5 reasons why you should follow @accidentallywesanderson on Instagram

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts when it comes to anything Wes Anderson.

A post shared by @accidentallywesanderson on Feb 15, 2018 at 4:47am PST

My wanderlust began when I first discovered Instagram. Though I had always enjoyed travelling, it wasn’t until I came across Instagram travel accounts like @theblondeabroad or hashtags like #FollowMeTo (initiated by @muradosmann) and #FromWhereIStand that I began to see a different perspective on travelling.

When I visited a new place or country before, I enjoyed whatever was in front of me – the food, the views, the attractions, the shopping – but when I returned home, it all seemed a distant memory.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for enjoying the moment and being present everywhere you go, and maybe others are lucky enough to relive those moments in their mind (or in reality) over and over again; but there’s something about looking back on photos of the moments you had that really makes them all real again. I’m not the only one on this, right?

It’s not just the tangibility of experience that awoke my desire to travel, of course. It’s also how the platform, or rather, the people using it, taught me to see beyond what’s in front of me. To reach, to discover, to treasure, and to share my personal experiences with others.

And that is what brings me to my latest find on the photo-sharing platform: @accidentallywesanderson. Those familiar with the American film director, producer and actor Wes Anderson will instantly be able to identify his signature visual style in the photos featured on the account. Even those who have never come across the name wouldn’t find it hard to spot a pattern in the feed either.

A distinctive colour palette, resplendent architecture, deceivingly insignificant details and obsessively symmetrical compositions about sum up the aesthetic. But trust me when I say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts when it comes to anything Wes Anderson.

All that said, here are five reasons why you should follow @accidentallywesanderson on Instagram right now.

Satisfy your OCD

First thing you’ll appreciate on the surface is how aesthetically pleasing the feed looks. Every photo is well-composed; the colour scheme is appealing; the quality of posts is at least better than half the people you follow if not exceptional; and the feed just blends harmoniously overall. Though the photos aren’t exactly envisioned by Anderson himself, they’re a close representation of his style – hence the name, “accidentally” Wes Anderson.

See ordinary elements like never before

_________________________ The Princess Hotel | Pembroke, Bermuda | c. 1885 • • The Hamilton Princess & Beach Club – aka The Princess – is one of the grandest and most famous hotels in Bermuda, just outside the City of Hamilton • • In 1883 Bermuda gained international recognition when Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria, visited from Canada for a winter retreat and called it a place of eternal spring. When the hotel opened two years later, it was named The Princess in honour of the royal visit two years earlier • • Hosting regular celebrity guests such as Mark Twain on it’s long shady verandas, the four-story building comprised of 70 rooms, each equipped with gas lights, hot and cold running water. Staff dressed in white jackets and waving pink handkerchiefs greeted luxury liners • • In 1939 during World War II, The Princess was under British Censorship and home to Allied servicemen – who set up an intelligence center and way station in the basement. All mail, radio and telegraphic traffic was intercepted and analyzed by 1,200 censors before being routed to their destination • • After the war the introduction of air travel, opened Bermuda to short-term holidays by the average American family who were less interested in attending balls but more interested in direct beach access • • Recently, the hotel was purchased by a local family, the Greens, and operate the hotel as a Fairmont property. The new owners are now embarking on a multimillion-dollar refurbishment of the property including the construction of a new marina facility • • Know more? Please comment below! • 📸: @alishylishy • ✍️: @wikipedia • #AccidentallyWesAnderson #WesAnderson #VscoArchitecture #Vsco #SymmetricalMonsters #Bermuda #AccidentalWesAnderson #Pembroke

A post shared by @ accidentallywesanderson on Jan 28, 2018 at 5:42am PST

Take a closer look at the feed and you’ll notice how some photos feature things or places that you wouldn’t typically hold your camera up to. Think lecture halls, subway escalators, old lifeguard towers and mailboxes. It’ll leave you with a new-found appreciation for everyday things. Life’s too short, might as well see the beauty in everything.

Spur your creativity (aka help you take better photos)

With a refreshed perspective on colours, composition and seemingly mundane objects, you’ll also likely develop different ideas artistically. (I sure know a creative person or two who have worked on mood boards inspired by these Wes Anderson themes.) It may not happen in a day or a week, but perhaps after some time you’ll pick up some photography skills too.

Broaden your general knowledge

_________________________ Canal Houses | Amsterdam, Netherlands | c. 1600s • • These narrow townhouses were built in the 17th century along Amsterdam’s canal rings and have become an iconic feature of the city’s inner urban center, but originally they played an important role within commerce and their construction had a significant effect on the city’s civic layout • • In the 1600’s Amsterdam experienced a massive economic boom which led to the creation of its concentric canal belt. These new constructions were designed to encourage water traffic and meant that goods could be rapidly transported around the city • • This attracted an abundance of wealthy traders to relocate to central Amsterdam, ultimately causing housing to become an issue. To solve this problem the municipality handed out narrow plots of land to fit as many houses as possible onto the banks of the canal rings • • These houses served as both homes and workplaces for many of the merchants, and you can still see evidence of this today in the fact that many of the basement floors include large doors used as entranceways to the shop or for storage • • As the residential quarters would be up a narrow staircase, many of the homes posses a large, roof-mounted hook used to lift goods and furniture into the higher floors – many are still in use today • • Additionally, due to soil conditions at the time, the homes were built on stilts which caused them to settle and sink over time, leaving some to look as though they are wobbling – leading them to be nicknamed “dancing houses” • • Know more? Please comment below! • • 📸: @vincent_talt ❤️ • • ✍️: @wikipedia | @eatingeurope | @luxeadventuretrvlr • #AccidentallyWesAnderson #WesAnderson #VscoArchitecture #Vsco #SymmetricalMonsters #Amsterdam #AccidentalWesAnderson #Netherlands #DancingHouses

A post shared by @ accidentallywesanderson on Jan 4, 2018 at 5:17am PST

It’s not all look and feel, if you’re still not convinced. Each photo includes a detailed caption of its content. Thus, the longer you follow the account, the more you’ll learn about different places in the world and their significance.

Inspire your wanderlust

Finally, we’re back at the reason that made me share this – it inspired my wanderlust, and it will surely inspire yours too. Beautiful places captured in beautiful pictures have the power to do that.

Follow the Instagram page @accidentallywesanderson and #AccidentallyWesAnderson for a chance to be featured.

Images: Courtesy of @accidentallywesanderson and respective owners