Photographer Elliot Liss, the man behind the Instagram sensation #elliotsbushseries, (and, of course, the camera) was born and raised in Atlanta, where he still resides. Always on the run and never wanting to slow down, if you haven’t seen him shooting, you may have seen him riding his bike or skateboarding around town.
As far back as elementary school, Elliot dreamt of being a photographer. A lover of film photography, Liss, now 27, has been capturing fashion, conceptual and lifestyle shots with his fresh point of view and two of his favorite tools of the trade: a Canon 5D MkIII and a Sony a7RII. Liss’s photography, clean and real, has earned him a reputation as an influencer — notable and professional with an amazing eye.
Common Creativ chatted with him about getting his start in photography and other exciting projects he’s been part of, including a music video for a song he wrote!
CC: When did you first get into photography?
EL: I first started in photography back in elementary school, shooting with disposable and 35mm film cameras.
CC: How have you developed your style as a photographer?
EL: I would have to say that I will always be developing as a photographer but trying new concepts, working with new people and having fun.
Migos by Elliot Liss
CC: How do you get inspired before a shoot?
EL: I like to listen to music and look at either photo books or surf the web for inspiration. Sometimes I’ll get on something with wheels and just cruise. The free feeling of cruising opens up my head and really lets me brainstorm.
Elliot Liss by Angelique Dale
CC: Can you walk us through the process of how you set up for a shoot?
EL: It’s pretty simple. First things first: coffee. I walk to the Highland Bakery, grab a coffee, load up my car with gear, then head out.
Adkins Taylor by Elliot Liss
CC: Are there any collabs you’ve done that you really enjoyed? Who would you love to collab with next?
EL: I have done quite a few collabs, and one of my favorites was with a very large group of my friends where we filmed a music video for a song that I wrote with two really great friends of mine, Matt and Shaan for the series that I started last summer, #elliotsbushseries. That was such a great time.
CC: Do you have any interesting projects in the works? What’s up next for you?
EL: I know I will be shooting with some rap artists in the near future. It’s just hard to tell what’s coming up because freelance is so random and you never really know what’s next until it’s right there.
CC: What are your thoughts on the Atlanta art scene?
EL: Atlanta’s art scene is great, and it’s wild. It’s growing rapidly, musically, visually and even culinarily. We have an amazing amount of talented people here and quite the large spectrum of different types of artists.
Big Boi by Elliot Liss
CC: What’s your favorite shoot mood music to listen to during a shoot?
EL: Most of the time I’ll play something with an upbeat tempo to get people movin’ at a good flow. A lot of hip-hop, pop, dance, ’80s and many more types —and, of course, I will take requests.
You can see more of Elliot Liss’ work in his portfolio and Instagram.
