Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Ellis.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my photography career about five years ago in San Diego. I began working regularly with QueerGirl, a company hosting queer socializers and pride events created by some incredibly passionate and wonderful friends of mine. I had worked with them on some of their first events and was incredibly grateful to be working with them as their company grew. I had eventually started shooting for weddings and giving back by volunteering as the photographer for many fundraiser marathons in San Diego. I decided to expand my range of photography as I started traveling more. I have always been sort of a work-a-holic and found traveling and being outside as a way to cope with stress and really slow down. With photography, I have been able to help shoot for companies who promote a healthy lifestyle and being outside more. Product photography really became the forefront of my career for a while which allowed me to help sustainable companies grow. I was able to create content for them while they supported environmental causes that I cared about. Spending so much time in the outdoor community connected me largely to the yoga and climbing community which I fully dived headfirst into. I began taking photos of yoga teachers and really falling in love with embodying their spirit and practice through art. I started taking photos for yoga and climbing retreats as well, like Mountain Honey, which provided a safe space for people to grow by experiencing new things in beautiful locations and practice a healthy way of living. My photography work now primarily focuses on the outdoor industry. I am able to capture the spirit of climbers pushing through projects and yoga teachers and students finding their flow state all while partnering with companies who have a similar goal. My mission is to work with real people practicing outdoor recreation from all backgrounds, shapes and sizes and the companies that help get them outside.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. Originally finding my identity as a photographer and what I wanted to focus on was really hard. Mentors that I had been working with pushed me in a direction of making the most money and how to financially be stable as a photographer, especially in a city like San Diego. Financially, artists took a major hit during the pandemic and for small companies, hiring photographers became extremely hard. It’s become very important for me to work with companies and people that I believe in and while I was also losing partners, small companies in the area were also at risk. I had spent a lot of my time during the past year giving back to companies that had help support me and my work by creating as much work and content for them as possible during their trying times.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
For the past year, I have been living in my van and spending most of my time outdoors climbing, adventuring in the mountains, and practicing yoga. Really living the life of many of the people, I am working for has helped me to create the most authentic photos for their brand. I currently am working on personal projects that help promote mental health awareness through many of these outdoor activities and music as well. Music and photography is a huge new project I have under the works that will be much more prominent in my work released in 2022. It brings a combination of so many aspects of art and living that I love so much. I’ve struggled with my own mental health issues throughout the years and found so many other people who are searching for something so much greater. Outdoors is such an escape for so many people and outdoor sports like climbing, high lining, and alpinism has really connected me to so many people who have shared experiences with their mental health. I want to be able to use my work to help show the beauty in people finding their flow state and peace through their sport and outdoor connection. Working yoga retreats has become an incredibly positive experience for me as they create such a transformative space for people to experience such a strong community and really expand outside of their comfort zone all while strengthening their practice. All outdoor retreats give people who don’t have access to mountains and outdoor sports all the time an amazing introduction or refresher into such a positive healing environment. A lot of my work differs from so many others because I am less of an observer in events like these, but really a part of them as well. When I’m working the retreats, I am able to be up on a wall with people who are climbing for the first time and being support for them and shooting these impactful moments for them. In yoga practice, I am hiking out with everyone and connecting throughout the retreats. I am able to grow alongside the people I work with and it shows in my work.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is being able to be outside as much as possible. I have a very curious spirit and exploring has always been something so important to me. It’s so exciting to be at a point in my life where I am able to help other people experience something that has been such a major part of my life. The older I get, the more I find myself adjusting my life in order to spend more time outside. I have found such joy in the climbing community and it makes me so happy to bring people into that world. I am always happy to be learning new things and combining things that I love as well. Recently I’ve been working on projects mixing live music with yoga flows and creating art for so many strong women in the outdoor industry. I love all the connections that my work has been able to connect me to.
Pricing:
- Portraits – $100-300
- Retreats – $500-2500
- Events/weddings – $500-3000
- Location/Travel – $200-2000
Contact Info:
- Email: morganisellis@gmail.com
- Website: morganoutside.com
- Instagram: @fatherflamingo
Image Credits
All photos are mine, Morgan Ellis
