Meet Elliott Kluever | Photographer / Cinematographer

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

Hi Elliott, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. I grew up in a very “balanced” and blue-collar city. Davenport is a decent-sized city, but we also had those corn fields and pig farms about 15 mins north so there was a little bit of both worlds.

Also embedded in that Iowa upbringing was the work ethic of, “if you want it, work for it.” My parents instilled that into me at a very young age. I can remember getting my first job at a local pizza shop because I wanted my first cell phone at 14 and from that moment on I think I have always had a job in some fashion.

Another motto that was spoken all over town was the “work hard, play harder” mentality. And for over a decade I made it my mission to work “play harder” than everyone. I struggled deeply with drugs and alcohol and addiction shattered my life, destroyed a marriage, and damaged so many lives.

After a few quick trips to the quick 30, 60, and 90-day residential rehab programs I found myself literally at my end, and through the drunkenness I made a decision to give rehab a last go and got on a plan for California in 2017.

I have called California, South Orange County more specifically, my home for just over 6 years now and I am a firm believer that God brought me here to California for a new start. As cliche as it is and sounds, it’s all true and I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity God has given me.
Since moving to California, my life is hardly recognizable even to me at times. I am now married to the most beautiful and wonderful woman ever, Tanis, and we have a 20 month-year-old, Annabelle.

Although the 30-plus years I lived in Iowa were filled with a lot of grief and shame, the core values of a strong work ethic, respect, family, love, and God have carried me through countless trials and strive to not only bring those values into Faith Filled Photography but also my life and family as a whole.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My love for photography began as a young kid, like jr. high. I never really thought of myself as an “artist” or even really a photographer. I was just a kid with a camera who vaguely knew what he was doing. My dad always had all the latest game consoles, computers, and camcorders. YEAH, camcorder. But I think that is where my love for tech today comes from but also my infatuation with cinematography.

So much of my past and story has been influenced, a product of, or the reason why I am where I am today. But even in the six years I have lived in California my career path has changed, I mean almost a complete 180.

A major goal for me when I first got sober was to go back to school and earn my degree as a drug/alcohol counselor. As that process began, I also started working in the field as a treatment technician. Over time, I worked my way up to Office Manager and took an additional job as a house manager for a sober living for 9 months. As schooling was wrapping up, I made the jump to administration and spent about 8 months as the Operations Director which then ultimately lead to a Program Director position.
If you had asked me when I began in that field what my goal was I would have said a Program Director role for sure. But God works in the craziest ways,

In November of 2021, my wife and I had our first child, a beautiful baby girl. As it was, financially, it made loads more sense for my wife to return to work and I would become a stay-at-home parent. This was a first for me, and I don’t just mean the baby, but also that not going to work full-time was a real mind scramble for me. But this all allowed me to dust off the camera and start seeing the world through a viewfinder again. With the encouragement of my wife and really a step out in faith, Faith Filled Photography was born.

I began by volunteering at church and shooting Sunday services. As I continued this did lead to a small part-time staff position at my church that has blossomed into this amazing role as the Photographer/Social Media Manager for Capo Beach Church in Dana Point, CA.

I firmly believe God has brought me to these open doors and only through my faith and love from my wife and those around me have I been able to walk through those doors. My passion for photography correlates with my love for music and hence the major focus of my photography is concert photography. I know the role music plays in my life daily and I can only imagine it true for others. There is so much emotion embedded in music and everyone translates a song differently but what’s the same is the emotion and I feel the photographs that are captured at a concert are once-in-a-lifetime shots. It doesn’t matter how many concerts you go to in your life, not picture will be the same and each memory will be special.
I strive to convey that emotion in every picture I take and every story I attempt to tell behind the camera.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would probably start out at RJ’s in the Dana Point then hang out the harbor for a little bit. Head to San Clemente for lunch and sights at the pier. Fiinish up with dinner in Laguna at Nick’s.

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?
William (Billy) Reynolds – my AA Sponsor, past co-worker, mentor, and Co-Founder of RecoverU (recoveruoc.com)

Website: www.faithfilledphoto.com

Instagram: @faith_filled_photography

Facebook: Faith Filled Photo

Image Credits
All Photos by Faith Filled Photography Copyright 2023