These days, social media can be a powerful tool when it comes to spreading the word. No wonder those who are struggling to find a place under a competitive sun may turn to it as a last resource.
This is precisely what happened to 23-year-old photographer Malcolm Manning from Newark, New Jersey, who was eager to land a creative job or secure his next client. Malcolm shared a tweet with some of his photo samples, and sooner than he knew it, the guy landed a big fish. Oprah Winfrey not only retweeted his original tweet, but also responded with a legit job offer.
Meanwhile, Malcolm, who was about to consider quitting photography, can still hardly believe his luck. Oprah’s endorsement fueled his passion for photography, helped to book some gigs, and attracted new followers. And as for now, he's waiting for the big call from Oprah’s team.
The 23yo photographer Malcolm posted a tweet featuring his photos in hopes that a client would notice his work
Image credits: MassacreMAL_
But never in a million years did he dream of landing a job offer from Oprah herself
Image credits: Oprah
Malcolm just couldn't believe his luck and said he felt tearful
Image credits: MassacreMAL_
As you can imagine, when Malcolm initially clicked on his post retweet only to see Oprah’s name, he couldn’t believe it. “When I first saw the tweet, I was taken away. I didn’t even believe it,” he told Fox Television.
But when he saw that Winfrey’s tweet was actually made from her official account with a verified Twitter mark and 43.4M followers, the tears of joy started coming down his face. “I actually like cried,” he said and added: “just someone of Oprah’s stature noticed my work."
Image credits: MassacreMAL_
Image credits: MassacreMAL_
It turns out the morning Malcolm posted his now-famous tweet featuring some of his latest shots, he was seriously wondering whether to quit his passion. “I was having a conversation with my mom... I was kind of losing a little bit of motivation.”
“It was just a little discouraging. So I told my mom maybe I just needed to take a break from it," he told Fox Television. Little did he know that his world would turn upside down with the TV superstar landing him a photoshoot gig.
It turns out, Oprah’s act of service was a part of her initiative to surprise unsuspecting Twitter followers over the holiday. Among other Christmas surprises, the veteran talk show host gifted a Macbook to a young man and made a donation to a woman from North Carolina who’s been traveling the state in a horse trailer with books for children to read.
And people just loved this cheerful story
Image credits: CanDoNgandu
Image credits: Carlyn8688
Image credits: TheAntillectual
Others praised Malcolm's photography skills
Image credits: RandyS0725
Image credits: carmelle_ellis
Image credits: TheRakshan
Image credits: SphynkCat
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Image credits: WheeThaPeople
And here are the most recent works from Malcolm
Image credits: airmcm
