My Top 5 Delaware Photographers to Follow

Last week on the blog, I shared a post about photographers helping one another. In that post, I gave a few shoutouts to some photographers who have helped me and that I have tried to help in return.

This week, I decided I wanted to continue the trend and share my personal top five photographers from Delaware to follow on social media (that is, if you aren’t doing so already).

For this list, I am focusing exclusively on the photographers’ nature photography - meaning landscapes and wildlife - so if that is not something they do (at least to my knowledge), then they will be excluded from this list. So with that, let’s get into it and check out some of the nature photographers from my home state that I most enjoy following on social media:

1. Elliot MacGuire

To me personally, Elliot was an easy choice because in my personal opinion, he is unequivically the best landscape and photographer here at the Delaware Beaches and in the state of Delaware.

Every one of his images is composed extremely nicely. The colors capture the essence of coastal living. You can tell how much he cares about his work and the time he puts in to capturing the images and ensuring they come out perfectly. It isn’t just his photos that show Elliot’s passion for photography - if you ever meet him, you can tell by the way he talks that he always keeps up with the latest trends and technology in the industry (something I should start to do a little bit myself, admittedly).

I’ve not had the chance to get out and shoot with Elliot yet, but I would definitely jump at the chance to in the future!

Check out Elliot’s work:

Facebook | Instagram | Website

2. Kevin Lynam

Kevin’s passion for nature and capturing every aspect of it draws me to his work. It seems like without fail, he tells a story through his images like few others can. Whether it is the way he catches a wave rolling over a whelk shell or how he portrays the wild horses on Assateague Island, Kevin is clearly in his element capturing nature on camera.

In addition to being a talented photographer, Kevin is also a genuine and caring person. Thanks to him, I’ve been able to encounter many of the wild horses in the Maryland herd at Assateague Island, spot seals on the Delaware Bay ice breakers, and tag along on countless other journeys. Kevin is always helping out his fellow photographers, and you can see his impact on the local photography community in so many others.

Check out Kevin’s work:

Facebook | Instagram | Website

3. Kim Johnson

Kim is an incredibly talented photographer, and that’s the simplest way to put it. Having spent time with her and Susan McLean (more on her in a little bit), at their old gallery on Savannah Road, and seeing the amazing photos she had available there was something I am quite thankful for. Seeing a photographer’s work on social media is great, but actually going in there and seeing it in-person took it to another level.

When it comes to style, Kim’s is one of the more unique ones that I’ve seen in Delaware. She keeps her tones on the darker side, but that adds a moody depth to them that I quite enjoy personally. In her wildlife images, she has mastered the art of capturing her subject - be it a wild Assateague horse, a fox, a dolphin, or any other creature - is a way that really highlights their behavior, habitat, and features.

Check out Kim’s work:

Facebook | Website

4. Susan McLean

From calming, coastal tones to some of the best writing I’ve ever seen paired with her work, Susan weaves a story from her images like no other. Like I mentioned when talking about Kim, I’ve seen Susan’s work printed first-hand on a variety of pieces at their previous gallery (they’re opening a new one on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth in January 2025 - make sure to watch for their opening date!), and you can really see the quality of her photos when you see them in person like that.

The way she captures the colors of a scene, especially in her landscape work, feels incredibly soft and dream-like. This really helps compliment the coastal scapes that she’s capturing. Meanwhile, while some of those comforting colors make their way into her wildlife photos, I’ve always enjoyed seeing how Susan portrays her subjects in their habitats - from herons wading in the marsh to dolphins breaching the coastal waters.

Check out Susan’s work:

Facebook | Instagram | Website

5. Eric Carter

It wasn’t until about a year or so ago that I started to follow Eric, though his work would be recommended to me from time to time in a feed before that. To be honest, I’m not really sure what took me so long to hit the follow button on his page - his long exposure work is second to none here in Delaware!

Eric’s photos have a really moody yet warm feel to them, thanks to the motion he captures in each scene with a slower shutter speed - a slower shutter speed exposes the camera to more light, while also allowing it to capture and blur motion. This helps bring the scenes alive despite being a still image (something I’ve touched on in some of my posts), as it shows how the water or clouds are moving across a landscape.

Check out Eric’s work:

Facebook | Website


What a list that is, and every single photographer on it deserves a follow from you (if you don’t follow them already)! Any time I see work from one of these talented local photographers, I get excited and motivated to match the quality of work they are putting out. Not only are they my five favorite nature photographers in Delaware, but I’d also they are among the best in the state (if not the top five).

But now I’m curious - do you think I missed anyone? Are there any nature photographers you think deserve a shout? I’d love to know what you think - leave a comment down below so other readers can check out some of your favorite Delaware nature photographers as well!

Thanks for stopping by, and catch you all on the next one!

- Tyler

*Important Note - The very first photo in this blog post (Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk at night) is mine. The rest were taken by the photographer with whom it accompanies in order to try showcasing what I am talking about with their work/style.

Don’t miss this other content from Tyler Smiley Photography:

FOLLOW TYLER SMILEY PHOTOGRAPHY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Previous
Previous

The Best Photo I Took This Year is…

Next
Next

Photographers Helping Photographers