I absolutely love my job. Sometimes I can't believe that my work is to create, inspire and empower people! And then I realize, yes, Eliesa, this is your work, but it is also deeper than that - it is my purpose.
This past fall, I launched LOVEe Consults, which is my one-on-one mentor session for photographers (or any small business owner for that matter), and I am simply smitten with these days! Yes, they are all about learning, but again - it's deeper than that. They are more about having conversations, exploring our deepest secrets and dreams and developing a plan to create the best life possible for us! Just as much as I teach the photographers who sign up, they teach me so much more!
This past week, I had a LOVEe Consult with the lovely Emily Steffen. I absolutely love this girl! One of the best things I adore about Emily is the fact that she gathers inspiration from SO much more than images. Many times we talk about looking at magazines, ad campaigns, labels, websites, branding, etc. to be inspired, but in Emily's case, she doesn't seek inspiration through any of those visual aesthetics. Instead, she is majorly inspired by crafting, knitting, sewing, gardening, baking and simply loving. I realized in our conversations that sometimes, as working artists, we forget to be creative in the sense of creating. Maybe that statement doesn't make sense. It is SO important to have other outlets of creativity besides just taking photographs (or painting, drawing, etc - whatever your art might be that you get paid for!) I realized I really haven't had another source as a creative outlet for quite some time, and I am empowered to do so!
The essence of who you are and what you love = happiness.
Another awesome conversation we had was about how stinkin' far behind the Midwest appears sometimes. We are, in fact, not far behind in Minneapolis, but sometimes people's mentalities are when searching for a wedding photographer and how we need to educate our clients on our shooting styles. We talked about how funny it is when (usually the older generation) make comments about your photos, such as, "Oh, isn't that nice." or "Yes, these are sure...different." Emily put it into the perfect quote, " In our state, when people call your photos 'different', that is Minnesotan for 'suck'!" The fabulous part about this statement is that when you do find your perfect clients - the words/feelings/comments about suckage will absolutely never be an issue - ever again! I am also a firm believer that there is some KILLER talent pumping out of the Midwest now that is truly remarkable - and I am SUPER stoked for this revolution!
There is no doubt in my mind that Emily is going to do some really amazing things in her life! In her own words, her goal is...
"To share the love and effect the world in a way that I can to make an impact. I want my life the be simple and I want to live my life to simply inspire people."
LOVEe
My consultations are more than a how-to-be-an-amazing-photographer, they are truly meant to be life-changing.
If you are interested in more information about a LOVEe Consult, click here!
If you are READY for THIS, e-mail me: eliesa@photogen-inc.com
This past fall, I launched LOVEe Consults, which is my one-on-one mentor session for photographers (or any small business owner for that matter), and I am simply smitten with these days! Yes, they are all about learning, but again - it's deeper than that. They are more about having conversations, exploring our deepest secrets and dreams and developing a plan to create the best life possible for us! Just as much as I teach the photographers who sign up, they teach me so much more!
This past week, I had a LOVEe Consult with the lovely Emily Steffen. I absolutely love this girl! One of the best things I adore about Emily is the fact that she gathers inspiration from SO much more than images. Many times we talk about looking at magazines, ad campaigns, labels, websites, branding, etc. to be inspired, but in Emily's case, she doesn't seek inspiration through any of those visual aesthetics. Instead, she is majorly inspired by crafting, knitting, sewing, gardening, baking and simply loving. I realized in our conversations that sometimes, as working artists, we forget to be creative in the sense of creating. Maybe that statement doesn't make sense. It is SO important to have other outlets of creativity besides just taking photographs (or painting, drawing, etc - whatever your art might be that you get paid for!) I realized I really haven't had another source as a creative outlet for quite some time, and I am empowered to do so!
The essence of who you are and what you love = happiness.
Another awesome conversation we had was about how stinkin' far behind the Midwest appears sometimes. We are, in fact, not far behind in Minneapolis, but sometimes people's mentalities are when searching for a wedding photographer and how we need to educate our clients on our shooting styles. We talked about how funny it is when (usually the older generation) make comments about your photos, such as, "Oh, isn't that nice." or "Yes, these are sure...different." Emily put it into the perfect quote, " In our state, when people call your photos 'different', that is Minnesotan for 'suck'!" The fabulous part about this statement is that when you do find your perfect clients - the words/feelings/comments about suckage will absolutely never be an issue - ever again! I am also a firm believer that there is some KILLER talent pumping out of the Midwest now that is truly remarkable - and I am SUPER stoked for this revolution!
