Today we’d like to introduce you to Salim Cleghorne.
Hi Salim, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2016, my journey started when I finished my football career. After having a pro day and a couple of tryouts, I decided to end my career and start my process to becoming a creative director. I started with filmmaking which led me to direct short stories, documentaries, and sports highlights for my college. I wanted to understand cinematography, so I took a short course in photojournalism (since my school didn’t have a film department). Photography was different for sure since I was used to motion and not stills. It didn’t take me very long to fall in love with it. In 2017, I began creating photo stories and exclusive collections for monthly art walks and followers via social media. At heart, I’m a fashion enthusiast, so I switched it up and began working on fashion photography.
Through many trials, I found my aesthetic and began fine-tuning the vision. During this time, I was in a small city called Grand Junction, CO, which wasn’t known for fashion, so it was really frustrating to find local opportunities. In 2019, I made a big move to Denver, which I believed would put me in the right environment to kick-start my fashion career. It was brief, but I still wasn’t in the right environment for what I wanted to do. COVID-19 like most of the people in the world changed my life. My life took a 180 flip and put me in a state of depression that I never felt before. Late 2020, an opportunity came up for me to move back to southern California, and I took it. It was a leap of faith, and it was worth it. Since I’ve been back in SoCal, I reignited my fashion career and established myself in LA.
Before moving back to California, I had zero publications. Today, I’m working on my 7th and it’s been so surreal. I’m excited what the future holds in store for me. COVID-19 was the worst and best thing that could have interfered with my life. It changed the course of my career and oddly put me in the path of my own manifestation.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road to get where I am now. Ending my football career to focus on creative directing was a huge challenge for me, which took a while mentally to get over with. I dealt with a lot of setbacks with my environment. I was not in the place I needed to be to establish myself as a creative director. COVID-19 was a big game changer for me and really pushed me to make big decisions for my career.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Currently, I’m working with a school and event photography company based in Van Nuys, CA. Ultimate Exposures is one of the top photography companies in the country. This job specializes in both indoor and outdoor productions. It contains high-level studio productions, which require a lot of attention to detail. I’m a staff photographer, so I mainly handle the production side of work. I’m a leader and detail-oriented photographer. I’m proud of my consistency to always level up from previous gigs. I set myself apart from others by working hard to eliminate minor errors and to contribute new constructive ways to be successful at every shoot.
Any big plans?
I’m currently fine-tuning my vision, so I can branch out and become a signed creative director. I’m looking forward for more opportunities to with different models and brands to further establish myself in LA.
Contact Info:
- Website: salimcleghorne.com
- Instagram: @salimcleghorne
- Facebook: @salimcleghornephotography
Image Credits
Tanisha Boston, Vanessa Ochoa, Chloe Ford, Marquis Harrell, Isabella Johnson, Alexaa Elseewi, Monique Spykens, and Jasmine Summers
