Today we’d like to introduce you to Elijah Horton.
Hi Elijah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to Orlando to go to school at Full Sail University to get a Degree in Film and I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do once I graduated. A local magazine out here called Mieux Magazine was holding their annual award show and for some reason I took that as my time to pick my camera up and challenge myself to try and find myself as a photographer. I had never taken pictures before, but I knew I wanted to at least try. I contacted them to see if it was okay for me to bring my camera to their event, and they said they actually needed someone to take pictures for their event.
So, I went from just trying to pick my camera up to then having a media pass, and I was nervous. But I wound up being a natural. I did great and took some great shots, and that pushed me to want to pick up my camera every day. From then, I would go to downtown Orlando two to three times a week to different events and just take pictures of people for free and try to connect with them on Instagram. It made me better and helped me grow on the platform. It also helped me try to figure out what it is that I like doing as a photographer. I was able to find myself.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No road is ever smooth. I actually recently was just diagnosed with epilepsy and that has been a big journey to struggle through, but it has been super inspiring also. All of my family and friends that have been there and all of the people I connected with on my photography journey have been there to support me and it’s really helped me want to get back on my grind and pick my camera up again.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have a full time job as a video editor as the local news station here in Orlando so I haven’t had time like I used to, to be able to pick up my camera. When I do pick my camera up now, it’s a lot more landscape shots and candid photography. Those have become some of my favorite pictures to take just because of what I do for my career, also. Taking pictures of people as they perform their music or their poems was always a beautiful feeling because music was always my first love, but the energy you get from something candid like a protest is unimaginable. That has become my new passion. I feel like that’s what sets my apart from other photographers. I know some that are good at certain styles, but i can dip back and forth and apply my knowledge from everything to make all of my styles better.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ve never had any mentors, but all of my friends and loved ones that constantly support me and look out for me to do photos for them always keep me going. They deserve all of the credit in the world, but there are too many of them to name individually.
Contact Info:
- Email: elijahhorton365@gmail.com
- Website: elijahhortonmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elijahhortonmedia/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/elijahhorton94
- Other: https://letterboxd.com/elijahhorton94/
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