There is no doubt in my mind that Emily is going to do some really amazing things in her life! In her own words, her goal is...
"To share the love and effect the world in a way that I can to make an impact. I want my life the be simple and I want to live my life to simply inspire people."
LOVEe
My consultations are more than a how-to-be-an-amazing-photographer, they are truly meant to be life-changing.
If you are interested in more information about a LOVEe Consult, click here!
If you are READY for THIS, e-mail me: eliesa@photogen-inc.com
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Tonight was one of thooooooooose nights. You know, the nights that are filled with spontaneous fun that turns into an unforgettable event! We hosted an open mixer for photographers tonight at the studio and it was an ABSOLUTE blast...I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of such an amazing community!
Tonight is going down in history for me as one of the funnest nights - ever! Here's some proof below! We have and ENDLESS amount of images from the photo booth, so watch for more photos to come from the entire sha-bang next week!
Thank you to everyone who came and shared the photo-love!
Have a super awesome weekend!
LOVEe
Tonight is going down in history for me as one of the funnest nights - ever! Here's some proof below! We have and ENDLESS amount of images from the photo booth, so watch for more photos to come from the entire sha-bang next week!
Thank you to everyone who came and shared the photo-love!
Have a super awesome weekend!
LOVEe
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A seriously fun night - MN Photostars!
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Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day.
~Thornton Wilder
Lofty is the perfect word for me, and especially right now.
Many times I have people say to me, "Oh, Eliesa. You've done so much already and you're always doing something! What is next for you?" This is always immediately followed up by the question," And how do you keep going?"
This whole thing, my life, my business, etc. is all fueled by passion. I am passionate about doing big things. I'm not interested in being mediocre or okay - I am determined to be great. I am determined to be a legend. These are big words and I have set some extremely high expectations and lofty goals for myself, but I always have. I think there have been two keys to my success thus far. 1) Everything has come about and happened very organically and naturally for me. I have never tried to be anyone else but myself and I have stayed true to the art that I want to create. I have always put my efforts into projects that I believe in and I have not compromised anything to get to my dream. 2) I have always had momentum. I am constantly pushing myself - and those around me - to go out of our comfort zone and create things and chase our ideas to make them a reality. If you own a business and want to continue to do so for the next 30 years, you better not get comfortable. In fact, you better get UN-comfortable...the more, the better.
On the flip side, this past week, I was out to a little impromptu dinner with some fellow photographers and one of them said, " Sometimes I just hate being around you Eliesa, because you are so god damn motivated and that is just not me! It's exhausting...but deep down I suppose I need a little of that right now." She is absolutely right! You shouldn't feel like a horrible person if you are reading this and thinking, "But, I don't want to be a big deal. I just want to make photographs that make people happy and have my little happy business." Great, fabulous, lovely. Everyone has their own vision of how they want to impact this world and Oprah is no better than the volunteer in the soup kitchen.
However, my point for the whole post is to encourage all of you to do something that is uncomfortable for you and see where it takes you. Whether you are interested in photography and you've been putting off buying that camera - do it. Maybe you want to quit your day job and pursue your passion as a full time career - do it. Maybe you feel like you need to do some soul searching and you really want to book that trip - do it. Sometimes in life, your best decisions are made as spontaneous ones. I guarantee you that by taking a big risk, you will be absolutely terrified, but I also guarantee that it won't be as scary as you think. You will have catapulted yourself into a situation that you simply can't fail at. Failure has never been an option for me, and big surprise...I've worked my ass off, but I have never failed myself.
~Thornton Wilder
Lofty is the perfect word for me, and especially right now.
Many times I have people say to me, "Oh, Eliesa. You've done so much already and you're always doing something! What is next for you?" This is always immediately followed up by the question," And how do you keep going?"
This whole thing, my life, my business, etc. is all fueled by passion. I am passionate about doing big things. I'm not interested in being mediocre or okay - I am determined to be great. I am determined to be a legend. These are big words and I have set some extremely high expectations and lofty goals for myself, but I always have. I think there have been two keys to my success thus far. 1) Everything has come about and happened very organically and naturally for me. I have never tried to be anyone else but myself and I have stayed true to the art that I want to create. I have always put my efforts into projects that I believe in and I have not compromised anything to get to my dream. 2) I have always had momentum. I am constantly pushing myself - and those around me - to go out of our comfort zone and create things and chase our ideas to make them a reality. If you own a business and want to continue to do so for the next 30 years, you better not get comfortable. In fact, you better get UN-comfortable...the more, the better.
