Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Christopher Oakley @oakley388

1) Tell us a little about yourself. What are you doing now and where do you come from?

I am a US Army Veteran now living in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. I spent 6 years in the Army as an Infantryman and did one combat deployment to Kunar Province, Afghanistan. After getting being medically retired from the Army I moved back here to Florida where I am now a photographer.
After the fast paced life of Army living I now spend my days creating natural history and surfing and lifestyle images. At first it was just to pass time and stay busy but within the last year I have started to pursue it as a profession and there is no looking back from here. My life now revolves totally around photography. Not only creating images but researching and planning shoots, continuing to further my knowledge base, and thinking of ways to show familiar subjects in unfamiliar ways.

2) What are your topics of interest? What do you post on Instagram the most?

Seascapes, landscapes, wildlife, surfers, island lifestyle

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

My last name and birth month/year.

4) What are some apps you use to edit your photos? Share with us your photo-editing routine!

All images taken on my DSLR or GoPros are processed in Adobe Lightroom and phone images are processed on Lightroom mobile.

5) Any Instagrammers whom you really like? Which Instagrammer inspires you the most?

@ChrisBurkard and @joelsartore are the most influential people that I follow. The images they create and boundaries they push are fuel to my fire to get outside and discover new things!

6) If there’s one thing your fellow Instagrammers just gotta try now, what’s it gonna be?

Watching the sunrise from the ocean. Not standing on the beach, but getting in the water at least 15 minutes prior and swimming while watching it rise.

7) What’s your favorite part about being an influencer?

Inspiring people to try new things and promoting brands and companies I support and believe in.

8) What are some of your top tips to brands for running campaigns? How do you maintain authenticity?

Any work I do, whether personal or professional is treated the same. I look for exciting and new ways to show familiar subjects. I want people to see one of my images and immediately feel some sort of emotion. Depending on the image, the emotion I hope for will differ but that goal remains constant. Millions of pictures are posted online daily and scrolled right past. I strive to create images that make someone stop for more than a brief few seconds.

9) What would your advice be on the importance of quality and original content?

I believe original content is more important than quality. An original idea executed somewhat poorly has a better impact than having high quality stolen or “borrowed” ideas in my eyes. By no means do I think work should lack quality, but I think an original idea is key to creating quality content.

10) What do you like best about partnering with brands?

The chance to explore new creative avenues and meeting new people. Different brands are looking for different things and and with each partnership opens up the doors to countless possibilities.