Episode 17: Laurie Collins, Photographer & @dccitygirl On Instagram & Building an Online Community

Summary: Laurie was born in the District of Columbia and lived here most of her life. She loves street photography and capturing city life. To Laurie, it’s important to show Washington, D.C. as she sees it on a daily basis. She wants it to be different than what people would expect, for example, from a tourist site. And like any artist, Laurie’s focus points change over time. It’s photojournalistic at this moment. It started with micro photos of insects and flowers. With encouragement to “look up” Laurie began taking more photos of people, landscapes, and architecture. She likes to let people know what her city is really all about with a touch of information that they might not find in travel sites. Laurie’s aim is to provide an inside look at the beauty of each neighborhood in Washington DC. Laurie Collins, aka “@dccitygirl” to her 67,000 Instagram followers, is this episode’s guest. She unpacks how she has built the @dccitygirl persona, her investment in the #IGDC photography community, and how she has built a strong community of fans and friends in the online space.