On the flip side, this past week, I was out to a little impromptu dinner with some fellow photographers and one of them said, " Sometimes I just hate being around you Eliesa, because you are so god damn motivated and that is just not me! It's exhausting...but deep down I suppose I need a little of that right now." She is absolutely right! You shouldn't feel like a horrible person if you are reading this and thinking, "But, I don't want to be a big deal. I just want to make photographs that make people happy and have my little happy business." Great, fabulous, lovely. Everyone has their own vision of how they want to impact this world and Oprah is no better than the volunteer in the soup kitchen.
However, my point for the whole post is to encourage all of you to do something that is uncomfortable for you and see where it takes you. Whether you are interested in photography and you've been putting off buying that camera - do it. Maybe you want to quit your day job and pursue your passion as a full time career - do it. Maybe you feel like you need to do some soul searching and you really want to book that trip - do it. Sometimes in life, your best decisions are made as spontaneous ones. I guarantee you that by taking a big risk, you will be absolutely terrified, but I also guarantee that it won't be as scary as you think. You will have catapulted yourself into a situation that you simply can't fail at. Failure has never been an option for me, and big surprise...I've worked my ass off, but I have never failed myself.
You can thank my great friend Josh Elliott for this photo up above, which started me thinking about all of the above thoughts! This image was taken about a year ago when we were at a workshop together and I love it, because I am SO focused on whatever I am doing.
Passion. Truth. Momentum.
Don't get comfortable - ever.
LOVEe
7 comments so far
Jeffrey Neal says:
I love you!!! You are amazing and thank you for always being so real about your love for photography. Taking over the world 2010!!
(02.07.10 @ 04:04 PM)
Gina Zeidler says:
E this is amazing stuff, and you do conquer the world daily. Thanks for sharing you with us. I really appreciate your everyday advice, caring and just encouragement. Thank you. I love this picture by the way. It's awesome.
(02.07.10 @ 10:42 PM)
Phoenix Roberts says:
Good morning Eliesa,
Super dope blog above- very inspirational and I must say I think your quite amazing. I so enjoyed working with you on Rockstar Boudouir Photoshoot and got knows that was all about gettin the f$ck out of my own way - challenging myself and fosho risky for me. But I loved it! Look forward to the pics and seeing ya again. Peace & Love
Phoenix
John Sharpe says:
Such an inspiring blog post! Loved it! You nailed this...regardless of our goals (be it big or small), we should never get comfortable and/or mediocre. Great advice! Thanks!
(02.09.10 @ 10:08 AM)
Marie P says:
Great words of advise! Especially for myself who just entered in a marathon!
(02.09.10 @ 01:18 PM)
Amy says:
Thank you for being real, authentic, and YOU! This is a great reminder for me ... I think I have been stuck in doing what is comfortable and it is time to dive in!
(02.09.10 @ 04:13 PM)
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Lofty Goals
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Last Monday, I had the extreme pleasure of guest speaking at the first-ever JNP Workshop in Santa Ana, California! Jeffrey is one of my absolute best friends in both life and this crazy photography industry. We met 3 years ago at a workshop and have since developed a beautiful relationship! Jeffrey and I are complete opposites in almost everything, but we are constantly challenging and encouraging each other to dream bigger. We often talk about that workshop and how the best thing we took away was not necessarily the content but the lasting relationships and friendships with other photographers.
When Jeffrey approached me about speaking at his workshop, I was absolutely on board! Our vision was to simply inspire the students to live their dreams and spread the love! (I know, it sounds totally hippie...) The workshop came together beautifully with an amazing table scape from the ladies at Utterly Engaged and Treasured Petal (sneak peek below...the rest of the beautiful images will be in an upcoming issue of Utterly Engaged E-Zine!)
The workshop was filled to the brim with some intense information! Seriously, we covered everything from Branding to Building your Personal Style to Pricing to Getting Your Dream Clients! It was a fun filled day of learning, but I think what the students appreciated most was the hands-on-shooting time we had with lots of new equipment that they might not have had the opportunity to use before! I enjoyed this time the best, because I was able to get out of the classroom and actually teach the students how to direct and shoot!
