Photo by Amanda How
When Elise Swopes first joined Instagram in 2010, she couldn’t have imagined that she’d one day be featured on billboards, in commercials, and on mood boards at agencies across the globe. She just knew that the phone in her hand held an incredible power, one that would allow her to inspire others while showcasing her unique vision.
Since then, the self-taught photographer and graphic designer has used her business savvy to spin influencer marketing on Instagram into a full-fledged career. Her ability to connect with an audience of millions by melding art with a message has opened up once-in-a-lifetime opportunities — like the time she flew to the Maldives to create photos, GIFs, and even a full-length commercial with Jada Pinkett and Will Smith.
Her artistic process begins with expansive cityscapes taken while piloting drones, scaling skyscrapers, or hanging out of helicopters. She then transforms the original image, bringing photos to life with her fingers. Taking inspiration from Mother Nature, she uses water and light as a paintbrush; snow turns into speckles, street lamps become glowing orbs, and water droplets take on abstract forms as she edits on the go using an array of mobile apps.
Her most popular creations bring a fantastic magical realism to urban landscapes as she manipulates the everyday into something from another world. For a partnership with Method, she envisions Lake Michigan as a basin to wash your hands, the sun as a juicy slice of orange, and soap bubbles as a biosphere encapsulating a miniature city. Her signature giraffe brings a touch of whimsy to unexpected settings, including the surreal 3D animations she’s beginning to explore.
In the increasingly multimedia landscape of digital communication, her video production style is immediately recognizable. She works within the format constraints of Instagram Stories to capture the attention of viewers as they scroll. In her deft hands, a vegan recipe becomes a mini music video, and a quick trip becomes a full-fledged adventure.
She isn’t scared to turn the camera on herself, either. Blending a streetwise style with effortless cool, Swopes has starred in countless campaigns. Her platinum blonde coif and wide, authentic smile put a sporty-to-glam spin to everything from sneaker drops to product launches.
While almost everyone has a phone, not everyone runs a business with it. Swopes is determined to change that by making her methods accessible. She works extensively with technology companies like Adobe and Apple to motivate a new generation of photographers. She takes the mystery out of creating magic by offering a Swopes Note newsletter, tutorial video channel, and one-on-one mentoring as free, easy-to-access resources. Recently, she created a free 3-Week Online Presence Challenge to encourage her followers to find focus and clarity as they develop their own personal brand.
In her lessons, she preaches the sublime serendipity of allowing yourself to take risks rather than trying to fit into preconceived notions of what your work should look like. She encourages young artists and entrepreneurs to look past the details and focus on the big picture, and to embrace ideas rather than an impossible ideal of perfection.
During a TEDx Talk at UIUC, she shared her journey from college dropout to successful business owner. She speaks openly on topics like mental health and social justice on biweekly episodes of the Swopes So Dope podcast. Followers know to check her Instagram Story regularly for Reminders on living life with intention; a self-published book collecting these daily posts is on the horizon.
Setting up residence in Williamsburg, New York in early 2020 has allowed Swopes to train her eye on the glittering skyline of a whole new city. After earning her Master's in Behavioral Psychology, she plans to finish her doctorate in Chicago, the city where she first made her mark. As she takes on her thirties as an industry leader, it’s clear that #SwopesSoDope isn’t just a hashtag...it’s a lifestyle.
Since then, the self-taught photographer and graphic designer has used her business savvy to spin influencer marketing on Instagram into a full-fledged career. Her ability to connect with an audience of millions by melding art with a message has opened up once-in-a-lifetime opportunities — like the time she flew to the Maldives to create photos, GIFs, and even a full-length commercial with Jada Pinkett and Will Smith.
Her artistic process begins with expansive cityscapes taken while piloting drones, scaling skyscrapers, or hanging out of helicopters. She then transforms the original image, bringing photos to life with her fingers. Taking inspiration from Mother Nature, she uses water and light as a paintbrush; snow turns into speckles, street lamps become glowing orbs, and water droplets take on abstract forms as she edits on the go using an array of mobile apps.
Her most popular creations bring a fantastic magical realism to urban landscapes as she manipulates the everyday into something from another world. For a partnership with Method, she envisions Lake Michigan as a basin to wash your hands, the sun as a juicy slice of orange, and soap bubbles as a biosphere encapsulating a miniature city. Her signature giraffe brings a touch of whimsy to unexpected settings, including the surreal 3D animations she’s beginning to explore.
In the increasingly multimedia landscape of digital communication, her video production style is immediately recognizable. She works within the format constraints of Instagram Stories to capture the attention of viewers as they scroll. In her deft hands, a vegan recipe becomes a mini music video, and a quick trip becomes a full-fledged adventure.
She isn’t scared to turn the camera on herself, either. Blending a streetwise style with effortless cool, Swopes has starred in countless campaigns. Her platinum blonde coif and wide, authentic smile put a sporty-to-glam spin to everything from sneaker drops to product launches.
While almost everyone has a phone, not everyone runs a business with it. Swopes is determined to change that by making her methods accessible. She works extensively with technology companies like Adobe and Apple to motivate a new generation of photographers. She takes the mystery out of creating magic by offering a Swopes Note newsletter, tutorial video channel, and one-on-one mentoring as free, easy-to-access resources. Recently, she created a free 3-Week Online Presence Challenge to encourage her followers to find focus and clarity as they develop their own personal brand.
In her lessons, she preaches the sublime serendipity of allowing yourself to take risks rather than trying to fit into preconceived notions of what your work should look like. She encourages young artists and entrepreneurs to look past the details and focus on the big picture, and to embrace ideas rather than an impossible ideal of perfection.
During a TEDx Talk at UIUC, she shared her journey from college dropout to successful business owner. She speaks openly on topics like mental health and social justice on biweekly episodes of the Swopes So Dope podcast. Followers know to check her Instagram Story regularly for Reminders on living life with intention; a self-published book collecting these daily posts is on the horizon.
Setting up residence in Williamsburg, New York in early 2020 has allowed Swopes to train her eye on the glittering skyline of a whole new city. After earning her Master's in Behavioral Psychology, she plans to finish her doctorate in Chicago, the city where she first made her mark. As she takes on her thirties as an industry leader, it’s clear that #SwopesSoDope isn’t just a hashtag...it’s a lifestyle.
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