Meet Eli Vicks | Analog Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eli Vicks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eli, what do you attribute your success to?
Hello! My name is Eli Vicks and I’m a portrait photographer from the chaotically beautiful borough of Brooklyn, New York. I use the word success very loosely, as what I consider success is far beyond the monetary gains that inevitably come with it. It’s not an end goal for me, but a never ending mindset that I can be content with what I have and what I need to work on, where I am and where I need to be. There was a time back in the Summer of mid 2019 when I had just started my life as a photographer. I immediately began searching for inspiration and a direction for my work that someone else who succeeded in this field had taken. This soon became me comparing myself to other photographers who had started years ago, some before I was even born. I began questioning my results, wondering why they weren’t as good as someone I was trying to be like. I didn’t understand the true meaning, or one of the true meanings of being an artist. The art that you create is special, not because it’s nice to gaze at, follows the rules that are set in stone, and gets a lot of social media attention..the art you create is special because it comes from a place that is deep within you and your story. As you grow as an artist, you’re going to encounter a myriad of resistance from those trying to pull you down. They’re going to see you doing things a certain way, a unique and beautiful way and they’re going to try and change who you are. I think the most important factor behind my current success as a portrait photographer is that I no longer try to chase the path of others, but instead pursue my own. And as an artist, you don’t need to see the path clearly, or at all. You don’t have to know what you’re doing. Not every creation has to be you trying to top what someone else has done. You don’t need to follow any rules and just because social media tells you what’s trendy and what shouldn’t be done, doesn’t mean you have to follow it at all. Embrace the fact that you are special and unique and the best path is the one where you are constantly doubting the process and yourself. Find comfort in the unknown. Do what feels right, and do what feels wrong. The amount of times I’ve been told I shouldn’t do things a certain way because it’s “wrong”. I find comfort in knowing that my work has come out the way it has, because I shoot what comes naturally and what comes to me. I’d say this has been the most important factor behind where I am now and how I got here as a photographer.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When it comes to the photographs I take, one of my favorite things about it is how much passion goes into each frame. Ask anyone I shoot with, and they’ll tell you how much I geek out every time they hear the loud shutter sound from my Pentax 67. I started out very lost as an artist, wondering when I would get to call myself a photographer and I believe I found that. I focused heavily on networking, specifically on social media since these days that’s the best we can do as creatives. It has absolutely changed my life. I went from a kid with not many friends to an established portrait photographer with a circle of creatives and entrepreneurs that I have learned so much from. I became the person I am from not only connecting with other artists, but becoming really good friends with them. I’ve gotten clients, exposure and so much more from simply being supportive and active on social media. I learned how to mess around with different angles, how to develop film, how to market myself and so much more just from my new friends. Amazing photographers like Emily Swift taught me to not undercharge and that my work deserved way higher rates. My friend Ses along with many others got me into wanting to start YouTube. These are things that old me would have never seen myself doing at all. I learned that when it comes to growing as a creative, I had to focus on the good as much as I could. I had to capitalize on every new social media platform in an attempt to grow my brand and meet other creatives. Photography in a way has made me feel whole and it’s been the solution to a lot of my life problems. I’d want the world to know that bad days are a part of a good journey and that you should reach out to others, make friends, and network as much as you possibly can! When people think of my name and my brand, I want them to think of hope and that even a normal kid from Brooklyn such as myself can grow as an artist and change.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. I actually had a friend visit me from Texas a few months ago and it was the best weekend ever. I would instantly take them to Dumbo, Brooklyn; one of my favorite parts of Brooklyn along with Williamsburg. When it comes to food, I’m insanely in love with Italian so I would take them to Front Street Pizza located in Dumbo, Brooklyn without a doubt. That $1.50 for six garlic rolls keeps me coming back. I used to be a fan of Manhattan, but Brooklyn has and will always be home to me. The entirety of Brooklyn is just so good for photography as well. I love photographing strangers there too. During this week with my friend I would eat as much Italian food as we could handle, Airbnb in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and then spend our time riding the subways and shooting photos. When it comes to Manhattan, I would definitely visit Central Park. The energy is always so good there. Even a week wouldn’t give us enough time to do what the city has to offer!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would definitely shoutout my friend Babar aka @Yaitsbabar on twitter. He is such a great photographer and friend. One of the reasons I started to grow my following on Twitter as quickly as I did.

Website: elivicks.com

Instagram: @elivicksn

Twitter: @elivicksn

Image Credits
Stephanie Bedoya @stephxbphotos