Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ariella Elkobi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ariella, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
As many incoming freshman do at the age of 17, I enrolled for an undecided degree program at Florida Atlantic University. Upon finding out the College of Arts and Letters offered a Media Studies degree, I focused my course work in video and media production. Although I learned the basic fundamentals of creative tools and storytelling in University, looking back I can confidentially say college was not where I learned my trade. While the pandemic greatly impacted my resources and course work, I believe hands on jobs to be where I learned the most. There is something about just starting your career and being thrown into a video or photoshoot with basically no experience. The drive and persistence in knowing while there may be endless mistakes, someone was willing to give you the chance to showcase who you are, but more importantly the chance to learn. In the start, learning essential tools like time management, manipulating lighting in my favor, building relationships with clients, and accepting challenging gigs in the midst of fear truly helped me grow and understand myself as a creative. My only obstacle to obtaining these skills has really been myself. My fear of being mediocre, disappointing clients, even not being able to prove to my loved ones that camera work will be a lifelong successful career are daily anxieties I face. Once I realized not to worry about what could have sped up my learning process or if going to college was a waste of time, I truly have been able to thrive in both career and life.
Ariella, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Ariella Elkobi. I am a 22 year old photographer/ videographer who is constantly working on improving her skillset, but more importantly her experiences. I was lucky enough to find my passion completely by chance. As many young adults know or come to learn, no 17-year-old truly knows what they want to do for the rest of their life. So, instead of condemning myself to study business as my parents assured me would be a safe and reliable bet, I took a leap of faith and studied media, film, and video production. I was the most interesting degree I saw my University offered, and I knew my 4 years of theatre experience would help me graduate. Little did I know that my underlying dream to be in front of a camera as a model/ actress (I know, very Gen-Z of me) would exposing me to an equally interesting world behind the camera.
Currently as a creative, I offer countless services centered around camera work and social media. From photography, videography, graphic design, website design, social media content creation and account management, copywriting, to even basic marketing, I have managed to gain experience in what feels like a bit of everything. My main focus has always been camera work. Though, as clientele come to enjoy my work and my personality, I have also been offered recurring jobs in areas of social media.
Any creative will tell you they want to please their clients by producing the best work possible. Of course I am one of them, although I make a point to take it a mile further. As I mentioned before, I love to improve my experiences. To me, creating an environment that is both professional and enjoyable for both parties is what makes me stand out. I not only want to produce the best work possible for my clients, I also want them to understand that my brand is about collaboration and creating in a way that is memorable.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
In my opinion, many people do not understand the work of creatives because they have either been trained to disregard the arts as a fundamental of culture, or they are simply hardwired to be more logic-driven thinkers. Knowing this, I understand there is a disconnect when people try to understand my journey. While non-creatives are logical thinkers, creatives, on the other hand, are inclined to think more abstractly. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with being more logical and driven by that understanding of the world. Logic and reason are essential to growth and advancement. Though, I like to look at the world through more artistic googles. How can colors evoke emotions in a photography? How can video convey messages with the correct music? Why is it that the smallest details in a frame can tell an entire story? The truth is, not everyone needs or wants to understand these things at great depth. Even so, I would encourage that non-creatives attempt to sympathize with their creative counter parts. Maybe you’ll be able to see the beauty of the world in a different way.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Truthfully, I wouldn’t change the way I became a camera-loving creative. In terms of learning, for the sake of a reader who may just being starting this crazy ride, I will say this- do whatever you can for free first, and then start investing money into learning. I went to University because it was expected of me, I had scholarships and grants, and I truly didn’t know what I wanted to do. While I am of the mindset that a college degree can’t necessarily hurt you, it certainly is not for everyone. If you know you want to be a photographer, videographer, or any type of creative, use platforms like YouTube and affordable online courses to start learning. Then simply start making things. Have an iPhone? Start taking pictures and videos. The minute you start creating is the minute you start learning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aria-pictures.com/
- Instagram: ariellaelkobi
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Image Credits
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