Photogen Inc - Destination Wedding Photographer

Photogen Inc - Destination Wedding Photographer - Minneapolis, MN http://photogen-inc.com/blog/ Photogen Inc is a Minneapolis wedding photography studio. Featuring the work of Eliesa Johnson, Photogen Inc is award winning and her unique modern style has made them highly sought after as a destination wedding photographer. en Copyright 2012 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:42:38 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Mr. and Mrs. Burgess! I have so many great things to say about John and Amanda, but someone said it best on their wedding day. Without a doubt, "John is one of the quickest, wittiest, and funniest people you will ever meet. And Amanda, this girl has one of the most genuine and beautiful smiles that you will ever see - and her laugh! Her laugh will put a smile on your face. Together, they are truly a perfect fit."

It's so true. John and Amanda are a couple who just makes complete sense together. If John makes a joke (which is pretty much all of the time, for the record), Amanda has the perfect reaction, whether that is rolling her eyes or flashing her signature smile, they compliment each other absolutely perfectly.

I first met John years ago when he worked for Metro Magazine! He would come along to photo shoots and film segments for the magazine's website and I always loved it when John was on set, because there was no doubt it was going to be a fun day. Personally, I think John should be in front of the camera, rather than behind it, because he really can entertain people for hours on end. One great thing about the Burgess's wedding was realizing how much this couple really valued so many people they had come in contact with throughout life. Their reception was filled with family, both from near and far, old friends, new friends, past co-workers, and current colleagues. The great part was that when you looked around, the room was filled with such a well rounded group who were all coming together and having a grand ole' time. I think this is a huge testament to John and Amanda and the amazing people that they surround themselves with.

As for the couple, they kicked off their relationship 10 years ago, so it was about time to make this official!

Congratulations to John and Amanda! I can't thank you enough for choosing us to photograph your day and be there for you! It was absolutely our pleasure!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/mr-and-mrs-burgess.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/mr-and-mrs-burgess.html Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:42:38 -0600 MINNeSHOP // Lighting 101!

It's that time again!! During the winter months is the perfect time to focus on continuing education, pushing your skills and getting inspired for the year ahead! This next MINNeSHOP is all about lighting and it will be geared towards the basics of how to use your speedlights, as well as studio lighting. If you are a wedding photographer that struggles with how to use your flash during a reception, than this workshop is perfect for you! If you are also interested in using studio lighting, but maybe haven't had the opportunity to play with professional grade equipment, than this is also the perfect place for you!

This MINNeSHOP will be a two-day workshop, and true to MINNeSHOP form, each day will be a 1/2 day, so about 3-4 hours.

The cost for this MINNeSHOP is $250 for both days and it's a package deal.
(In other words, you must sign up for both days.)

Here's the Scoop:

Tuesday, February 28th: Reception / Working with Speedlights.
Time: 11am - 2pm
Location: 331 Club
331 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN

This portion of the MINNeSHOP will be held in a dark dark bar, and you bet, we will be having a few beers! The goal is to help teach you how to effectively use your flash's on and off camera to create gorgeous dance/reception images, even in the harshest, darkest scenarios!

Wednesday, February 29th: Studio Lighting
Time: 11am - 3pm
Location: 514 Studios
514 N 3rd Street, #101
Minneapolis, MN

The second day will be held in a professional photography studio. We will go over the basics of studio lighting, as well as have stations set up for you to experiment with various lighting set ups!

We have a TON of fun stuff in store for this MINNeSHOP, so we hope to see you there! Again, this workshop is called lighting 101 for a reason, so if you're a super-hero at lighting already, this probably isn't for you. However, I've been asked again and again as to how DO you actually use your flash at receptions, so the hope with this workshop is to technically teach the basics of lighting to help you gain confidence both on the dance floor and in the studio!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/minneshop-lighting-101.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/minneshop-lighting-101.html Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:45:49 -0600 FOUND // The Art of Wedding One week ago, we hosted FOUND // The Art of Wedding. It was an event to bring together our city, our industry and our clients to celebrate wedding art and it was a SMASHING success! It's always been a dream of mine to put an event like this on and it was the perfect time to do so! We're guessing anywhere from 300-350 of you stopped by throughout the night, which was an amazing turn out!

8 weeks ago, I had this little idea to have an art show and lucky for me, some of the best vendors in town were on board with my little idea turning into a big event! A night like this could not have happened without the following artists and sponsors, and I want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to each and every one of you who helped me pull this off!

