The 19-year-old photographer who shoots for Adidas and Nike

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Ever wonder how to land gigs for big companies like Reebok, Nike & Puma? How about If it's worth taking a risk to move to NYC? Logan Poe's story is a testament to what's possible. He made the pivot from creating cinematic montages for popular E-Sports titles like League of Legends and Overwatch, to commercial work as a world-class photographer with major brands like Nike.

In one to two sentences, tell us about yourself

I'm a 19-year-old photographer who moved to New York City right after high school to pursue my career. I've worked with Nike, Adidas, Puma, along a ton of musicians.

Tell us the story of HOW or WHY got famous

As a kid (around age 12-13) I was really into gaming so I started making little cinematic montages for popular E-Sports titles like League of Legends and Overwatch. - Logan Poe

I posted the videos on Youtube and got the attention of a few of the professional teams at the time like Roccat and TSM. They liked my work a lot, and began commissioning me to edit videos for them. It was a nice job to have as a kid in Middle School. - Logan Poe

After a while as I got into my teenage years and I started getting less interested in gaming and more interested in the reality that surrounded me. So I slowly stopped editing for gaming companies and picked up a camera instead. Quickly, I became aware that doing cinematic videos in the real world was far more challenging than in Virtual Reality.

This disappointed me, but the moreI played with the camera, the more I discovered photography, which was far cheaper and easier to produce compared to filmmaking.

I picked it up as a hobby, then as a serious art form once I discovered I could use my camera as a tool for self expression. Ever since then I fell in love with the medium, and haven’t looked back since. - Logan Poe

What happened when you got your first gig or customer? Did you do anything special to celebrate?

My first real client was a streetwear brand called Forgotten Clothing based in Detroit (Texas nowadays). I was doing their photos for Instagram and their website, along with some lifestyle photos. I didn’t do anything to celebrate, but I was extremely excited. I still have a great relationship with the same client 6 years later 👍

How much did it cost to get started (and what did you spend that money on)? What's your monthly or annual profit from your business?

$300 for a Canon SL1 DSLR. My monthly profit is around $1600 a month.

How do you find your customers?

Instagram, VSCO, Parties, and Networking. I use an app called Later to manage my social media platforms, so I can plan my feed and schedule up posts. It costs me about 25 bucks a month. I actually don’t think i’m doing enough to reach people honestly! I am still navigating the personal branding thing.

What has been the best part of the experience thus far? Additionally, how has being famous benefited you?

Being able to connect with people using my talent. I love how I can use a camera to expose a different part of somebody, a part that might not normally come to light. - Logan Poe

What struggles have you encountered, and how did you overcome them? Is there anything you'd go back and do differently?

Getting consistent paying clients. Breaking into doing more high end commercial work. I really just networked my way into the rooms I needed to be in to make things work for myself. If I could go back I definitely would have established a style or niche very early in my development. Would’ve helped a lot in giving me some direction on where to go and what experiences to pursue.

What are the top two pieces of advice you'd give to others wanting to follow a similar path?

Shoot. Every day. Learn how to talk to people. - Logan Poe

What’s next for you?

I have a few photo books i’m working on. I am trying to connect with more people and upscale my entire operation. I want to move into doing more work in music and performance art.

Vernon’s Take

1. Take big risks (especially when you're young) - Logan relocated from Detroit to NYC which open to door to more opportunity and bigger clients

2. Take action daily - When you put in the reps daily, you elevate your game to a level that's unmatched by your peers

3. Leverage technology - There's so many tools that allows you to get in front of your ideal customers and prospects. Pick 2 - 3 and get to work!

Resources