Welcome to TALK’s third episode with film + music video director and photographer Nabil Elderkin.
Dana and Nabil Elderkin discuss what work and creativity look like during and after the pandemic, and his upcoming feature film, Gully, being put out by Paramount pictures. Elderkin takes us back to when he used to shoot his skateboarder friends as a teen to how he got creative and set himself up to become Kanye West’s long-time photographer along with a whole roster of A-List artistic collaborators. We also learn what advice Elderkin has for young photographers, how he stays organized, and how he sources inspiration.
More About Nabil Elderkin.
Elderkin moved from Chicago to the coast of Australia at the age of three. Ironically failing a photography class in high school was what got him sent back to Chicago, which ended up propelling Elderkin’s career as a photographer. Elderkin started out shooting photography in the music scene, which led to him hearing Kanye West’s mixtapes and wanting to find a way to work with him.
His desire to work with Kanye came to fruition when Elderkin purchased KanyeWest.com on a whim, with the possibility of this being a way he could get in contact with the hard-to-reach artist. Sure enough, weeks later the opportunity presented itself and Elderkin found himself photographing Kanye soon after. This led to a long-term professional relationship between the two which further exposed him to more clientele and creative opportunities.
Elderkin’s work goes beyond celebrity and has been seen in the form of advertisements, editorials, magazine covers, music videos, photojournalism, and more. His latest project is a feature film, Gully, expected to release this year.
Why TALK loves Nabil -- Nabil is a true Hustler in the best sense of the word. We love the creative and ballsy approach he took once he had decided he really wanted to work with Kanye West. The conversation with Nabil flowed easily because while he is an artist that often works with the best he has not lost his humility. Lastly, we love how Nabil is continuously working on all sorts of projects and always pursuing different creative avenues.
