USC student scouts coffee hotspots

Casey Prottas, a senior majoring in journalism, uses her Instagram as a sort of travel diary — but a very specialized one. Her Instagram account, @coffeeshopcasey, is dedicated to photographing coffee  wherever in the world she is. Her feed features a delightful and creative assortment of photos revolving around the coffee theme, capturing latte art, coffee ice cream and coffee shops in both the United States and England. When she’s not too busy coffee shop hopping all over the world, Prottas enjoys browsing independent book shops, playing board games with her friends and watching classic movies.

Daily Trojan: What inspired you to make an Instagram entirely about coffee and coffee shops?

Prottas: It all started during the summer I spent interning in London, England. I went to a coffee shop there called Kaffeine and had the best conversation with the barista about the London coffee scene, and I was immediately intrigued. I started exploring all over the city and was inspired by each coffee shop’s personality and theme and the locals each would attract. I met all sorts of interesting people and learned a ton about different types of beans, blends and roasts. I’ve always enjoyed taking photos, and I didn’t already have an Instagram, so I thought making a coffee-themed Instagram would be a fun hobby.

DT: What do you think sets your Instagram apart from others’ (other than the coffee)?

CP: I use it as my own personal little travel diary. Whenever I go to a new city, I try and find a unique coffee shop to feature. It’s my way of keeping memories and also motivating myself to get out there and try to live life as the locals do while I’m in a certain place.

DT: Has there ever been a time where you wanted to post something else but felt restricted by the theme?

CP: Not really. I don’t always post just the cup of coffee — I try and mix it up by taking photos of the cool interior of certain coffee shops or by taking my coffee to go and taking the photo with something interesting outside. One of my favorite photos I’ve taken is of my coffee cup at night in Times Square while it was raining.

DT: How did being in the U.K. change the way you view lifestyle, art and culture?

CP: Living in London was life changing. I’ve always appreciated art and culture, and I love what Los Angeles has to offer in terms of these things, but I came across so many unique installations, performances, pieces, writings — the list goes on — that I had never experienced or seen before while I was in London. My British co-workers taught me so much about expressing myself creatively and just doing what makes you happy. They would take me to everything from plays and pop-up shops to live art gatherings on rooftops, and I was blown away by it all.

DT: What are some of your favorite places to travel?

CP: Outside of the U.S. — London, England; Cork, Ireland; Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; and Brussels, Belgium. I’ve never been to New Zealand or Thailand, but those are the next places I want to go. Inside of the U.S. — New York City, San Francisco, Big Sur and Joshua Tree.

DT: What do you want to do in the future?

CP: I would love to go into television production or the marketing field for a nonprofit or media company.