From Sidelines to Six Figures: How 18-Year-Old Elijah Owens Built a Photography Business Online

When a knee injury ended Elijah Owens’ track and cross country career, he picked up a camera. What started as something to fill the void quickly became something much bigger.

At 18, Elijah photographs athletes and teams, produces content for social media and branding, and runs a thriving online store selling presets and digital resources for other photographers.

By pairing storytelling-driven sports photography with consistent social media content, he’s built a strong personal brand — and crossed $20,000 in digital product sales through his Sellfy store in under a year.

We sat down with Elijah to hear how it all started, how he built a business while still in school, and what he’d tell other creators looking to monetize their work online.

How would you describe what you do?

I’m a freelance photographer who specializes in sports storytelling. That means I focus on capturing more than just the action — I try to tell the full story behind the game through my visuals. The intensity during competition, the emotion after a big play, the smaller moments people might not notice, but that still matter.

I work with athletes, teams, and sporting events, creating photo and video content for social media, branding, and media coverage. The goal is always visuals that feel real and impactful, not just technically clean, but something that actually connects with people and represents the athlete or team at a high level.

Over time, I’ve also built my personal brand through social media, which has opened doors to working with higher-level athletes and programs. So my work is really a combination of the creative side, capturing strong visuals, and the business side, where I use those visuals to build my brand and create opportunities.

How did you get into photography, and when did you decide to make it a business?

I got into photography the summer before my junior year of high school. I’d been dealing with a knee injury from running track and cross country, so I suddenly had nothing to focus on.

I found my mom’s old camera and started messing around with it. For my 16th birthday, I got my own camera, and that’s when things got more serious.

Not long after, a friend asked me to shoot his football game. That was my first time on the field, and once I experienced that environment and started capturing live action, I fell in love.

That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue sports photography. Monetizing it happened pretty naturally — a few friends asked me to shoot their basketball games for $20.

After that, I started shooting as much as I could — free high school events, offering free photos to players and parents — to build connections, grow my portfolio, and get my work on Instagram.

A month after buying my first camera, I borrowed $1,500 from my mom and upgraded my camera lens to an EF 70-200 f2.8. I promised her that I would make the money back from photography and pay her back. This upgrade improved my quality a ton, and at that point, I realized there was real value in what I was doing, so I started charging for my work and treating it like a business instead of just a hobby.

What was it like getting paid for the first time?

The first time was about a week after I upgraded my lens. I wasn’t fully confident in my work yet, so I kept prices really low — around $5 to cover my ticket and another $5 for photos.

For me, it wasn’t really about the money at that stage. I was using those opportunities to get reps, meet new people, and start putting my work out there. Looking back, that phase was really important because it helped me build connections, grow my confidence, and slowly turn photography into something more serious.

How do you balance photography with being a full-time student?

I do photography full-time while also being a full-time college student. I take all of my classes online, which gives me the flexibility to travel and be available for shoots. I try to stay disciplined with my schedule, so I usually spend Monday and Tuesday focusing on school and getting most of my assignments done, which frees up the rest of the week for photography work. 

Photography is my only job, and I’ve built multiple income streams around it. My main sources of income come from photoshoots and video projects, but I also make money through my preset packs, my social media platforms, and my online course. So it’s a mix of both client work and digital products, which allows me to stay fully focused on photography while continuing to grow my brand.

Photography has been your only job. What skills has it taught you that a traditional job might not have?

I actually haven’t worked a traditional job before. I started photography when I was 16, and it’s been my only job since then. Some people might not view it as a typical job, but for me, it’s always been something I’ve taken seriously as both a craft and a business. 

Photography has taught me how to communicate with clients, manage my time, handle finances, market myself, and build relationships. Before I started, I was very shy and introverted — but putting myself in environments where I had to interact with athletes, clients, and other creatives pushed me to grow. Over time, it helped me become much more confident, not just in my work, but in how I carry myself and communicate with others.

How do you approach marketing and growing your audience?

My approach to marketing and promotion is mainly centered around social media, especially Instagram and TikTok. I focus on consistently posting high-quality content that not only showcases my work but also gives people a look into my process, whether that’s behind-the-scenes clips, edits, or breakdowns of how I got a shot. 

I try to balance both creativity and strategy. For example, I use reels and trending formats to reach new audiences, and carousel posts to keep people engaged and show more of my work. I’ve found that consistency, timing, and understanding what people actually want to see all play a big role in growth. 

