Meet Orion Phillips II

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Orion Phillips II . Orion was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Monica Johnson.

Orion, can you walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

I started out in the arts at the age of 8 years old. My parents put me into piano lessons which only lasted for about 3-4 months. However, I ended up learning the xylophone and playing that for 2-3 years. In middle school, I found out I could sing. About a year later, I started writing songs of my own. Part of this was the result of watching my older brother, who was a rapper, write songs when I was just getting introduced to music. Years progressed, and by time I graduated High School, I had the opportunity to sing with the Metropolitan Opera performing Aida both in Central Park and Carnegie Hall.

I went to Rutgers University for Music with a minor in Theater Arts. During my time in college, I had the opportunity to sing with the Rutgers Glee Club at Carnegie Hall for a second time but also the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. It was also around this time that I really started taking a liking to acting. Upon graduating college, I decided to pursue both a music career and acting career.

Years later I have had the pleasure of getting a couple musical placements on either commercials or tv shows, most notable being MTV’s Awkward. At the guidance of my agents and manager, I was told to start to create my own films. I taught myself cinematography, video editing and color grading. I ended up starting my own production company and worked on projects for Chevrolet, The Broadway League, and The Carol H Williams Agency.

When the pandemic hit, I needed to stay creative. I started working on some photography, shooting landscapes with a friend. One day my mom called me and told me about The Delaplane National Jury Exhibition. She was adamant about me submitting for it, so I did, and I got in. That was the moment I decided to start a career in photography.

In the past few years, I’ve been blessed to work with some very talented individuals shooting editorial, beauty and boudoir images. I’ve been blessed to be published in several magazines (both domestically and internationally) and have my images featured on Maxim.com for the article of the runner-up in the 2021 Covergirl contest. I am also still working towards a career in acting, filmmaking and now getting back into music.

 

Please talk to us about your creative work and career. What should we know?

So, as we mentioned to our audience earlier, you were introduced to us by Monica Johnson and we really admire them and what they’ve built. For folks who might not be as familiar, can you tell them a bit about your experience with Monica.
Monica is a force to be reckoned with. Not only is she a talented pianist, but she’s also a phenomenal make-up artist. I met her through a mutual friend a few years ago on a photoshoot which I was shooting behind the scenes footage for. We stayed connected after that. Working with Monica is always such a pleasure. She’s extremely collaborative, creative and efficient. Working with her, has really allowed me to level up my photography skills.

Website: temperedmindsent.com

Instagram: @orionmckinleyphotography / i_am_orion

Facebook: facebook.com/orion.phillips.ii

Image Credits
White Paint – Mua (Monica) Gold Paint – Mua (Monica) Sprinkles – Mua (Monica) Net Hat (Red Background) – Mua (Tori – IG: @vca.mua)