Welcome to the second post in our series, How They Do It. In short, we look at how cool things are made from the perspective of the makers. (See our first post with Pride Neon here.) Enjoy!

Photographer: Wes Eisenhauer


Wes Eisenhauer’s camera has a few stories to tell.

There are wild stories like the time it found David Hasselhoff hanging out with Kid Cudi at the Coachella music festival. And there are more serious ones, like the time he and Passenger Productions helped shed light on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

He’s captured billions of stars in the sky, hundreds of buffalo, concerts, newlyweds, his wife, Becca, a Lemonly project manager, and their daughter Jonah, among a multitude of landscapes and reflections.

Wes says his Instagram feed has tracked his progress as a photographer, having gained interest in the art around the time he opened his account.

In the four and a half years since, he’s posted more than 1,000 photos and gained more than 40,000 followers. About three-quarters of his following found him during his two weeks as a suggested Instagrammer, which gave him a spot on the app’s coveted Search & Explore tab.

Here in South Dakota, Wes is best known as a member of the rap group Soulcrate, which is where he got his Instagram handle. He’s also a part of Later Babes, which hosts dance parties that mash up bands like Hall and Oates with Jay-Z.

Ever the digital adventurer, Wes has a story to tell about Instagram, how he gained his following, how he’s appealed to a larger audience, and some of the intricacies of the medium like reposting and tagging.

Listen in for our full interview, and see more photos below:

music by Soulcrate and Prof

Highways for days. #southdakota #hifromsd #badlands

A photo posted by Wes Eisenhauer (@soulcrate) on

Revisiting one of my favorite spots. #hifromsd #southdakota

A photo posted by Wes Eisenhauer (@soulcrate) on

Currently. #southdakota #hifromsd

A photo posted by Wes Eisenhauer (@soulcrate) on

Describe your 2015 with an emoji.

A photo posted by Wes Eisenhauer (@soulcrate) on

Oldie but goodie.

A photo posted by Wes Eisenhauer (@soulcrate) on