Artists //

Photogen Inc
Rivets and Roses
Munster Rose
Paperista
Capture Studios
Tara LaTour

Sponsors//

514 Studios
Minnesota Bride
Style Architects
BeEvents
Coca & Fig
Crispin
Avant Decor
Flow DJ

A very special thank you to Capture Studios for making this SUPER COOL video clip from the night, it's truly inspiring! I would also love to thank Leslie, Natalie and Desiree from Rivets and Roses for all of the photographs below!!

I hope everyone who came found a little bit of inspiration during the night! If so, mission accomplished!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/found-the-art-of-wedding.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/found-the-art-of-wedding.html Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:33:50 -0600 Published // Minneapolis St. Paul Weddings Magazine Tis the season for being published! Most every wedding magazine runs on the same editorial calendar, and we are lucky enough to have a few of our weddings published in several publications this season!

MSP Weddings Magazine featured Kelsey & James Klaas's wedding, which took place this past spring! Their wedding was so lovely and had many personal touches from family & friends. We were so pleased to collaborate with the following vendors on their event:

Ceremony// Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church
Reception// Nicollet Island Pavilion
Dress// Melissa Sweet
Bridesmaid Dresses// All home made with love by the bride's mother!
Groom's Attire// Hubert White
Catering// Mintahoe
Rings// Charlemagne (bride) & Knox Jewelers (groom)
Flowers// Arranged at the Minneapolis Farmers Market by the bride & friends
Music// Flow DJ

This issue also features an engagement session article, in which the images selected some of their favorite photographs they've seen posted from various sessions! An image from Alex & Brian's engagement session is used in this spread, which why wouldn't it be? Who doesn't love vintage mopeds!

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I love seeing our work in print and sharing it with the world! Thanks to all of our fabulous couples for making these images publish-worthy!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/published-minneapolis-st-paul.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/published-minneapolis-st-paul.html Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:23:40 -0600 FOUND // Behind the Scenes! There's no question that it takes a small army to make an event happen and FOUND was no exception! I couldn't have done it with out SO many people who took time out of their busy lives to come and help put the show together!

Here's a few behind the scenes photos of the installation setup, which took two solid days of work to make happen! All in all, it was incredibly easy, thanks to all of the amazing artists, staff, friends and interns who rolled up their sleeves and created something beautiful!

Later this week, I'll have a full blog post with photos from the event! And special thanks to Louisa for some of these photos!

Stay tuned!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/found-behind-the-scenes.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/found-behind-the-scenes.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:59:29 -0600 Published & Making History // Minnesota Bride Ladies and Gentleman, I would like your attention.

For months now, I've been dying to share with you the wedding of Alyson and Jesse. This wedding meant SO much to me, for so many reasons, but most importantly for the positive impact I hope it makes in our market and industry overall! Alyson and Jesse are my first same-sex-couple and it was my extreme pleasure of photograph their wedding! It's been a personal goal of mine to gain more same-sex couples, because I truly believe in gay rights, gay marriage and equality for all. When I met Alyson and Jesse, it was very clear that they were the perfect clients to begin my client base with, and the entire experience with them has been nothing but absolutely amazing!

What is even more epic is that I feel like we're making a big difference and taking part in a little bit of history, because the Newquist's wedding is the FIRST. EVER. SAME. SEX. WEDDING. EVER. PUBLISHED. IN. MINNESOTA!!!!!! Are you kidding me?!?!?! When I found this out, it really hit me how important this time is for our world and the incredible impact it will have on the wedding industry! I'm a person who is all about making a difference and to be a part of this movement is incredibly exciting to me. I feel honored to be a part of it. I'm also very proud that Minnesota Bride believed in this story enough to publish it, and the fact that this is all happening pre-leagalization in Minnesota is even MORE exciting!!!

Alyson and Jesse were two of the handiest and craftiest brides I've ever met! These two ladies decided not only to have a DIY wedding, but they purchased 40 acres of land up in Finlayson, MN and opened a wedding venue, called Juliane James Place, for future couples, both gay and straight for the record, to host their weddings and events at! I, myself, have used the space to photography Tara LaTour's newest collection and also to host the ELEVATE Workshop this past fall! The property is nothing short of gorgeous and I highly encourage you all to check it out!

