Today we’d like to introduce you to Eleni Bandy.
Eleni , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I moved from the Philadelphia suburbs to Orlando in 2019 to attend Full Sail University, not knowing anyone. What started as a fun college experience quickly turned into the isolating global pandemic that we all remember – COVID. During COVID, I started learning Photoshop. I would take my own photos and turn them into the most bizarre and creative scenes for fun and then share them on Instagram. This quickly gained the attention of the people around me and opened up some unexpected opportunities – one being an offer to be the graphic designer and content creator for Full Sail University’s 3rd Annual Writing Conference. I got great hands on experience with real design work and a great portfolio piece. I even returned the following year to be the project manager for a team of three graphic designers as the conference expanded to include K-12 educators throughout the country. With this experience, I started working at SeaDek after graduation as a graphic designer and eventually moved into doing photo and video content for the company. After SeaDek, I began working with NPI Productions, a production company local to Brevard County. There I got to be a part of many great events and productions, getting even more hands on experience. Now, I work as the managing editor for Yachting Magazine and get to assist with several productions by Boating Magazine. I’ve also continued with side freelance gigs, one including getting to photograph and film weddings with Pixel Groves, the owner of which mentored me during my time at SeaDek. Throughout all of this, my favorite projects remain what inspired me to pick up a camera in the first place – documenting my travels and the moments with people that matter to me most.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey has been up and down for sure. It sounds great when you lay it all out experience by experience but it wasn’t always a smooth transition. Over the years I’ve battled episodes of burnout, questioned if I’m making the right choices to get to where I want to go, felt behind compared to the people I look up to, picked up transitional jobs to make it work, and took a step back in order to go forward when needed. All things I know other creatives can relate to. I still don’t have it all figured out, but the best advice I can give to those starting out is to get involved in whatever you can and find a good community of people with similar interests. It really is all about who you know. All of the best opportunities I’ve come across have been from people I know or have worked with before. Keep a learning mindset and give yourself grace when it comes to something you’ve never done before. And share your work! Don’t let perfectionism keep you from sharing your art with the world, you never know what might come of it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What sets me apart from others is the way I capture emotion. The coolest photo or video doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make you feel something. I’ve always been someone who feels things very deeply and it shows in my art. If it’s the adventure of traveling somewhere new, I want you to feel like you’re right there with me. If it’s marrying the love of your life, I’ll be right there documenting all of the emotion for you to look back on forever.
What’s next?
I’d love to expand into working with more brands. I absolutely love creating lifestyle content and all of the work that goes on behind the scenes to make it happen. Anything that can tie together my passions for travel and creating content is also a huge plus.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elenibandy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenibandy/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenibandy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elenibandy