At the same time, I don’t rely only on content. Networking matters too — building relationships with athletes, teams, and other creatives, because a lot of opportunities come from who you know. It’s really a mix of posting consistently, creating valuable content, and putting myself in the right environments to be seen.

What has and hasn’t worked?

Honestly, everything has worked for me so far, but only when I’m consistent with it. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have been my main marketing channels, and I’ve seen the most growth from posting reels, carousel posts, and behind-the-scenes content. 

When I’m posting consistently and staying active, I notice a big difference in reach, engagement, and opportunities. I’ve also found that networking in person works really well. Just being at events, talking to people, and putting myself out there has led to a lot of connections and opportunities that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. 

As for what hasn’t worked for me, I’d say it’s usually not the platform or the strategy itself, it’s inconsistency. If I’m not posting regularly or not putting in the effort, nothing really performs. So for me, it’s less about finding a “perfect” tactic and more about staying consistent and intentional with whatever I’m doing.

What keeps you motivated in posting content and keeping your online store running?

Honestly, it’s the impact I have on other photographers. When I started out, I looked up to creators on YouTube and TikTok who pushed me to improve — I never imagined I’d be in that position for someone else. Getting messages from people saying my content inspired them or helped them level up their work is what keeps me consistent.

Seeing my own growth over time feeds that too. Whether it’s the quality of my work, the size of my audience, or the business I’ve built, it’s a reminder that the effort is paying off.

You’ve crossed $20,000 in sales through your Sellfy store. How did you get there?

It came from selling my preset packs, but what’s important to understand is that it didn’t happen overnight. It came from consistently posting content, building trust with my audience, and creating products that actually provide value. Once I had that foundation, turning my audience into customers got a lot easier.

What’s next for your store and your brand?

I want to keep building my store into a platform that genuinely helps other photographers grow — especially beginners who are trying to figure it all out on their own. A big focus is creating resources that give them a clear path to improve instead of having to reverse-engineer everything from scratch.

At the time of this interview, I actually have a new online course that will be available in my Sellfy store in two days. It’s something I’ve been working on to break down everything I’ve learned, from shooting and editing to growing a brand and making money through photography. 

Moving forward, I want to keep expanding on that by creating more digital products and content that continue to educate, inspire, and provide real value to my audience.

Why did you choose to use Sellfy?

The day after I graduated high school, I decided to go all in on photography. Before that, I was selling my presets through Instagram DMs — which worked, but wasn’t efficient and was getting hard to manage as things started growing.

I graduated on May 27, 2025, and by May 28 my Sellfy store was live. The main reason I chose Sellfy was automation — a professional storefront where sales could happen at any time, from anywhere, without me manually tracking every order. It let me focus on creating content and growing my brand instead of managing transactions.

Which Sellfy features have made the biggest difference for you?

The most helpful feature for my business has been the ability to automatically deliver my digital products to customers. It saves a lot of time and makes the whole process seamless, since customers receive their files instantly after purchasing. 

Another big benefit is being able to keep track of all my sales in one place. It makes everything much more organized and allows me to oversee my product performance, manage orders, and focus more on creating content and growing my brand instead of handling everything manually.

Who would you recommend Sellfy to?

Anyone selling digital products. It’s especially useful for creators who want a simple, automated way to deliver their work — whether that’s presets, courses, or any type of digital content. You get a professional storefront without the manual work, so you can focus on creating.

What’s been the hardest part of the journey so far?

Balancing school with my photography business. I’m passionate about what I’m building, but I also understand how important it is to finish my education.

During my senior year of high school, there were times where I would skip school to travel out of state for shoots, which made things difficult to manage. Once I started college, I made the decision to switch to online classes so I could have more flexibility and better balance both. That definitely helped, but it’s still something I work on. 

Managing deadlines, travel, and client work simultaneously is still something I work on. But staying organized and disciplined with my schedule has made it work — it’s an ongoing process.

What advice would you give to a creator who wants to start monetizing their work online?

Be genuinely passionate about what you do. Building something online takes time and consistency — if you don’t actually enjoy it, staying committed long-term is going to be hard.

Second, use trends and social media to your advantage. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are powerful tools, and if you learn how to create content that fits what’s currently working, you can reach a much larger audience and grow faster. 

And treat it like a business from the start. Stay organized, think about how you can provide value, and take it seriously — the sooner you adopt that mindset, the easier it becomes to turn your creativity into real income.