If You Love Cherokee, NC, You Need to Follow These 6 Instagrammers

There’s so much creativity coming out of Cherokee, NC, that it’s no surprise there’s a growing scene on Instagram of makers, explorers, and everyday citizens documenting the beauty of this land, and the rich culture that makes Cherokee so special.

If you love Cherokee, NC, you’ll want to follow everyone on this list! These Instagrammers have a unique story to tell, captured through the lens of their camera or phone. Whether they lean toward landscapes or portraits, each offers a day-in-the-life look at Cherokee.

If you can’t be in Cherokee, following these folks is the next best, closest thing!

Madison Hye

Madison Hye is a young college art student who spends her weekends exploring the Qualla Boundary in search of her next shot. She captures the natural beauty of Cherokee in landscapes that vibrate with color, from sun-drenched overlooks to star-studded night skies. Lately, she’s been doing more portrait work, including this beautiful shot of her sister, Michelle Lynn Long. Check out our blog post on Madison to learn more about this talented artist.

Fabian Crow

Fabian Crow is another young Cherokee photographer who takes inspiration from the natural beauty in Cherokee, and then puts his own unique spin on it. In his photography, he sometimes plays with long exposures, paints with lights, looks through crystal balls, and captures bird’s-eye views of Cherokee from breathtaking heights using a GoPro Karma drone. In the photo above, Fabian experiments with steel wool photography—a technique involving steel wool, fire, and long exposure.

Bailey Littlejohn

Bailey Littlejohn goes by “Brighterview” on Instagram. This Cherokee native takes muted, moody photos, from rock shows to nature shots—and our personal favorite: portraits of his little boy Mitchell (shown here) playing with his dad’s camera.

Kristy Herron​

Some of the very best photographs you’ve seen on the Visit Cherokee blog have been taken by Kristy Herron, including shots from our annual Powwow and the Cherokee Voices festival. The photo above, posted on her Instagram account, shows two stickball teams from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians playing outside in DC, as part of the Cherokee Days hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

Bear Allison​

Bear Allison is a Cherokee photographer who was invited to last year’s Cherokee Days at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. He exhibited his “Booger Portrait” series, and shared this photo on his Instagram account. In the Cherokee culture, booger masks were used to signify intruders during ritual dances.

Fly Fishing the Smokies

Fly Fishing the Smokies is a fly fishing outfitter and guide service in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. For an up-close look at fishing in the area, check out their feed for seasonal shots with grinning customers holding up their larger-than-life catches—like the rainbow trout caught in Cherokee in the photo above.