About Me
I am a content creator who enjoys sharing my perspective through visual means.
Hi there, I’m Milledge…
I will always say I am a photographer first and a videographer/video editor second with a little graphic design sprinkled in when I can. I first picked up a camera for the first time in middle school when I joined the AV team at my church. Then in high school, I received my first digital camera (a whopping 3 megapixels!) and from there I have taken it beyond what I had ever thought I would.
Finding my passion…
It wasn’t until college that I really started to explore ways for me to be creative, and do so professionally. Up until that point, the extent of my creativity was either through drawing. I loved creating comic book characters and drawing other things growing up. But after a couple trips to Australia and Costa Rica, I knew I wanted to pursue photography in some way.
Trading in formulas for design…
Heading into college, I wanted to pursue mechanical engineering thinking I would be designing cars or something really cool like that. In high school, I was a member of the FIRST Robotics Team 1102 for Aiken County, and I enjoyed math… to an extent. Once I met calculus, I knew that enjoyment was over. After just one semester of struggling through formulas, chemistry and feeling like I was lost in the crowd at a large university, I transferred home to USC Aiken where I was able to be more of a “big fish in a small pond,” and thanks to several amazing professors (and way more creative classmates), I found how I could really make my mark using my creativity.
Bouncing back…
I eventually graduated from USC Aiken with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a minor in fine arts (let’s get real, it was photography with one basic art class and a couple video editing courses thrown in). Ever since, I have been looking for ways to use my passions and skills, and have thankfully never stopped learning.
Part of a special generation…
Have you seen that meme about kids born in the late 70s until the early 90s? How we were the cross over between two generations having been raised on VHS and cassettes and memorized phone numbers before learning how to use computers and cell phones after years of playing outside and coming home when the street lights came on? Or however that saying goes. But that was me. I feel I was born at a perfect time for my interests because I have grown up as digital cameras have evolved, social media has taken over (for worse or for better), and technology keeps advancing. As my career has moved on, I have continually learned new skills to try and keep up, and it keeps making me better.
Sharing my passions with others…
I love a good sunrise or sunset, and a good timelapse. The thing I love the most about photography and video creation is that I can show people the world “through my eyes” and share my passions with others. My favorite things to film or photograph are wildlife, nature, and landscapes. I also love creating content around the sports I love, but have also photographed engagements, weddings, couples, families, and portraits. I believe that every moment is worth capturing and use my skills to tell a story through my lens.
I love to explore…
Always have, hopefully always will. And yes, the big heavy bag has to come with me turning two-hour hikes into four-plus-hour excursions. I remember growing up running all around the areas around my house exploring creeks and woods, and then years later, I went on to explore new countries and now the national parks and other areas of our own country. I love to travel and share what I see, and I would say that is what really drives me. When I can get out, explore, meet new people, and see new things.
Getting a bird’s eye view…
In 2020, I added to those skills and passions by learning how to fly drones with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro. That led me to buying my first drone, a DJI Mini 2. I logged so many hours on that little drone, and I have captured some amazing scenes. I have since purchased a used DJI Mavic 2 Pro and won a DJI Mini 3 Pro. Needless to say, I am hooked on drones and love how they just add to how you can tell a story.
What does all that mean for now?
Well, now I am trying to really branch out more and share those skills and my passions with more people. I love creating content, whether that’s photos, video, or graphics, and I hope that I can keep learning more about those and expanding my abilities. In the last two years, I have dipped my toe more and more into YouTube, and I want to do that more, but I also want to tell more stories. I love highlights, but I want to tell a REAL, longer story. I want to find some passion projects to really set my soul on fire and get the creative juices flowing.
Maybe that project is yours? Let’s connect and talk about it.
Some of my previous clients include:
Augusta Rowing Club
USRowing
Aiken County Parks and Recreation
Local small businesses in the CSRA area
Athletics departments for: The Citadel, UNC Asheville, Georgia Southern University, the Peach Belt Conference, USC Aiken, Montana State Billings, numerous other departments and teams through freelance work
Wesley United Methodist Church Evans