Chicago-based Cocu Liu is one of the most talented, composition-driven photographers we’ve run across on 500px. Forget that he captures his photos with an iPhone or other smartphone (and all the stigma that this fact brings with it) for a moment and just look at his images.

Each photo is a masterful composition: a combination of shape, light, and shadow that leads the viewer’s eye where he wants it to go.

The photos are, for lack of a more pretentious way of putting it, pleasant to look at. Sometimes he makes use of symmetry, other times he weights his compositions on one side or the other, but clearly he takes a Steve McCurry-esque approach to creating his images… and it’s working. He was even been featured by Apple as part of their recent Apple World Gallery.

Here are some of our favorite images from the Instagram all-star’s portfolio:

Photograph Rainy days by Cocu Liu on 500px

Rainy days by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Chasing lights by Cocu Liu on 500px

Chasing lights by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Untitled by Cocu Liu on 500px

Untitled by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Rainy days by Cocu Liu on 500px

Rainy days by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Rainy days inChicago by Cocu Liu on 500px

Rainy days inChicago by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Chasing fog by Cocu Liu on 500px

Chasing fog by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph The fall by Cocu Liu on 500px

The fall by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Hustle and bustle Chicago by Cocu Liu on 500px

Hustle and bustle Chicago by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Chicago theatre by Cocu Liu on 500px

Chicago theatre by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Solo tree by Cocu Liu on 500px

Solo tree by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Solo tree by Cocu Liu on 500px

Solo tree by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Untitled by Cocu Liu on 500px

Untitled by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Chasing harsh lights by Cocu Liu on 500px

Chasing harsh lights by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Rainy days by Cocu Liu on 500px

Rainy days by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Rain in Chicago by Cocu Liu on 500px

Rain in Chicago by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Double Exposure Chicago Series by Cocu Liu on 500px

Double Exposure Chicago Series by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph After rain by Cocu Liu on 500px

After rain by Cocu Liu on 500px

Photograph Time travel Chicago by Cocu Liu on 500px

Time travel Chicago by Cocu Liu on 500px

Cocu, like a few other 500px photographers we’ve run across, has blown up on Instagram but hasn’t yet gotten his due within our community. Go show his account some love and let’s close the gap between the 50K people who follow him on IG and the 500 that follow him on 500px!