I never thought it would happen but I have to confess I’m a social media fan.

The Rainywood Facebook page has been a great success, I use it to showcase my work, I’m aware that it compresses photos quite alot but it’s for me the best free advertising available.

It has given me access to hundreds of customers and I hope to move it forward, using it more in 2017.

Likewise Twitter is a really useful tool and like Facebook I must up my game next year, delivering more “mini blogs” it’s great to post snippets of information but not sure how many people still use the little bird!

Being a photographer my favourite of all is Instagram, the ability to share phone photos as well as edited dslr shots holds a big appeal for me.

The other main reason I use Instagram is for a source of inspiration, there are a lot of quality photographers and companies who use the site to post some amazing work.

With that in mind here is a list of my top 10 influencers from Instagram, for me in 2016…..

1- @jaredpolin aka Fro Knows Photo, this guy is a massive influence on my work, as well as Instagram I also subscribe to the YouTube channel it’s like the most fun you can have at school.

2- @gilesclement shoots tin type and glass plate Photography, his work is just beautiful. I’m not a fan of having my photo taken but I’d gladly sit for this man.

3- @mr_thornberry a personal friend of mine who’s photography business Greenman Photography started way before mine, he is an exceptional landscape photographer who’s work I love.

4- @natgeo hope I don’t need to explain what these guys do….. just amazing and the work on instagramstories has me gripped.

5- @life another magazine page, sadly the real thing is no longer with us but all the legendary work makes me smile.

6- @ touretteshero Jess Thom, pure and simple an inspiration, she has taken her “disability” and is using it as comedy a living legend.

7- @gettysport once again just fantastic images and if I like enough photos maybe they’ll give me a job, that’s how it works right?

8- @bruce_bennett I love a bit of Ice Hockey and there’s no one better than Mr Bennett for Ice Hockey photographs.

9- @brandon2142 I met Brandon Griffiths at The Rugby World Cup he’s a great photographer and an all round nice guy.

10- @antondixonathlete Anton Dixon is a long jumper his stories make me want to work as hard as he does, what he went through trying to make The Rio Olympics was enough to make everyone else feel lazy, please give him some love.

I hope you check these pages out if you do tell them I sent you and use #bridesballersandbeyond, hope you enjoy looking at something new and you find some inspiration too.

Cheers, Woody