Success doesn’t always begin with a perfect plan. Sometimes it starts with a broken iPhone.
For Ant Taylor, finding his passion wasn’t easy. Like many kids, he tried different activities growing up. Sports, music, and other extracurriculars never seemed to stick. His parents continued searching for something that would truly capture his interest.
What they didn’t know was that his future was waiting on the sidelines of a youth football field. As his younger brother played youth football, Ant spent countless hours around the game. He also became fascinated with the work of local sports videographers, especially the highlight videos being produced by Dreamshots. Watching those videos sparked something inside him.
Then one day, everything changed. Using nothing more than a broken iPhone, Ant recorded a long touchdown run by his younger brother while he was playing for Lincoln. He uploaded the video to YouTube. The response surprised everyone.
The video generated significant attention and positive feedback. Parents throughout the organization began reaching out and asking Ant to create highlight videos for their children. What started as a simple recording quickly became a side business. At first, parents were paying him around $20 per video. But the demand continued to grow.
As parents shared his work online and tagged him in posts, more opportunities followed. Soon, requests began coming from outside of Lincoln. Ant had a natural ability to network, build relationships, and market himself. He wasn’t afraid to reach out to coaches, athletes, and organizations to grow his brand.
While many teenagers were simply watching sports highlights, Ant was creating them. His YouTube channel, Moneyshots, continued to gain traction. The name fit perfectly because, according to his mother, Ant has always loved making money.
During the COVID era, he expanded his reach even further by traveling with teams across the country and documenting athletes at a time when digital exposure was becoming increasingly important.
His talent eventually led to opportunities beyond youth football. While attending Pitt-Greensburg, Ant worked as a sports photographer through a work-study position and covered several major athletic events for the university. As his skills improved, so did his opportunities.
Today, Ant’s work extends beyond sports highlights.
This summer, he’ll be covering Little League games. This fall, he’ll continue photographing high school sports while attending Slippery Rock University and further expanding his business.
What makes Ant’s story unique isn’t just his photography. It’s his willingness to take a chance on himself. A single video recorded on a broken phone turned into a growing brand, a business, and a potential career.
In a generation often criticized for spending too much time on their phones, Ant Taylor found a way to use technology to create opportunities for himself and others. And the journey is only getting started.
For people who may not know your story, how did photography first enter your life?
Photography first entered my life when I was 6 years old. My mother got me a kid’s Lightning McQueen camera for Easter, and I took pictures with it all day until the battery died.
Did you ever imagine that recording your brother’s touchdown run on a broken iPhone would lead to a business?
I honestly never thought doing that would lead to a business. I was just doing it for fun at the time.
What was it like getting paid for your work for the first time?
It felt pretty good when I got paid for my work for the first time. It was shocking because I didn’t know you could make money doing that.
When did you realize photography was more than just a hobby?
I realized photography was more than just a hobby once I saw how far it could take me. I’ve traveled to different cities and states, including Florida, Georgia, Las Vegas, Detroit, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and more.
How did the name “MoneyShots” come about?
My stepdad and I were talking, and he said, “You like money, right?” I said yeah. He also talked about how I took good shots, and we put those two things together to come up with “MoneyShots Media.”
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your brand?
The biggest challenges I faced were people laughing at me and doubting my brand and my name during my early high school years. People also slept on me because of the equipment I had, and I got denied opportunities to shoot events I wanted to cover when I was younger.
How important was social media and YouTube to your growth?
Social media and YouTube were super important to my growth because I wanted to get my work out there and show everyone what I could do with such limited equipment.
What have you learned from traveling with teams and covering athletes around the country?
I learned a lot from traveling with teams and covering athletes around the country. I learned tips from photographers I met at events on how to become a better photographer. I also learned more about how recruiting works, gained a deeper understanding of football, and got to see some of the best athletes in the country and the region.
What was your experience like working as a sports photographer at Pitt-Greensburg?
My experience working as a photographer at Pitt-Greensburg was cool. I was able to get on the payroll and film and photograph as many games as I could. However, it felt like it wasn’t getting me anywhere, and that showed in the views and engagement I received on my Instagram posts. I quickly realized that nobody there had strong connections with the Pitt main campus. I didn’t want to waste my talent at a school like that, which is why I transferred to Slippery Rock University. That said, I give them credit because those two years helped prepare me to film and work with a larger school that offered more athletic programs and bigger opportunities.
How has your photography evolved from filming youth football highlights to covering different events?
My photography evolved because kids, coaches, and parents started asking if I could shoot other events or if I only covered football. Once football season ended, I wanted to try filming different things and see where it could take me.
What is your favorite event or athlete you’ve photographed so far?
I don’t have one specific favorite, but my top three are the AYF National Championships in Florida, the 412 Elite Pylon Tournament in Atlanta in both 2025 and 2026, and the WPIAL Championships.
What advice would you give a young person who wants to start a photography business?
My advice to any young person who wants to start a photography business is to stay consistent, stay focused, and don’t stop even if people close to you tell you to. If it’s something you’re truly interested in, put your full effort into it. Keep your social media clean because you never know who may be watching from a distance. They could potentially want you to work for them in the future—or decide not to. I’m careful with my social media because I have high school, college, and youth football coaches who follow my page, along with college recruiters and NFL photographers and videographers. If it’s something you want to do, pursue it.
How do you balance school, work, and growing your brand?
I balance school, work, and my brand by always putting school first because I’m a student photographer and videographer. Student comes first. For photography bookings, clients need to contact me at least two weeks in advance so I’m not constantly calling off work. I also want to keep money in my pocket. I know I’ll need this same level of dedication and drive if I want to film professionally for NFL, NBA, MLB, or ESPN media teams one day.
Where do you see MoneyShots and your photography career five years from now?
Five years from now, I see my MoneyShots Media brand working with a professional sports team and using better equipment. I see myself shooting on an NFL field, an NBA court, or potentially covering College Football Playoff games, including Big Ten Championship and National Championship events. Either way, I see myself working in that field because watching from home only motivates me more to be there one day.
When people hear the name Ant Taylor, what do you want them to think about first?
When people hear the name Ant Taylor, I want them to think about my art and how much I do around the Pittsburgh area. I want them to think about my photography and videography. I want them to think of a young rising professional.