With sweat dripping from their heads, seven runners lined up in a horizontal row, slowing their breathing and steadying their positions.

The athletes, participating in the Century Conference League Finals meet on Oct. 30, 2024, waited anxiously for the sound of the gun signaling the start of the race.

Bang!

At the blast, they surged forward, kicking up dust behind them.

But one athlete remained in place.

Click!

Unable to race because of an injury, then-sophomore Elias Anizor lifted a camera instead, following each stride through the lens. 

He could have never anticipated what this moment would lead to.

What started as an injury quickly became something more: the beginning of a photography journey that would grow into a business and open doors to new opportunities for Anizor.

AN EARLY EXPOSURE

Now-junior Anizor said he’s been fascinated by cameras since he was 8 years old.

“I thought it was cool how you could just capture moments all the time, so I just started taking pictures all the time when I was younger,” Anizor said.

Though he didn’t fully realize his passion for photography until he reached high school, Anizor said he would often take random pictures on a Canon PowerShot ELPH 115 point-and-shoot camera his family kept in their house.

“I thought it was really cool to have a camera,” he said. “I knew nothing about cameras or photography at the time, but it was cool to have a camera of my own.”

Additionally, the junior said his uncle, a production manager in Hollywood, also played a role in growing his love for photography, after he gifted him his first digital single-lens reflex camera for his 14th birthday — a camera he used with some of his first clients and still occasionally employs today.

But until his sophomore year, photography was simply a hobby.

“It was just something I did for fun on trips or on the side,” Anizor said.

Then, on Oct. 30, 2024, then-sophomore and injured cross country athlete Anizor attended a league finals race that he was assigned to film for his video production elective.

“I had a camera with me and thought it’d be fun to test out taking some photos,” Anizor said. “I loved sending the photos to my teammates and seeing their reactions, along with my coaches.”

Cross country coach Hannah Batchelor said she was pleased with how the pictures came out.

“I think it went really well,” she said. “He was just able to stage the photos so well, and that’s really difficult in sports photography.”

A couple of weeks after hearing the positive reactions from his peers, Anizor decided to experiment with the style of photography he is most passionate about: Portraits. He asked his friend Benjamin Parker, a senior at Sonora High School, if he wanted to model for him.

“I’m passionate about portrait photography because of the people, and I like making people feel comfortable in front of the camera and creating a good experience for them,” Anizor said.

Parker agreed, and the pair met near Las Palmas Drive in Fullerton on Nov. 11, 2024, to shoot.

Anizor produced photos that felt natural, but also looked like something out of a movie, the senior said.

“As a photographer, Eli is an incredible man; he is super creative in all of his shots and has a very specific direction in all of them,” Parker said. “He was always looking for different shots throughout our shoot and was able to capture photos in a more natural way.”

Following that photoshoot, Anizor said he realized that he wanted to make photography more than just a hobby.

“That was the more pivotal moment where I was like, ‘OK, this is something I want to do and continue to develop,’” the photographer said.

FROM HOBBY TO HUSTLE

So, in November 2024, Anizor decided to start an online professional photography business.

He said he has always been good with web and graphic design, so he put those skills to use when making his website.

Creating the website involved selecting colors, logos and fonts that were cohesive and well-represented his brand’s image visually, Anizor said.

“In photography, your brand identity is crucial to how clients perceive your brand, and I’ve always felt that I want that to be a defining factor of my business, so I spent lots of time working on that,” he said.

This move brought both excitement and unexpected obstacles.

“Especially in a market that’s really saturated, like photography, where there’s just so many photographers, it was definitely daunting to find my place,” Anizor said.

One of his major challenges, he said, was building a strong portfolio before taking on paying clients.

“As time went on, I began to discover my signature style, which focuses on a warm, timeless, and natural aesthetic designed to capture genuine, candid moments,” he said. “This approach results in images that are not only aesthetically pleasing with clear compositions and professional quality, but also emotionally deep, capturing the subject’s personality and their unique story.”

Although he was eager to start charging money, he knew he had to gain experience and improve his work before promoting or selling his services.

“My main source of learning was online, and I did, and currently do, spend at least two hours a day intentionally trying to make time just to learn how to elevate my photography skills, client interactions and brand perception,” Anizor said.

On Nov. 21, 2024, he launched his website — elianizorphoto.com — to showcase his portfolio and connect with potential clients, providing information on pricing for his services, which range from $100 to $3,000.

Anizor’s services include:

• Individuals
• Couples
• Event Photography
• Senior Portraits
• Prom Portraits
• Sports Portraits

The junior said he promotes his website through optimization for search engines and word of mouth — some of his friends have referred him to others who need a photographer. His previous clients, who have registered for his photo galleries, also receive frequent email marketing letting them know when deals are coming up.

