Father, Musician, Businessman, Christian Ortiz Is A Real Renaissance Man

COLUMBUS, GA: “I am a father of four, first and foremost. Everything I do is guided by my moral compass. As an entrepreneur, I am dedicated to creating my own path in life, as a business owner I ensure that while on this path I serve a purpose, and as a person, I make it my true goal in life to make a difference in the lives of everyone I come in contact with.” These are the words Christian Ortiz uses to describe himself. Some reading this may recognize the name. He’s making moves right here in Columbus, Georgia, and he’s getting noticed. You may have seen him hanging out Downtown at local coffee shops, taking pictures, interviewing people for Our City of Fountains, and hanging out with his cherished kids anytime he can. The man is always on the move, but he didn't get there with luck.

Let's start a while back. What you may not know is Christian has a band. He started his band in 2008 named “The Christian Ortiz Project”. He played locally in Columbus and Atlanta for years as a solo artist. A British journalist by the name of Paul Bond wrote an article about his band in the London Post. In it, he said that Christian was “modest to his roots.” Immediately after reading this, he changed his band name to “Modest Roots.” Although Modest Roots was his band, it later became a movement. He wanted to explore so many artistic ventures and sold his original music and beats online. Three years later, after realizing he had a passion for photography, Modtography was born.

He bought his first DSLR from a pawn shop in Columbus, Georgia on May 1, 2011. As a creative, photography was simply another outlet for him to express his artistic passion. “Although photography is an outlet for creation and a great means to business, there is no greater joy than giving someone the confidence they sometimes lack when they see how beautiful they are through my photography.” Ortiz says, “ Also, creating memories for individuals and family means more to me than anything.” Some of the shoots he’s done normally take 3 days to fully edit 20-30 pictures! Over time, the entrepreneurial side took over and he decided he needed to turn it into a business.

Nine years later, he quit his corporate job of four years with no real financial backup plan or business plan. Two days later, he created his own company. “I knew however that for the last 12 years, I had taught myself a set of skills that would allow me to help others using my talents.” From music production and sound, to film, web design and product management with social media engagement, MOD ATLAS MEDIA was born. “I always said that if I had another child, boy or girl, I would name them Atlas, because my children are my guide through this universe. Well, my business in essence is my child, so I named it Atlas. While keeping MOD in line with all of my other projects, it only made sense that it would translate to ‘ A Modern Guide to Business’.”

When asked what sets Mod Atlas Media apart from others, Ortiz replied “Being that we are in a scroll-a-mile-minute-society, imagery is everything. If an image doesn’t capture your eye, you will most likely scroll past it. I hyper-focus on photography to capture the spirit of my clients and their brand, product or business when creating their personal content. Through Modtography, they are presented with professional-grade content and a personalized social interaction in media that is very organic and honest.” His main focus as a social media marketing manager and content creator is helping local businesses grow and thrive. He does this by specializing in social media platform management, photography, and website builds.

Some of his media businesses include Dogwood A and Our City of Fountains. Dogwood A is one of two of his photojournalism projects. In 2015, he reached out to Brandon Stanton, who runs the wildly popular photojournalism project HONY (Humans of New York) and told Stanton that his project inspired him to want to create his own here in Columbus, Georgia. However, he didn’t want Stanton to think he was trying to copy his platform. “I gave him my idea for what I wanted to implement in our city. After hundreds of messages sent to him through email and social media, he replied and gave me his blessing. Immediately after, I created Our City of Fountains, a chronological tale of our city, documenting the growth of Columbus through its people. Two years later, I developed Dogwood A in Atlanta following the same platform. They are both active today.”

His most recent project is The Columbus Color Palette. It is a Civil and Equal Rights movement that is in the process of becoming a Non-Profit organization to help provide scholarships, host events and educate the community on social and cultural issues while dealing with today’s climate. At the moment, there are activists all around the world who share their content and helpful ideals. All this being said, Ortiz is not immune to downfall. “The greatest obstacle I have ever encountered worth mentioning was self-doubt. This is something I have trampled over and have overcome with self-motivation and found confidence. I see myself becoming a filmmaker and actor using my platform to help make a change in our world for our children.”

While interviewing Christian Ortiz, there’s an aura of positivity that radiates from him. He’s definitely an entrepreneur trying to make a difference for the future and next generation. While voicing that opinion, he replies, “I am truly humbled and honored and thankful that my work is seen this way. I do believe that the message and delivery of positive energy is a must when it comes to our work, no matter how similar or different. Although I do enjoy being positive, I am also very outspoken on social media; during these hard times, especially. What I hope I can encourage our future generation to do is help them remember that we all have a voice, and it is our responsibility to use our platform to be vocal about social and equal injustice; to be able to find a balance between humility and confidence when it comes to their own projects and creations; to remember that every hard message delivered is never easy, and to follow through with understanding and love as resolution through conversation if at all possible. Lastly, I honestly believe that our lives are in great hands with our next generation. Through my experience in having hundreds of weekly conversations in just the last several months, I think they are wise beyond their years and see the world in ways most of us cannot.”