I will be doing a full blog post on Alyson & Jesse's wedding in the next few weeks, but I wanted to share the news of this incredible feature in the newest issue of MN Bride, which is hitting the news stands as we speak! This feature means more to me, simply because of the issue at hand on gay marriage. I hope it does impact not only our city, but our industry and Midwest market overall! As a vendor, I'm incredibly proud and that is the best feeling in the world!

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You can find the newest issue of Minnesota Bride all over the city from grocery stores to Target to Barnes and Noble, so make sure you check this out!

We will also be handing out complimentary issues on Friday and FOUND // The Art of Wedding event! Hope to see you all there!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/published-making-history-minne.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/published-making-history-minne.html Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:33:00 -0600 Welcome to the new Rivets and Roses! I love big announcements! They're just so much fun!

As many of you know, a couple of years ago, I started another wedding photography company called Rivets and Roses. This brand started small, with only one photographer shooting under it at one time and coming into the 2012 season, it was very clear that it was the perfect time to take this to the next level! We've had phenomenal success with our photographers in the past and I had big plans for where this studio might go in the future!

When I look back at many of my notes/goals/thoughts from the past couple of years, I always had written down to "Focus on R&R and make that brand what you know it can be!" A few months ago, I was looking through all of those notes-to-myself and I suddenly felt this overwhelming feeling that now was the time to make that happen, we were ready.

So, for the first time ever, I really put it out there that I was hiring. I decided to hire on more photographers to make Rivets and Roses a legitimate, full functioning wedding photography studio for the city of Minneapolis. I wasn't sure what kind of applicants we might get, but I knew exactly what I wanted in these new shooters. There was a high level of quality I was looking for, as well as passion and drive to be an amazing wedding photographer. Let me tell you that I was AH-MAZED by the people to sent in their applications! I met with many seriously talented people and had some solid conversations during the interviews and I am SO proud to announce the team we have put together for you!

Each of our new photographers has a very distinct style and personality that is very different from one another! Rivets and Roses is a wedding photography studio where couples are meant to come and browse around the website. It's designed for potential brides and grooms to wander around and really find a photographer who inspires them, both thru their work and personality. The benefit of booking with R&R is simply the fact that it's the sister company to my wedding brand, Photogen Inc. and the same quality of service and product will be given to every single one of our clients! We will most definitely take care of you!

So, go on! Take a peek! Browse through our super-cool site, and learn about all of our new shooters! Louisa, Leslie, Natalie, Marc and Desiree are all helping me host FOUND // The Art of Wedding event on Friday, January 20th! If you want to meet them, please stop on by and say hello! We would love to see you!

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The new site allows you to view everyone's portfolios in full screen mode! I just love this!

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Take some time to read through everyone's biography! There's some pretty cool facts in here!

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Cheers to a new venture and living the dream! This is a big, new, exciting chapter and I can't wait to see where it goes!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/welcome-to-the-new-rivets-and.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/welcome-to-the-new-rivets-and.html Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:56:36 -0600 Mr. and Mrs. Rich!! Ben and Christina are one of those couples that makes your heart melt. Their love is simple, honest and pure and that is exactly what they revolved their wedding around. Their entire affair took place on an early Saturday afternoon at the Woods Chapel and the entire event was produced by their family and friends. This was a DIY-done-right wedding and I just love the way everything turned out - simply gorgeous!

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Rich! Thank you so much for allowing us to document this day.

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/mr-and-mrs-rich.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/mr-and-mrs-rich.html Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:38:16 -0600 FOUND // The Art of Wedding - You're Invited!

I am SO excited to finally announce this big event I've been working on!

For years now, I've wanted to do a fine art show, featuring work from all of the amazing weddings we've photographed over the years! Well, now is the time and this has turned into an even larger affair than I could have ever imagined! Here are all the details:

Join us for a revelatory night of cocktails and celebration as Photogen Inc. and Rivets & Roses present "FOUND // The Art of Wedding," on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 514 Studios in the North Loop district of Minneapolis.

FOUND celebrates local talent working to elevate weddings to an art form and introduces engaged couples and Twin City art lovers alike to their work. The event will be curated by Eliesa Johnson and features fine-art installations by photographers Photogen Inc. and Rivets and Roses, fashion designer Tara LaTour, floral designers Munster Rose, filmmakers Capture Studios and stationer Paperista. MN Bride will be handing out complimentary copies of its latest issue, while Flow DJ spins some tunes, Cocoa & Fig will display and serve their tastiest confections, and the lovely crew at Crispin will pour up tastes of their refreshing cider. So whether you're a newly engaged couple or a fine art enthusiast, FOUND is sure to find you enchanted, inspired, and a little imbibed.