The junior said each obstacle taught him valuable lessons.

“All of these issues along the way have been really key to me growing and improving as a photographer,” Anizor said.

Anizor said he didn’t have to face his struggles alone — he had the support of his peers, family and teachers. Much of that support came from home.

“My parents have always encouraged me, driving me to and from sessions, which contributed significantly to my growth,” he said. “My dad, in particular, instilled in me the importance of doing everything with excellence and quality from a young age.”

That support extended to the classroom as well, where he learned photography and videography skills in video production teacher Danny Flores’s Regional Occupation Program Art of Video Production class — the prerequisite he completed before joining the video production team. Anizor even borrowed equipment from Flores when he was starting.

“When students show that eagerness and want to excel in something related to video production and in our program, whatever resources I have, I definitely outsource it and make sure I’m there to help them any step of the way,” Flores said.

The teacher said he even guided him through the legal side of photography, proofreading the contracts Anizor wrote for his work at Sunny Hills this year, when he signed up to organize and lead cross country and track and field’s media days.

“This process was difficult in the beginning because I didn’t have experience in the industry in forming legal contracts, since most of my previous contracts were less formal agreements,” Anizor said. “Thanks to Mr. Flores’s support of me as a student, photographer and business owner, he helped me create contracts based on his experience in the industry that have helped me more than I can express.”

Now, Anizor is officially contracted for media days with Batchelor and track and field coach Jacob Holloway, whose team he photographed last season. His sports photography packages, which include media days, range from $900-$3,000.

Holloway said Anizor took control of the process, from bringing equipment and props to producing the photos for senior posters and promotional Instagram posts.

“As a coach, you want someone who’s going to be able to take the reins of the project and know what’s needed and make it happen and deliver you the results in a timely manner,” Holloway said. “He did that.”

Holloway’s feedback aligns with the approach Anizor said he brings to every shoot — prioritizing making people feel comfortable behind the camera.

“[The athletes] were really pleased with it,” the coach said. “I know they’re looking forward to it again this year, and that’s kind of a sign of his quality.”

Likewise, Batchelor said she and her athletes thought the pictures for cross country’s media day were exceptional.

“He was really great at directing them to have poses that would look good for a sports photo shoot,” she said. “Eli is very passionate about making sure that everyone feels comfortable, prepared and looks their best, which is really what you can ask for in a photographer.”

BRINGING MOMENTS INTO FOCUS

For the young photographer, he said creating a comfortable environment is just one part of a larger goal: capturing moments in a way that lasts.

“I’m really passionate about telling people’s stories through images, and I think seeing the value in that has motivated a lot of my business endeavors,” Anizor said. “I just believe people’s stories should be told in a way that’s timeless — that they can look at in five years and still remember the feelings they had at their event, or the feelings they had on the day of their prom or during their family session.”

Last school year, he put this philosophy into action during senior Rayna Tan and her boyfriend, junior Nathan Luangrath’s, April 5 prom photo session at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center located in Fullerton. Anizor charged $100 for the shoot.

“Eli was amazing to shoot with; he made sure Nathan and I felt comfortable and had the best experience for it being our first shoot together,” said Tan, who loved the final results that Anizor sent to her the same day of the photoshoot. “I plan to book him again for prom this year, and I 100% recommend him to anyone who wants professional photos the same day, a good and comfortable experience, to support a student-led business and for a good price.”

THE NEXT SHOT

Teachers and coaches alike have noticed Anizor’s dedication, skill and maturity through his journey. Holloway said that after meeting him as an athlete, he has gotten to watch him mature and gain confidence in his craft.

“He’s a great guy, easy to work with,” the coach said. “I’m just really happy to see the way he’s progressed, and that he’s got something that he can utilize now and then going forward in the future, he’s pretty much set up in terms of if he wants to do that.”

Flores said Anizor has been a valuable member of the program.

“I can’t wait to see what he’s going to be producing the rest of this school year, and I look forward to seeing him grow as a photographer, videographer, director in the coming months,” the video production teacher said.

In the future, Anizor hopes to pursue a career in entertainment marketing and business. Although he doesn’t view his photography business as his primary job, he said he would love to continue it as a side job or simply as a creative outlet that he is passionate about.

Even as he looks ahead, he said the spark that drew him to photography — the thrill of capturing a fleeting moment — remains at the heart of his work. 

“It’s a true honor to wake up each day and tell people’s stories through my photography,” Anizor said. “Capturing those fleeting moments is my passion, and knowing that my images let them relive their emotions for years to come makes it all worthwhile.”