Follow Me To: A Journey around the World Through the Eyes of Two Ordinary Travelers

By Murad Osmann and Nataly Zakharova

The Follow Me project was created in 2012 based on the concept of showing the beauty and uniqueness of different locations around the world. It is a story told through the eyes of two ordinary travelers who attempt to portray local lifestyles and narratives by means of photography. Since the project’s launch on Instagram, it has become a worldwide Internet sensation, emerging as a leading news feature and gathering millions of views on social media and the news sites that covered it. In each stunning image, photographer Murad Osmann is led to a new location by his girlfriend, Nataly Zakharova.

These images remind us that in the hustle and bustle of daily life, we so often forget to stop and appreciate the things that surround us—the historical and architectural heritage left to us by our ancestors. Readers join Osmann from the point of view of the main character and are taken on a journey to different historical and cultural sites. The project aims to acquaint readers with different lifestyles. For Osmann and Zakharova, this theme seems infinite, as there are an endless number of places to visit on our planet. Paging through the book, readers will be invited to see something familiar to them from another point of view, via the lens of Osmann’s camera.

Follow Zakharova and Osmann on a trip around the world, through such locations as Moscow, Madrid, Ibiza, Hong Kong, New York, and London.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Release date: Jan 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781629149554

Book preview

Introduction

This project came to life through the fun, joy, and spontaneity of traveling together. When you are in love, the world becomes a thrilling adventure. You constantly feel like running and jumping off a cliff into a deep ocean of uncharted territory. As you fall above the surface, you move in harmony to the synchronized beat of your hearts. En route, you plunge through a barrage of emotional bullets, as they pierce your mind, body, and soul. As you descend into the water, you realize nothing could have prepared you for that moment; embraced by an amalgam of happiness, shock, fear, and adrenaline . . . finished with the lingering satisfaction of sensory overload.

It was in Barcelona, running and jumping, when we captured our first #FollowMeTo.

Since then, we have found ourselves climbing above the skyline, diving to the ocean floor, flying above the birds, charging through forests, and strolling aimlessly in awe of the architectural marvels—iconic and inconspicuous—that make up every city. Our travels have seen countless marble columns and dirt roads, towering skyscrapers and makeshift favelas. Yet, in every city, our greatest inspirations came from people. Wherever we went, strangers became friends. They shared their stories and tales of their ancestors. They cheered with us in excitement and wept with us in sorrow.

Through the lens of a camera, we found that within beauty there is mystery; within diversity there is similarity; and within immorality there is unyielding purity . . . in every corner of the world. And so, we invite you to open your hearts and journey through the grandeur this world has to offer . . . so come on, and follow me to . . .

M & N

EUROPE

TURKEY

ISTANBUL

Süleymaniye Mosque

(tur. Süleymaniye Cami)

We rarely talk about the story behind the clothing featured in each picture, but we in fact chose the costumes carefully. The attire can convey the mood and atmosphere of different places. We bought this hand-made caftan, decorated with pearls and beads, at a flea market in New York City. It had to wait for its moment in the spotlight in

Reviews for Follow Me To

[mrsdanaalbasha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I remember hearing about Instagram in 2011 and wondering if I should create an account, as a newbie social media fanatic, I went into a seminar in 2012 about new platforms and I decided to reactivate the forgotten 2011 account, the first account "to follow" suggestion was Murad Osmann's account, I fell in love with instagram from his images of his girlfriend (then) his wife (now) Nataly Zakharova. I fell even deeper and thanked God for Google translate when I discovered her blog "Begoody.ru" espically that I began my blogging journey (seriosuly) in 2012! I wrote about 2 posts about them and their traveling journey.

Now that I got the book and read it from cover to cover, I think I want book two soon with all their images, I think Nataly used her post in writing this book, I recognized some of the articles. In the end, if you love their accounts you will absolutely want this book on your coffee table.