"I was the textbook definition of ADHD. I color outside the lines."
I wanted to share a conversation with Eli Ostrow that proves sometimes the best careers come from coloring outside the lines.
Eli attended Bornblum as a self-described dork with a bowl cut, convinced he wasn't creative because he couldn't draw. He remembers crumpling up a coloring project in frustration because he couldn't stay inside the lines. Today, he's Memphis's favorite photographer—literally winning the Memphis Most award. He realized that with a camera, "you don't have to color in the lines anymore, they're already colored in."
During COVID, he posted veteran advocacy videos wearing overalls to stand out, going viral and learning the algorithms. When an ex-girlfriend's sister told him to "never pick up a camera again," he kept shooting. When a 50-something photographer accused him of stealing clients, Eli realized: "If he's threatened by a 21-year-old entering the field, I'm doing something right." He started using negative feedback as fuel.
Now in his third year as a full-time photographer, Eli captures people at weddings and bar mitzvahs, helps businesses reinvent their brands, and recently photographed a United Hatzalah concert featuring Eden Golan. He's passionate about lifting Memphis talent from within, believing the city deserves it. His advice? If you're going to fail, do it young.