This event is open to the public, and it is a +21 event!

You can find out more information by checking out the official website at FOUNDEVENT.COM and follow us on twitter @FOUNDEvent! Hope to see you all there!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/found-the-art-of-wedding---you.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2012/01/found-the-art-of-wedding---you.html Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:39:37 -0600 A Look Back at 2011! The year Two Thousand Eleven has been a whirlwind, to say the least! I honestly can't believe I'm already writing another end-of-the-year blog post! It's absolutely crazy to think that an entire year has gone by so fast, yet after going through our blog posts this past year, it's insane the amount of things we've accomplished here at Photogen Inc.!

First and foremost, I have to thank all of our AMAZING wedding clients and vendors we've had the opportunity to work with this last year! We are lucky enough to have THE most fabulous clients who are just as excited about working with us as we are with them. This makes our job a million times more enjoyable, and we have loved each and every single wedding from this last season!

At this time last year, the ELEVATE Workshop was a simple idea in my head I was trying to make come to life. In 2011, we hosted not one, but TWO successful workshops and each one was SO. MUCH. FUN. Hosting these workshops has been just as much a learning and growth experience for me, just as it is for the attendees. It's been a true pleasure to teach and serve every single talented photographer that has signed up. I've also been fortunate enough to collaborate with the most amazing industry talent to make these workshops come to life! You better believe there will be more ELEVATE Workshops!
You can look back at recaps from our workshops HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Below are the group shots from both ELEVATE Workshops + a local MINNeSHOP we hosted this past year!

In addition to the workshops, I've been lucky enough to mentor several photographers over the year thru LOVEe Consults, which is the consulting side of the business! These are one-on-one mentor sessions and I love them SO much! Each and every photographer we've worked with has made GIANT strides in their businesses and it's so exciting to see the change!

We partied in Vegas this last year with all of our friends across the country, which was SO much fun!

Several of our lovely weddings were published in both print and on national blogs: Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings, Grace Ormonde, Munaluchi Bride, Minnesota Bride & Luxe Mountain Weddings.

We moved into our new studio, which we absolutely adore!

I attended my second Engage conference at the Grand Del Mar this past year and, as always, it was an amazing week! I'm so looking forward to going back in 2012!

On a personal note, I had one of the funnest summers of my life! I actually made a point to attend many concerts, street festivals, and even go on a couple of trips, including sailing around the British Virgin Islands and climbing a mountain! One of my goals last year was to spend more time with family and friends and I think I definitely improved on this...at least a little bit :0)

So, here's to 2012! I can already tell this is going to be one-hell-of-a-year! We're spicing things up around here, restructuring, hiring some new talent, launching some new websites and hosting some smashing events! As far as my goals go for the next year, I'm already well on my way. I make my to-do-list on my birthday, and even looking at my goals since October, a lot has already been accomplished!

2012 is also going to be one amazing wedding season! Every single wedding we have booked so far is going to be absolutely incredible and I'm also very excited to work with many very talented vendors this year as well!

Please raise a glass of bubbly with me and cheers to all of the good things that happened in 2011 and to all of the even bigger things that are bound to happen in 2012!

Thank you to my crew, each and every one of you, who help me realize these dreams every day! You are all THE BEST and I couldn't do it without you!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/a-look-back-at-2011.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/a-look-back-at-2011.html Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:43:37 -0600 The Manning Brothers Every now and again, you come across a special family. The Manning brothers are like one of those families from the movies, you know - the siblings that get along, hang out, fight hard and love harder. They are more than just brothers, they're friends, and there is a bond between them that is so strong, it's very cool to see. Jake, Charlie and Pete asked me to do a quick little last-minute shoot for them, as a gift for their parents this Christmas! We took 30 minutes and walked one block, it was as simple and easy as that! You can check out a few more of my favorite images from the Manning Brothers over on the ELIESA blog!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/the-manning-brothers.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/the-manning-brothers.html Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:58:11 -0600 Happy Holidays from your Photogen Inc. Family! Happy Holidays Blog Readers!!!!

