Meet Julie Gebhardt, Photographer

Photo ©Julie Gebhardt (@juliegeb on Instagram). Used with permission.

For my second spotlight on San Francisco Instagrammers I admire, I am focusing on Julie Gebhardt. Having just hit her 10th anniversary on the platform, Gebhardt has a keen eye for the intrinsic beauty of they city’s architecture, often coaxing out poetic moments from even the most mundane subjects. Small wonder she has over 53K followers! She took a moment out of her day to answer a few questions.

Congrats on 10 years on Instagram! What inspired you to capture the beauty of San Francisco's architecture?

When I joined Instagram and began wandering the City I found I was naturally attracted to the wonderfully varied architecture, so many different styles and colors! I feel like I will never complete this project of photographing the various neighborhoods, there is always more housing that catches my eye.

What are your favorite neighborhoods to shoot in?

I love shooting in the Mission District for the vibrant colors and idiosyncratic details. The freedom of expression is so great in that area. The Excelsior is a good place to see old time San Francisco, without the new development we are seeing in many areas. And I love the Sunset district for it’s quiet endlessly wide streets and beautiful coastal light.

What have been some of the most surprising things you've discovered while out shooting?

When I’m shooting a house and the owner comes out to inquire what I’m doing. Initially they can be wary. But when I start talking about what I am attracted to about their house, they often start telling me stories about the history of their home. It’s a lovely feeling of making a connection.

I love the work you do with the #popyacolour community. When did you start that, and what was your inspiration?

I started the @popyacolour account in 2013. I loved the #popyacolour I started the @_popyacolour account in 2013. I loved the #popyacolour theme of colorful photos, and wanted to curate an account to showcase that theme. The Instagram community has been very supportive, I have over 50k followers and am grateful to know my photos are seen and enjoyed. I wanted to give back to the community by creating a place to increase visibility for other photographers. I post daily photos as well as a weekly themed contest. It’s been a lot of fun, the 8 years have flown by.