Joined the Back Mountain Chamber: 2020
Phone: (570) 239-9316   
In Business: 14 years
Website: www.darrenelias.com

An interview with Darren Elias, a local professional photographer, who has been shooting professionally since 2007.

Darren Elias is a professional photographer who has been taking photographs of the world around him ever since he was a young child. He comes from a lineage of “photo-buffs” — beginning his life of photography by taking pictures with his mother’s camera as a child, borrowing it again in college, and growing now to the point where he made it his profession.
Whether he is shooting stunning landscapes of local or far-away scenery, family portraits, high school seniors, headshots, or magazine-ready, commercial photographs, Darren’s eye for award-winning photography is always at work. Along with running his own photography business, he is the official photographer of Wilkes-Barre POWER! (a robust regional networking organization) and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. 

 


Darren recognized his passion for photos as a young child after participating in a “college for kids” course at a local college. Here he was taught to shoot and develop black and white photographs — the focus during the course. Darren continued to learn throughout his life and constantly expanded his skillset by putting his knowledge into practice. Years after his first “college for kids” course, Darren took a trip to Germany with his Grandmother, where he shot rolls and rolls of photos, capturing the cities, the scenery, and the world around him in an inspiring way.

 
He chuckles at the romance of shooting rolls of film now. On a recent trip to Alaska, he shot just under 25,000 digital images. “Technology,” he says, “gotta love it.” Pictures from the internet, seminars, books, magazines, and other photographers all assisted Darren in improving his work to become the photographer he is today.  A well-known photographer acted as a mentor figure for Darren and gave him useful pointers — like how to push the color in his images and thoughtfully edit to truly tell a story. Along with exploring on his own, other photographers taught him how to use complicated aspects of the photography— like creative use of flash — which might sound simple, but is actually a daunting feature for many new photographers. 
 

Darren creatively captures stunning landscapes, beautiful portraits, professional headshots and much more. One of the photographs Darren is most proud of is his award-winning shot of the Air Force One taxiing on the runway at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport in November 2011. Click here to view the online gallery of photos from that incredible day.
 
The story behind the shot began on an Xbox console — through the game “Halo 2”, where Darren made friends with a tight group of guys who happened to all work together in the military. Eight years later, Darren received a text from one of his friends in this group, Omar, asking how far he lived from Scranton. Omar was planning to be in town so they met for lunch in “real life” in Wilkes-Barre. Omar presented Darren with the opportunity to meet President Obama, who was visiting Scranton and flying into Avoca. While waiting for President Obama to arrive, Darren captured a photo of Air Force One landing on the airstrip along with the four Secret Service agents also awaiting its arrival. This very photo appeared in the Photoshop User magazine and earned several awards for its beauty. “Of all things, I meet the president of the United States — by playing video games,” Darren laughs. “I lead a strange life.” 



Darren’s favorite part of being in Northeastern Pennsylvania is the nature, the seasons, the scenery — and the pizza. He is inspired by the world around him and puts an upbeat, fun spin on his work. His landscapes evoke a longing of “wishing you were there” and his portraits often look like magazine covers. He was a featured guest on the #OnTheStacks Podcast earlier this year (click here to listen!) and has been the chief #OnTheStacks photographer since its beginnings. 
 
Being a member of the Back Mountain Chamber helps Darren connect to new opportunities to do what he loves with even more people. Darren also generously shares his time and talents with the Chamber. In March 2020, he captured the Annual Awards Event festivities, and in August, he spent the day with the Chamber team and golfers who played in the Inaugural Back Mountain Chamber Golf Tournament at Huntsville. 



 
When working with clients, Darren prioritizes fun, and safety, especially during these unprecedented times. He is mindful of safety considerations and distancing — but don’t worry, keeping a little extra distance hasn’t deterred him from capturing impressive and unique photographs.
 
You can learn more about Darren Elias Photography and find prints of his photos for sale at  Darrenelias.com.  His art is also sold at Ye Olde Clock Shoppe, Dallas Shopping Center, and the SJ Gallery on Main Road, Dallas.
 
To connect with Darren or book a photography/portrait session for yourself or a family member, please call 570.239.9316 or email darren@darrenelias.com.



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