seem to haunt Instagram on a daily basis. The "Chicago-based time traveler and photographer" captures scenes from his everyday life as well as shots fit for a portfolio. —NK

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