@Tinyatlasquarterly isn’t your basic travel Instagram account. At first glance, it boasts thousands of incredible photographs of everything from rigid city architecture to cuddly looking alpacas. But what sets this 146,000-follower account apart is that every image is accompanied by a meaningful personal narrative that highlights the people, places, and stories behind each shot. These deeper connections are what first inspired photographer Emily Nathan, who is based in Oakland, California, to begin publishing a print magazine on all things travel, Tiny Atlas Quarterly, in 2012. Seven years later, @tinyatlasquarterly has evolved into a full-blown community with more than seven million #mytinyatlas posts showcasing readers’ best travel shots. At the end of March, Nathan is releasing her first photo book, My Tiny Atlas: Our World Through Your Eyes, which features work from 130 #mytinyatlas contributors. Here we’ve selected a few of our favorite photographs from the book.
Photo: The Lofoten Islands off northwestern Norway are known for colorful fishing villages and Arctic fjords dwarfed by dramatic peaks. Nathan recommends taking the four-hour ferry ride along the coast for the best views and access to the beaches with the best surf.