As we roll into the unofficial beginning of summer, our Instagram Follow Friday highlights a group of Sony shooters posting irresistible animal portraits that we just can’t get enough of! Using Animal Eye AF which was released with the Firmware version 3.0 for the α7R III and α7 III, sharpness in photos of our favorite four-legged companions as well as many species of wildlife, has never been more attainable. Over the next several weeks, we’re inviting you to share your #SonyAlphaAnimalPortrait on Instagram for your chance to be featured by the @SonyAlpha Instagram and here at AlphaUniverse.com! Check out the accounts below for inspiration and share your own with #SonyAlphaAnimalPortrait.

Share your #SonyAlphaAnimalPortrait on Instagram for your chance to be featured in a @SonyAlpha Instagram story!

The Dogist – @thedogist

If you’re a dog lover and aren’t already following @thedogist, what are you waiting for? Each post features a dog with their name, breed, age and a special quote that clues you in on the dog’s personality. The mission of The Dogist is simple: to tell the story of dogs - and the photographer behind the photos is a Sony enthusiast. Click on the post below (shot on the Sony α7R III using Animal Eye AF) and learn more about their contest to win a Sony camera!

Gregg Jaden – @gjaden

Gregg is a member of the Alpha Imaging Collective who captured the photo below with his Sony α7R III and Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master lens. He writes, “Sony’s Eye AF was tracking his every move allowing me to get a clear shot of the eyes.”

Nancy Borowick – @nancyborowick

Nancy is a photojournalist and Sony Artisan of Imagery who has experience photographing dogs, as she showed us with her Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show photos in her article What’s In My Bag: Nancy Borowick’s Mobile & Minimal Photojournalist Kit. Her Instagram account has some seriously cute photos of pups, like this adorable shot below:

Pepper The Adventure Dog –@adventurepepper

Pepper is the loyal partner in crime of the Alpha Imaging Collective’s Lizzy Gadd (@elizabethgadd). Pepper's Instagram bio describes the seven-year-old shelter “mystery mutt” as an epic adventurer, majestic beast and mischievous fuzzbutt. Lizzy captures the most adorable and evocative photos of Pepper’s adventures for her nearly 13,000 followers. Give this cute pup a follow for some animal portrait inspiration!

Nate Luebbe – @nateinthewild

If you couldn’t already tell by his Instagram handle, the Alpha Imaging Collective’s Nate Luebbe loves to be out in the wild where he shoots stunning landscapes and scroll-stopping wildlife images like this photo of a pair of baby foxes.

Suki Cat – @sukiicat

Suki Cat is one of the best-known cats on Instagram, and the account was created by Marti Gutfreund (@enchanted.forest) of the Sony Alpha Imaging Collective. A steady stream of Suki Cat content combined with the people’s love for animals has earned the account 1.4 million followers. Being able to photograph Suki with Animal Eye AF was one of the main reasons Marti recently made the a Sony α7 III her primary camera and she says she’s never going back. (See more about how Marti and Suki in our article here)

Charly Savely – @charlysavely

Charly is another member of the Alpha Imaging Collective. She writes that with Animal Eye-AF, her “dreams have come true.” She made this fox photo with her Sony α7R III:

Zach Allia – @zachallia

Zach is a Sony shooter whose Instagram account is filled with beautiful landscapes and both human and animal portraits. One quick scroll and you’ll spot plenty of pups, an owl, sheep, deer, cattle, a cat, a horse, an elephant, dolphins…and the list goes on! If you love a good #SonyAlphaAnimalPortrait, make sure you give Zach a follow.