For Photographers

Where It All Began!

Sometimes, for us to understand where we are going, we have to take a moment to remember where we came from. I often get asked the question, "How did you get into Photography?" and I always have to stop myself from being like..."Well, duh. That's just obviously what I was always going to be." I had THE best experience and the greatest mentor when I was in high school with my photo teacher, Mr. Ron Marschel! Whether he knows it or not (and I'm pretty darn sure he does), this man has touched and impacted more students than I think he can even conceive! First, you need to understand Marsch. He's a man with a peg-leg (he had polio when he was a kid), and I think he's on his second pacemaker....and he is STILL teaching!! He is a person who has beat the odds when they were all against him and continues to have the best out look on life!

I remember passing by his room as a freshman in high school and just being constantly intrigued by what was going on in there! All of the students were artsy upper-classmen who were always working on the school newspaper - or just hanging out. Marsch's room had a vibe unlike any other classroom in the school and I just HAD to be in there! Then, I found out there was a darkroom...it was all over. I was on a mission.

I loved the darkroom. First, it was dark and mysterious. Then, the endless possibilities of creation were just right at my fingertips and it was amazing! It was then that I started taking photos (all film, mind you) for the school newspaper and yearbook. Hooked is an understatement. It wasn't even an obsession really, it was just simply where I belonged.

We all have those moments and mentors in life who define our future. For me, it was Marsch. He's crazy, he's outspoken, he's bold...and he's always right. He pushed me to think out of the box and to not stop until I got the shot. He didn't use a text book, instead, he looked me in the eye and gave me some weird-philosophical-backwards answer to my question that later on I would be like, Ohhhhh!!!! Got it! He didn't teach me the uber technical elements of photography, rather, he taught me how to feel and the organic process of creating a remarkable image.

I took a trip back to visit Marsch, where he is still, undoubtedly, making an impact on his students! His room is still filled with the same piles of crap, and there are remnants everywhere of moments that are preserved from his student's journeys! The fact that his room hasn't changed is a little mind-blowing, yet necessary. The students who resonate with Marsch are those who look around and notice the memories of the past and the value that it brings to their present.

As I think about 2010 and the amazing things that I have accomplished, I also have taken a moment to look back and realize what I want for 2011! Having a teacher like Marsch was most definitely the #1 reason I am who I am, as an artist! One of my 2010 goals was all about giving back to my community and, hopefully, impacting them as much as I have been in the past by my mentors. I have more than enjoyed my time teaching others. We started the MinneShops and LOVEe Consults and It has been absolutely amazing and fulfilling!  For 2011, I want to step it up a notch. I'm already kicking things off with Elevate (which is 2 weeks away...SO freaking excited!) and I hope to continue to teach, inspired and do more workshops throughout the year! I'm also hoping to do some speaking sessions in actual high schools this year to help inspire students and teachers...we'll see!

The possibilities are simply endless!

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Special thanks to Marsch for letting me crash into his room for a day! It was good to be back!

LOVEe

Engage10 Recap!!

This past weekend, I attended my first Engage Business Summit! Engage10 was held at the uber-sexy resort called The Breakers in West Palm Beach, Florida and all I can say is that my experience there was truly life changing! Now, I know that we're all pumped up about our time there - twitter is a **buzz** and we've all "drunk-the-cool-aide" so to say. However; the real exciting work and relationship building really does begin NOW that we are all home and back in our elements! First off, I must say that I didn't pick up my camera once while I was in Florida. So, all of these lovely and amazing pictures were photographed by Mel Barlow and her crew, DVB Photographers or my iphone :0). So, I have to say thank you to all of these people for letting me use their images!! Why didn't I pick up my camera? Why didn't I capture this amazing experience for myself? Because I was there to EXPERIENCE it. I wanted to see, eat, and breathe what luxury is all about. I wanted to understand my clients and the experience that they thrive for. Let me tell you, this weekend was over the top and I am SO excited that I allowed myself to stand back from the camera and soak up all of the information I could and begin to build some amazing relationships!

