We had the good fortune of connecting with Elijah Nicolas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elijah, what makes you happy? Why?
Happiness is really as simple and easy as we make it and with that, I’m happy just living life in the present. Constant appreciation and soft resets always help. But I’m even happier when I get to do the things that I love for which is everything. When I started AFC Headshots, I took a passion that was once a bigger part of my life and turned it into a business making people feel great. Through coaching and awesome photography skills, I help individuals capture their real selves. Selfishly, that makes me feel fantastic as I love helping people. Acts of service and gifts are easily one of my strongest love languages.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

AFC Headshots derives a particular style under the direction of Peter Hurley. If you are not familiar with him or his work, he has essentially been crowned the number one headshot photographer in the world. Along with the Headshot Crew, we create “shabanging” headshots of individuals all over the world. The style speaks for itself as it showcases the individual in all their natural glory. We shoot until we get the shot that screams confidence and approachability.
In San Diego, there is an amazing Associate and Mentor of the Headshot Crew named Rich Soublet, who has also guided me along this journey. Along with him and Danh Nguyen of The Boston Headshot, I’m currently striving to become an associate of the Headshot Crew with a goal of attaining that level by July.
It’s sometimes difficult to find a name for a company, but when I thought of who I am, a born and raised San Diegan and proud of it, American’s Finest City rang out. Combine that with Headshots and boom… AFC Headshots was born. I secured all the social names on twitter, Instagram, along with the domain name, facebook page, Linkedin all within an hour and the sprint was on.
I’m excited about where AFC Headshots is heading. Launching during COVID was challenging but exciting at the same time. I was excited to finally turn my passion into a business but with headshots being in person and up close, I wasn’t sure when things would get better. Since that launch on a sunny day in September, I’ve been consistently booking up individuals as well as businesses and upgrading everyone’s LinkedIn Profile picture!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First, I would have them step into my studio so we could level up their headshots! Next would be La Jolla and Mt. Soledad. A short jaunt towards Torrey Pines then over to some Roberto’s for the introduction into San Diego Mexican… Carne Asada Burrito and Carne Asada Fries. Hidden Fish Sushi for the night followed by Pitchers for some more libations. Good times all around. The next day, San Diego Zoo with it all ending up with either a Padres Game or The Gaslamp Quarter. San Diego has so much to offer it’s hard to do it all in a week but I do try. We’ll go boating in the bay, maybe some surfing, check out the seals, grab some fresh tortillas in Old Town but have some good chill time as well maybe on a hike up Mt. Woodson if you’re up for a shot on top of “Potato Chip.” Depending on how adventurous they are, we’ll even drive across the border and grab a bite at Ceasars. The world is their oyster and I’m just their guide. One thing about me is, I’m always down!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
AFC Headshots wouldn’t be where it is today without the biggest cheerleaders. The first is my wife who supported me in this endeavor and continually helps me strive to be the best along with allowing me to transform our living room into an awesome studio. The second, which is technically tied with first, is Danh Nguyen of The Boston Headshot. His continuous mentorship through hands-on training, FaceTime calls, constructive criticism, encouragement and essentially being a “Tiger Dad” is shaping not only how I capture a headshot but how I conduct my photography business overall. His goal-setting tactics as well as his constant push are exactly what I needed to launch and get off the ground to which I attribute my success to him.

Website: https://www.afcheadshots.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afcheadshots

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afcheadshots

Twitter: https://twitter.com/afcheadshots

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afcheadshots/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/afc-headshots-san-diego

Image Credits
Danh Nguyen of The Boston Headshot (the two photos of me in a group setting and of me taking a picture). Peter Hurley for my headshot.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.