Putting on a workshop is definitely not easy. There is a ton a prep work that goes into a day like this and both Jeffrey and I learned along the way. However, it is absolutely worth it! I had SO much fun being a part of this day and it really solidified my passion for giving back to my industry! It also proved that I am a leader - and a strong one at that. There will be many more workshops in the future, that is for damn sure. Boo Ya!
A special thank you to all of the amazing attendees! You made this workshop and I am SO excited to see what you all accomplish in the future!
ROCK ON!
LOVEe
When Jeffrey approached me about speaking at his workshop, I was absolutely on board! Our vision was to simply inspire the students to live their dreams and spread the love! (I know, it sounds totally hippie...) The workshop came together beautifully with an amazing table scape from the ladies at Utterly Engaged and Treasured Petal (sneak peek below...the rest of the beautiful images will be in an upcoming issue of Utterly Engaged E-Zine!)
The workshop was filled to the brim with some intense information! Seriously, we covered everything from Branding to Building your Personal Style to Pricing to Getting Your Dream Clients! It was a fun filled day of learning, but I think what the students appreciated most was the hands-on-shooting time we had with lots of new equipment that they might not have had the opportunity to use before! I enjoyed this time the best, because I was able to get out of the classroom and actually teach the students how to direct and shoot!
Putting on a workshop is definitely not easy. There is a ton a prep work that goes into a day like this and both Jeffrey and I learned along the way. However, it is absolutely worth it! I had SO much fun being a part of this day and it really solidified my passion for giving back to my industry! It also proved that I am a leader - and a strong one at that. There will be many more workshops in the future, that is for damn sure. Boo Ya!
A special thank you to all of the amazing attendees! You made this workshop and I am SO excited to see what you all accomplish in the future!
ROCK ON!
LOVEe
5 comments so far
Saly says:
This is wonderful to read, I've been emailing Jeffery about doing a one on one workshop with him in March when I'm in Cali. This totally just solidified my decision! : )
(02.02.10 @ 02:54 PM)
Robert says:
You and Jeff inspire art. In the process of starting up the biz and taking off, I kind of lost sight of our vision because daily life does that to you. Your workshop reminded me of our vision, and brought some 'uumph' back! Rock on!
(02.02.10 @ 03:48 PM)
Rosaura says:
You guys were so awesome. Very inspiration and practical at the same time. I really appreciate the attention you gave us all. You are hilarious and awesome and rocked my world. :) Loved all the Minnesota peeps! :)
(02.04.10 @ 12:59 AM)
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JNP Workshop!!
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The latest issue of the oh-so-fabulous Minnesota Bride has just come out and it is HOT!!
This issue features our work from the amazing Snyder Wedding this past summer! They had the perfect wedding to be published...no to mention they are one smokin' couple!
It's a big goal of mine to get as many weddings published as possible, but also in legit, stellar publications. I consider MN Bride to be one of the best and it is an honor to be featured in their magazine yet again!
Make sure to pick up your issue - on news stands now!
LOVEe
This issue features our work from the amazing Snyder Wedding this past summer! They had the perfect wedding to be published...no to mention they are one smokin' couple!
It's a big goal of mine to get as many weddings published as possible, but also in legit, stellar publications. I consider MN Bride to be one of the best and it is an honor to be featured in their magazine yet again!
Make sure to pick up your issue - on news stands now!
LOVEe
4 comments so far
Jeffrey Neal says:
Um, Yeah you still rock!!! Loved seeing you in Cali, I could get used to you being out here!!!!
(01.30.10 @ 03:28 AM)
Christopher and Sarah Snyder says:
Eliesa!
The spread is GORGEOUS. What a treat! It is astonishing for me to think of all the weddings you must have done this past spring and summer that you chose ours to send in to MN Bride and MN Bride chose ours for the 2 page spread from all the weddings that were sent...WOW! Well I hope some soon to be brides back in MN get some fresh ideas for their upcoming nuptials.
You are a one of a kind artist and as to your blog entry dealing with motivation and becoming a legend...well you have long been on that path and with all the beautiful photos we now have from our wedding, your skills are a legend and a treasure to us.
Happy Valentine's Day!
(02.14.10 @ 09:01 AM)
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AWE! You rocked my world on Friday and my business and myself are forever changed because of our time together! :)
Ps...what the heck face am I making in that photo!?!? Sheesh, someone needs to tell me to back off on the nerdiness! :)
(02.15.10 @ 11:21 AM)hey girl... awesome post! i read your pdf.... real cool! i actually just did a mentor session today for another photographer! it is so much fun to share! = )
(02.16.10 @ 12:55 AM)