In my last blog post, I said that I thought I would be 'the bad-ass one of the group'....I was very mistaken. EVERYONE in that room is a bad ass! I wasn't sure how I would 'fit in' with the luxury side of things. I mean, I come from the Midwest, yet I strive for the highest standards, which is sometimes a mindset that isn't received so well here. When I've talked about my goals in the past, some people in my local market chuckle a little bit. All I can say is that in Florida, I was surrounded by SO many people who have the EXACT mentality that I do about the wedding industry, the art of creating captivating and inspiring art, and the completely fabulous experience we give our clients. I was surrounded by people who dream just as big as I do and who don't think that is one bit of crazy. (Even though, we all are a bit on the crazy train!) I was surrounded by people who value their employees and realize the importance of taking care of them, working together, and hiring the BEST people. I wasn't really sure how the crowd would be at Engage10. Up until this point, I've only attended photographers-only workshops, events, conventions, etc. and many of times there is this fierce sense of big egos and competition. All I have to say is that at one point during the weekend, I looked around, and thought, "I am completely at home."

Engage10 brought all sorts of wedding professionals together! There were Photographers, Event Designers and Planners, Invitation Designers, Cake Makers, Musicians, Magazine Editors, Catering Directors, Entrepreneurs and all over leaders in our industry. The kicker was that absolutely every single person attending and speaking at this event was THE BEST at what they do.

One of the key things that stuck with me was the word ELEVATE. When I talk about taking things to the next level, I mean...I seriously want to rock-it-out like none other. I feel like we have SUCH an amazing crew right now with AMAZING talent, we have multiple brands that are now established...everything is in place. It's now time to elevate ourselves to photograph weddings that are nothing short of incredible. With this comes giving our clients an even MORE unbelievable experience with us, besides the actually day-of-shooting. This means working with event designers and coordinators who bring BIG visions to life. This means photographing events across the world. This means collaborating with the BEST and sharing it with the world. This means, taking the business and art of being a wedding photographer and giving luxury a whole new meaning...We have absolutely everything in place, it's now time to elevate ourselves!!!

I was also incredibly humbled to be amongst greatness.

Sylvia Weinstock is officially my hero. Amy Atlas taught me the importance of doing simple things WELL. Donna Newman reminded me to thing about my priorities. Carly Roney put culture into perspective for me. Harmony Walton taught me how to be innovative. Simon Bailey told me how to SHIFT. Mindy Weiss is expanding upon what she does best and sharing that with the world. Todd Fiscus, Tara Guerard, David Beahm and Bryan Rafanelli opened my eyes to a world of amazing desgin...I now have ALL of the respect in the world for these people. Ceci Johnson confirmed that putting my face on everything is totally smart and not vain.  Liz Banfield reminded me why I love to be in Minneapolis. Amy Zaroff, Lindsay Piram, Amy Rubins and Stephanie Johnson made me proud to be from Minneapolis and excited for what the future holds for our market with this amazing talent! Bernadette Smith taught me all about gay weddings and the passion behind them. Susan, Lara, Marilyn, Carol, Brooke, Shira and Darcy all gave me a new appreciation for magazine print and the process of getting published. Randy Fenoli helped me get my priorities straight...no longer do I want to buy Jay-Z a drink...Jay-Z will buy ME a drink someday...

...and last but not least, a HUGE thank you goes out to Kathryn Arce and Rebecca Grinnals who dreamed of this conference. This is their 5th time putting this event together and even though this is my first experience, I have a feeling they have out-done themselves! They brought together THE most amazing people in the most nurturing environment possible. These ladies are truly remarkable!!

Here's a video from Cloud 9 Creative...just a snippet of our experience...

Engage '10 {Day 2 + 3} from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

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I'm incredibly pumped up for all of the new friendships and relationships I made at Engage! It was an incredible weekend, but gave me absolutely everything I need for the future!

LOVEe

For your Saturday Viewing Pleasure...

