▁a ▁bout ▁with ▁pol io ▁and ▁spent ▁four ▁months ▁in ▁the ▁hospital . ▁ ▁When ▁he ▁returned ▁home , ▁his ▁parents ▁gave ▁him ▁his ▁first ▁C iro flex , ▁a ▁tw in - l ens ▁ref lex ▁camera , ▁that ▁cost ▁them ▁about ▁a ▁week ’ s ▁sal ary . ▁ ▁Phot ographic ▁career ▁ ▁El k ort ▁took ▁his ▁first ▁professional ▁photograph ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 0 ▁while ▁on ▁a ▁car ▁trip ▁with ▁his ▁parents ▁to ▁Baltimore . ▁During ▁the ▁trip , ▁he ▁took ▁photograph s ▁of ▁flo oded ▁streets . ▁The ▁Baltimore ▁Sun ▁purchased ▁his ▁photograph s ▁of ▁flo od ▁scenes ▁and ▁featured ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁on ▁its ▁front ▁page . ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁recovery ▁from ▁pol io , ▁he ▁set ▁out ▁around ▁Manh attan ▁taking ▁pictures ▁of ▁whatever ▁interested ▁him . ▁ ▁El k ort ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁Ph oto ▁League ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 8 – 1 9 5 1 ; ▁an ▁editor ial ▁associate ▁and ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁New ▁Mexico ▁Magazine ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ; ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁League ▁of ▁Phot ograph ers ▁( L AL OP ); ▁a ▁contrib uting ▁editor ▁and ▁contributed ▁photograph s ▁to ▁Range find er ▁Magazine ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ; ▁and ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Phot ography ▁Arts ▁Council ▁at ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁County ▁Museum ▁of ▁Art . ▁ ▁Early ▁period : ▁New ▁York ▁ ▁While ▁studying ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁City '