Indie Ville TV #94 Eyes of Elijah

Written by Eloisa Guynn

Brooklyn native Elijah Rodney, recipient of Indie Ville TV’s “Photographer of the Year” award,

found his voice in the world through portrait photography. Influenced by fashion and urban style,

Elijah is a visual storyteller, drawing you in with a common sight, but photographed through his

eyes and with his intrigue. His favorite part about being behind the camera is exercising creative

control in the story of the shot.

Elijah remembers being at family gatherings at a young age and always being tasked with taking

the family photos. His interest continued to grow throughout high school as he was able to take

some beginner photography classes. On his 19 th birthday, his family surprised him with a

professional DSLR camera along with several lenses and accessories. He excitedly admits to

watching “endless amounts of YouTube tutorials” on how to use his new camera in the weeks

following his birthday. He also describes spending insane amounts of time shooting his

girlfriend, Ciarra Smith, with his new DSLR camera.

After shooting professionally for past several years, Elijah couldn’t imagine doing anything else

with his life. He says he’s always known that his career would be in the creative realm. He

currently attends the Art Institute of Nashville and works with his mentor, Michael Gomez

(Westlight Studios in Franklin, TN), whom he met through an internship opportunity.

Elijah dedicates all of his work to his daughter Chandler and his cousin/apprentice Javante. He

gives many thanks to his girlfriend, Ciarra Smith, and his friends, Lamont “Eljayy” Holder and

Donte Smith, for pushing him to work harder and for giving him their support. He wants to

remind people that “it doesn’t matter where you are, don’t ever give up - keep your head up and

keep pushing.”

Connect with Elijah on his website www.eyesofelijah.com or follow him on Instagram

(@simbalic).