Have I ever professed my video love for the awesome Matt Brue before? This dude is a great friend - and an amazing artist! Part of the Photogen Inc crew, Brandon, Liz and Tom, trekked out to Red Rocks National park this past week and Matt captured some kick-ass video of it! The fabulous Spencer Combs was also along on the journey!

I really can not say enough about how great it is to have good friends in your industry and surround yourself with solid people who do nothing but support you. There is also nothing better than collaborating with artists that you truly resonate with.

This is a perfect Saturday video, so check it out!

(And make it full screen for a super dramatic effect!:0)

This video makes me happy for so many reasons! I love you all!

 LOVEe

Imma be, The Shit, Baby Check Me Out!

Team Photogen Inc. traveled to Vegas this past week for the notorious WPPI! This is the biggest photography convention around and kind of like the 'Grammy's' of our industry! Team Photogen Inc. descended on Vegas and we had SO. MUCH. FUN! It is always so good to see our friends - seriously, it feels so good to re-connect with people.

I decided to not bring my camera this year (except for my Fuji Instax + film camera), which ended up being kind of a weird feeling for me. Yet, I felt a little more free, not being bogged down with equipment, but I did always feel like I was missing something!

Some of the highlights of the week:

Watching the Hangover + Having a Pizza Party with our friends Matt & Spencer & Jeffrey Sharing the love with other photographers at the Red Cart Booth Dancing the night away at Airhorns and Lasers Meeting the uber awesome Red Cart Crew...they are so cool! Seeing our friends over at SHOOT Q and preaching the love we have for them! Having dinner with my AMAZING Marfa Girls - and finding out our next trip is in MOAB, UT! Dancing in Studio 54 with the PG Crew! Morning breakfast in our awesome Mandalay Bay Suite with the A Bryan Photo crew....our teams have officially met....greatness may be in the works!

Here are a list of our AMAZING friends that we caught up with - and some new ones!

Sarah Rhoads Millie Holloman Lauren Clark Kelly Moore Brooke Schwab Lyndzee of EP Love Jesse Chamberlin Shannon Sewell Studio 509 The Solars Jose Villa Daniel Chin Ajit Singh Jesh De Rox The Into The Darkroom Team Mind I Castle Ben Harrison Jory Cordy James Moes Sergio Mottola Andrew Vick Biff The Smilebooth Brent Holloman Mathieu & Molly  (if I forgot anyone...soooo sorry, we love you too!)

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I also won another national award!!!! I won in the 16x20 Print Competition for images in the Finelines Shoot! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!!

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Cheers to Vegas!

LOVEe

The Photogen Inc. Crew and You!!

It's that time of the year again! Each year, photographers from all around the world descend upon Las Vegas for the biggest photography convention out there! Our days are filled with learning, partying, trade-showing, partying, testing new equipment, partying, seeing old friends, partying and making new friends!Do you see a trend? Vegas is absolutely all about having fun and rocking out with the best in the photography industry!

I've received a lot of e-mails from photographers requesting to get together and meet our crew! The best way to hook up with us is to follow us on twitter to see where we are and and the shenanigans we are up to!

We will be in Las Vegas March 7-10.

Follow eliesa on twitter: @photogeninc

On Sunday night we will be attending the Airhorns and Lasers Party, which is bound to be the hottest part in Vegas this weekend!

We will also be hanging out and showing our love at the Red Cart Booth (#1121 - right by Midwest Photo Exchange) We will be there:

Monday: 1-4pm Tuesday 1-3pm

Make sure to stop by, give us a BIG high-five and check out how awesome Red Cart is!

Also keep your eyes open for the awesome stuff that our friends over at Into The Darkroom will be up to! They have a secret promo team that we will also be a part of and there are some MAJOR PERKS & PRIZES involved!!!

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See you all in VEGAS!

LOVEe

JNP Workshop!!

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!

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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

Making [Your Dreams] Happen...

There's been a bunch of buzz in the wedding industry about something called Making Things Happen. To be quite honest with you all, I wasn't so sure about it. All of the twitters, facebook updates, blogs and e-mails circulating about it were all super mushy and preached about how 'life changing' this event was. I was sure it was good and all (I mean, if you know Lara Casey - everything this woman touches turns to gold, so there was no doubt in my mind that she was sharing valuable and empowering information.) However, I was on overload. There is a saying that 'Too much of a good thing makes it turn sour' and if I heard one more tweet about "OMG! I am SO Fired Up and Ready To Take on the World #MTH2010"...I was going to vomit.

Now, please don't get me wrong, I love Lara and her movement. I was just overwhelmed by this CONSTANT chatter in my industry and it was too much. However, part of me was absolutely curious as to what all of the buzz was about! One of my biggest frustrations with where I am at this point in my career is continuing education. I've been to many workshops and I have learned and built an incredibly strong business. I have my dream studio, an amazing crew, I am booking my perfect clients and pushing our limits to be the best possible photographers and people we can be. I mean....shit.....I. MAKE. THINGS. HAPPEN.

So, did I need this motivational speech? I mean, I've got it all figured out, right?

Wrong. I learned a lot about myself yesterday and I am incredibly happy that I decided to go. The big thing that I think anyone who will attend this workshop in the future should know is that it is what YOU make of it. The session really has absolutely nothing to do with Lara and Jeff, but everything to do with yourself. They are simply creating a safe environment  for you to explore yourself, which is the foundation of owning a great and successful business - and also allowing you to dream big....like REAL big. (I confessed I was going to be on Oprah someday and be the next Richard Avedon....)

I also want to encourage all of you 'veteran' photographers, coordinators, vendors or people who DO have it all 'together' to attend the Making Things Happen tour. I had to dig down really deep to find things that I needed to change or face some fears that I was holding back from and when you are established, there are expectations that you are suppose to reach. I fully intend to reach those lofty goals, but they are scary and personally, I had been putting off many of those BIG things, because I might fail.  Well, fuck it if I do, but I am also the type of person that if I go for it, I will absolutely succeed, so what's the point in putting it off? There is always, always room for growth. Challenge yourself and live your dreams.

I am also very proud of the Minneapolis industry right now! I live in such a great community of artists who really do offer a great support system for growth!

Midwest is the best, yo.

 

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A big thanks to Lara and Jeff for bringing their workshop to Minneapolis! These two really opened up and gave ALL of themselves, emotionally, to the attendees, so thank you! I am a big believer in the Midwest photographers, so it's nice to get the support from others in our industry!

LOVEe

Livin' The Dream...

I've been staring at Quickbooks for almost 18 hours now...and I think I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! I'm a photographer, not a book keeper. And I made the AWESOME decision to hire a book keeper this year; however, that didn't void me of my previous responsibilities to keep up with creating general invoices this past year! I LOOOOOVE my new book keeper - I mean, he really is going to help me SO much, but I have learned a few things...

1) Thus far, my process for tracking my deposits sucked. I'm now going to be a ROCKSTAR at this! 2) Invoices don't create themselves, Eliesa. Hence, the last 18 hours of me making calls to my bank wondering what check that was... 3) PC Quickbooks is much easier than MAC Quickbooks 4) If any of you photographers are thinking about getting Shoot Q...it really IS amazing and I highly recommend it, but it is a bitch if you get it in the middle of the year and it places deposits double in Quickbooks. 5) I now understand why Judd was so, incredibly frustrated with me ;0)

On the GOOD side of things:

1) I learned 2) I learned 3) I learned 4) I learned 5) I learned

6) I'm going to be a MUCH better business owner because of it!

The moral of the story is to not be afraid of things. Owning a business and keeping track of all your receipts, invoices, payments and clients is a LOT to remember. Yet, if you want to do this, you best learn to embrace the process. I highly recommend hiring someone to take care of the things you that are not your forte (like my lovely book keeper who will save my life from this point on) - so you can do what you do best - take photographs.

It's all a part of Livin' the DREAM!

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Kelly Moore Bag - Camera Bags Never Looked This Sexy!

I am SO excited to announce the official launch of The Kelly Moore Bag! I met Kelly for the first time this last October on the Bend [Trip] and I am very happy to now call her a friend! This woman has got IT together. She is an amazing photographer, mother, teacher and friend - and now she can add designer to that list! I admire Kelly for taking matters into her own hands and creating a camera bag for photographers that is both stylish and totally functional!

I had the pleasure of previewing a bag and let me tell you - these bags are SOLID! I mean, your lenses aren't going anywhere in these beauties! They are also built for all of you rugged shooters that might get down on the ground and roll around. I know I am not the most graceful shooter, so when I felt how sturdy and padded the bad was for my equipment, I was totally sold! Not only that, but they are SOOOOOO stylish, no one would even know you had $12,000 worth of equipment floating around in there! :0) There are great color selections...AND the best part....she is coming out with a MENS line as well! That's right dudes, get ready to look hot while shooting...

Kelly has officially launched The Kelly Moore Bag website + blog today!! Make sure to check it out and pre-order your own!!! Trust me, they are totally worth it!

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Congratulations to Kelly on the launch of her bag! I am SO proud of this girl for making her dreams come true - and sharing that with the world! How lucky are we?!?!?

LOVEe

Photogen Inc Speaking at JNP WORKSHOP - SIGN UP NOW!!!

WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!! I AM SOOOOO FREAKING EXCITED!!!!!

I am honored to be guest-speaking at the first ever JNP WORKSHOP!!!

Here are the stats:

When: January 25th, 2010

Where: Santa Ana, CA at the amazing Jason's Downtown Restaurant

Who: YOU (you are really crazy not to sign up, this is going to ROCK!)

Why: The whole point of this workshop is to give back to the photography community be taking your work and business to the next level! We will also be having some fabulous giveaways by our amazing sponsors + live shooting + critique and MIND BLOWING conversations!

For more in-depth details + to SIGN UP, click here!!!!

We want to keep this experience very intimate and personal, so there are only 15 SEATS AVAILABLE!!!! SIGN UP BEFORE THEY ARE GONE!!!!!

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Did I mention I am EXCITED?!?!?!?!?!? This is going to be THE SHIT!

LOVEe

WELCOME to the NEW LOOK of PHOTOGEN INC!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO excited to announce the new look of Photogen Inc!

For the last 6 months, we have been SO busy at the studio to make Photogen Inc the brand it is meant to be! Last April, I decided to go ahead and hire a pro to do my re-brand. The investment was HANDS DOWN one of the best decisions I ever made!

I want to give a HUGE thank you to Aurora of Red Organic! In my search for a designer, I wanted to fall in love with someone and also have them understand my vision! Aurora was AMAZING to work with, very timely and made all of my dreams come true!

I also want to than Into The Dark Room for working with me so fast to create this BEAUTIFUL new blog! Now the identity of our new brand flows seamlessly and it feels SO good!

Not only is the blog updated, but there are TONS of new features that we want to offer our Blogstalkers :0)

UPDATED WEDDING WEBSITE - The wedding site got a face lift and some pretty new swirls!

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE - Seriously, you are going to want to be a part of this! Not only are there TONS of behind-the-scenes images of us shooting, but we will be running some SICK promotions and giveaways for both clients and photographers alike!

FOLLOW PHOTOGEN INC ON TWITTER - Our world is changing and this is the BEST way to stay connected with our amazing adventures and exciting things-to-come!

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A HUGE thank you to my team and Red Organic for helping me with this re-brand! I am absolutely in LOVE with it and proud of all of the hard work we put into this!

Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you think of the new look!

Here's for the VERY exciting things to come....oh, don't you EVEN think I'm done yet!

eliesa

Who Inspires You? VOTE NOW!

It has continuously been my goal to inspire people. It started with my camera and creating images that would effect people. Then it moved on to mentoring my crew and spread onto the photography industry. On a daily basis, I get e-mails, comments, Tweets and Facebook postings asking me questions or leaving the nicest notes of encouragement and thank-you's. It's quite a humbling experience, actually, to think that not only have my images made an impact on my clients, but my words and thoughts have also changed people's lives. I truly have THE greatest job ever!

I saw this posting on Rangefinder's Website for a contest they are hosting for Unsung Heroes. They are currently accepting nominations for the search of 5 Photographers across the country who have made an impact and inspired the people around them!

Now, of course I am ultimately and shamelessly asking for your nomination! (I know, who does that?) It is on my to-do-list in the next 5 years to be published in this industry magazine anyways, BUT, this is a perfect opportunity!

However, with that said, I think it is a fantastic opportunity for all and I hope that you take the time to nominate THE photographer who inspires you!

 To nominate your HERO, click HERE!

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For all of you who will take the time to send in your nominations, THANK YOU!

eliesa

Q. and A. with Eliesa!

Q. What (relatively) cheap piece of gear can't you live without? I have two answers for this! First, my $30 video lights. I've actually recently lost both of my video lights and I am going CRAZY without them! Video lights work FANTASTIC to light details. No matter what your subject matter, these lights give a fabulous dramatic effect to your images! You can buy much more fancy and expensive video lights,  - or a snooted flashlight would even work!

The single lens that I can not live without is my 50mm 1.2. Any 50mm that you can get your hands on is golden. That piece of glass to me = love.

Q. Have you ever had a low point in your career? and How did you overcome it?

One of my studio mates just brought up a fantastic point. Low points are all relative to an individual's personality. What one person might consider a 'low point', another person might consider that an 'adventure' or 'challenge.' I definitely think I am one of those people. Failure has never been an option for me, and there has always been just one path. Therefore, whenever anything has been a bit rough for me, I simply just plow through it.

 I think the hardest thing I have had to deal with has been taking risks and getting use to that right off the bat. There was one time where I had invested ALL of my money into this company and I literally had nothing. I was scraping my car floors for spare change so I could afford to fill up my car with gas. However, because I believed in myself, my talent and my dream, there was simply no other option but to move forward. I'm a huge believer in the power of positive thinking and if you BELIEVE that you can do this, you absolutely can!

Q. How do you deal with an industry that is so competitive?

There is no competition. Period. I think that there is SO much competition out there that it doesn't even matter. I would go CRAZY if I thought about what so-and-so is doing. I think it is extremely important for photographers to just do what they do, do it well and enjoy doing it. Everything else will fall into place.

If you are truly remarkable with everything you do, there is no other competition.

Q. Are you ever going to put on a workshop?

Greatness is in the works. Until then, if you are looking for an amazing workshop to attend, I HIGHLY recommend A Bryan Workshops! They just announced their latest dates and this is one workshop you should not miss!

Picture 3.png Q. How awesome is your staff?

SO AWESOME! I have THE most amazing crew and we have SO much fun working together! I am amazed every day as to how much better we all become! It is great to have a solid team who I can rely on, trust and have fun with! From shooting weddings to commercial to the production side of things, my team is always there for me and we rock every single aspect of our work!

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Happy Thursday everyone!

eliesa

Personal Style!

Let's talk for a minute about personal style. Every photographer I know goes through a creative rut. Recently, I have received many e-mails asking me how I developed my personal style (both in weddings and the commercial world.)?? The next question is always "How do you keep the creativity flowing?"

To answer these questions, I decided to not use myself as an example, but rather 2 of the people on Team Photogen Inc - Liz and Brandon!

Both Liz and Brandon are months away from graduating from art school. Whether you are working as a full time photographer, trying to get to 'full-time-status' or are a student, shooting can often times become redundant. Every shoot suddenly becomes 'work' and each assignment is daunting...what am I going to do NOW?!?!? If you have ever felt this way - the good news is that we have ALL felt that way! You are not alone! Yes, photography is your passion, but there is a fine line between loving what you do and loving it SO much that you are going to burn yourself out too quickly.

So, what do we do to fix this?

Keep shooting. Keep Shooting! Keep SHOOTING!!!

Shoot for yourself and shoot what you WANT to shoot! It is SO important to find time to shoot personal projects and experiment with new (or old!) technology! Maybe you have always wanted to shoot film - I DARE you to go pick up a roll and shoot it! Maybe you have always wanted to shoot with studio lights - I DARE you to rent a space for a day! Maybe you have always wanted to shoot some models for a fashion shoot - I DARE you to organize it!

My point is that to answer both of the questions above, you need to commit to exploring other avenues in photography, not just the gigs you are getting paid for. Push your limits, make mistakes and challenge yourself - THIS is what is going to help you develop your personal style AND keep your creativity fresh and fabulous!

Back to Brandon and Liz! These two have a special and very distinctive style of their own!

Liz is the QUEEN of film! The three images below were all shot with film and I am constantly inspired by her work! She has a way with her camera too, that few people have!

Brandon recently found, what I think, is an incredible niche! He does an AMAZING job at conceptualizing shoots and his photoshop skillz are CRAZY good! (And yes, that IS Cadence below - doing a fabulous job at modeling!)

Both of their style's didn't just happen, they practiced and worked towards something that is going to be AMAZING!

I hope this inspires you!

Liz's Work:

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Brandon's Work:

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Happy Shooting!

eliesa

Inspiring Artist: Stephen DeVries!

I love to meet new photographer friends! Doesn't matter if you have been shooting for 1 week or 10 years, I LOVE it all! A couple months ago, I met Stephen and his work BLEW my mind away! What is even better are Stephen's intentions with his work.

Stephen started the non-profit Bedouins International, which is a non-profit media organization that is literally changing the world!

CHECK THIS DUDE OUT!

Below is Stephen doing what Stephen does...Polaroid film!

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Stephen - you ROCK!

eliesa

Photogen Inc Blog Episode #8: A Bryan Photo Workshop!

Here it is - the moment you have all been waiting for! I RAVED about my experience at the A Bryan Photo Workshop and now is your chance to view behind-the-scenes footage!

Photogen Inc Blog Episode #8: A Bryan Workshop! from eliesa on Vimeo.

I also want to give a HUGE thanks to B-Funk for REALLY doing a fabulous job on editing these blog episodes! Now, I just have to be more steady with the camera! ;0)

Enjoy!

eliesa

A Bryan Workshop!

This past week, I was SUPER pumped to be a part of the first ever workshop, put on by A Bryan Photo! The workshop was held in Alabama and I have to say: I have been to many awesome workshops. THIS WORKSHOP WAS THE BEST - HANDS DOWN!!! Seriously! I am SO excited for what A Bryan's workshops will be in the future, because this one was truly unbelievable! Why? Allow me...

First: We were separated into groups of 3 based on our experience level! GENIUS! Because of this, I was able to learn and have conversations and go beyond the general-ness that can sometimes happen when in a large group.

Second: Guest Speakers! The A Bryan Team invited some of the coolest people in our industry to speak and hang out with us! Lara Casey of Southern Weddings, Bill Pyne of Richard Photo Lab, Shoot Q and Dena Robertson of Cypress Albums all gave very inspirational talks - outside of their realm of their products!

Lastly: They were open, honest and SO much fun! No topic was untouchable, no question went unanswered and I can't say enough about their hospitality and just TIME they gave to listen to us all!

I had SO much fun with my little group - and everyone overall at the workshop!

Be sure to check out the uber-cool Polaroids taken by Stephen DeVries!

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My awesome group! Taylor Christian Jones and Jory Cordy - two KILLER photographers!

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Thank you SO much to the 'Alabama Boys' for putting on such a fabulous workshop!

I KNOW there will be many more workshops by A Bryan Photo! For all of you photographers who are looking for a solid workshop that is totally inspiring - these are only going to get BIGGER and BETTER!

eliesa

Photogen Inc Blog Episode #6: Las Vegas Part 2!

Here it is!!! The second of three videos from this years trip to WPPI in Las Vegas!

This episode is absolutely price less, because it might be the one and only time you see Judd sing...or. say. anything. :0) