Elise Swopes

Elise Swopes is a self-taught photographer, graphic designer, and digital artist recognized as one of the original Instagram influencers and a leading iPhone artist. Swopes’s work blends reality and fantasy, creating cityscape images that begin with drone photography, skyscraper climbs, or aerial shots, which she then transforms digitally. Her creative process and visual storytelling have contributed to the evolution of mobile photography and digital art.

Swopes has created NFTs in collaboration with Rolling Stone and partnered with technology companies including Apple, Adobe, and Google, working with more than 200 major brands. She was among the first influencers to collaborate with Nike, Apple, and Instagram. Swopes’s portfolio includes designing an album cover for singer Jamila Woods and serving as a spokesperson for brands such as Coach, Burger King, Dos Equis, and Sony. Her work has been featured on ABC as a Chicago social media figure and she was selected by George Clooney as the inaugural influencer for Casamigos Instagram.

As a photographer and NFT artist, Swopes has sold over $200,000 in digital art. Her debut Nifty Gateway collection, featuring six images supporting the Somali Giraffe Fund, sold out quickly. She participated in the NFT Battle at ComplexCon, competing live on the Secret Walls Battle Stage. Swopes co-founded Night On The Yard, a marketplace focused on addressing the impact of incarceration, and established the Web3 impact agency Sunrise Art Club.

Swopes holds a role at Adobe as senior community relationship manager and Adobe Express evangelist, focusing on building creative community relationships and sharing resources. She has delivered live Adobe demonstrations at FITC Toronto centered on intentional AI use. Swopes has presented a TEDx talk titled "Child of the Internet" and hosts the "Swopes So Dope" podcast, where she discusses mental health and her personal experiences.

Swopes is involved in community work with the Boys and Girls Club in Chicago, developing workshops and curricula for young artists and entrepreneurs. She provides free tutorials, one-on-one mentoring, and advocates for mental health through various platforms. Swopes encourages young creatives to take risks, focus on the broader vision, and embrace new ideas in digital art and photography.