A very special thank you to each and every one of you who believe in everything we do here at Photogen Inc! 2011 was a very exciting year for us, but 2012 is going to be even bigger, right out of the gates! We have some major announcements coming your way just after the new year, so stay tuned!

Every day I wake up and get to collaborate with amazing clients and creatives both in Minneapolis and around the country. I'm very much so living my dream, all because of you and for that I am forever thankful! It's the best gift a girl could ask for!

Have a VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY!

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/happy-holidays-from-your-photo.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/happy-holidays-from-your-photo.html Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:14:38 -0600 Marie & Nick: Couple's Session! I absolutely LOVE it when married couples, or simply couples who have been together for a long time continue to get photos taken together! I honestly think that beyond weddings and babies, getting your photos taken is a priority that has been lost in our world with technology advancing so much! Our lives have never been busier and I think it's SO cool for a couple to slow down and continue to document their life!

Marie and Nick are a fabulous couple and one day after yoga class, a woman came up to me and said, "Are you Eliesa? Of Photogen Inc?" We began having a conversation and turns out that Marie has been a big fan of our work for a while and even has a cool print of the Minneapolis Skyline that I took hanging in her home! I was beyond thrilled when she called and said they wanted to book a portrait session!

The holiday season is upon us and I absolutely love this session!

Enjoy!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/marie-nick-couples-session.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/marie-nick-couples-session.html Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:47:16 -0600 Jenny & Aashish: An Indian Fusion Wedding!

I love culture and especially when it comes to weddings! It's fascinating for me to document a day that is so rich in tradition and Jenny & Aashish totally tailored their wedding day to made it their own! Their ceremony was a fusion between Christian and Indian beliefs and practices, and to be perfectly honest, it was SO much fun! I mean, SO. MUCH. FUN. I personally love Indian ceremonies, specifically. There's so much color, dancing, bangles, the couple is showered in flowers, and a giant celebration from the entrance to the exit. Jenny and Aashish are a couple who were continually smiling, laughing and enjoying themselves throughout their entire day as well and it was so refreshing to see a couple truly enjoy every single moment of their day!

Congratulations to Jenny & Aashish! The wedding celebrations are only beginning for these two! They will be having receptions in both New York and India in the coming weeks and we wish you THE best and hope you had as much fun as you did on the official big day!

LOVEe

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/jenny-aashish-an-indian-fusion.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/12/jenny-aashish-an-indian-fusion.html Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:09:32 -0600 We're Hiring!! Rivets and Roses Photography!

WOO HOO!!!!

I'm SUPER excited to finally share this great news with you all!

As many of you know, and for those of you who don't, I own another wedding photography company, called Rivets and Roses. This is our sister company, and has been around for a few years, with our own crew members growing into the roles of lead photographers under this brand! We have had amazing success with Rivets and Roses, and it's time to, for the first time ever, hire new lead photographers to shoot for the company and join our team! I'm SO proud of the work that our current photographer, Louisa, has been producing and we want to continue that trend by hiring only the best of the best!

I started this brand with the intention of having it support 3-4 photographers, and I am looking for THE most AMAZING people to be a part of this!

I am looking for photographers who:

Are Experienced
Love to photograph weddings
Have a great sense of style
Give the absolute BEST in customer service
Have inspiring personalities
Love to connect with people
Outgoing
Organized
Detail Oriented
Confident
Have an amazing work ethic
Passionate
Work well in a team
Love to have fun!

This opportunity is perfect for photographers who want to photograph weddings and create an amazing client base without the necessity of running their own business. This will be an independently contracted position and photographers will be responsible for supplying their own professional gear. We also require a 2 season commitment for this position. Compensation will be a contracted rate per booking to be discussed upon hire. Other job responsibilities include:

Blogging/Social Media (under company's website)
Creating and updating online portfolios (under company's website)
E-mail correspondence with potential clients
Client Meetings
Vendor Relations
Prep for actual Wedding Day
Photographing Engagement Sessions and Wedding Day coverage
File Management with the studio
Client Follow Up

If you are interested in being a part of Rivets & Roses and joining our team, please e-mail your resume and samples of your work to: eliesa@photogen-inc.com

]]> http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/11/were-hiring-rivets-and-roses-p.html http://photogen-inc.com/blog/2011/11/were-hiring-rivets-and-roses-p.html Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:11:10 -0600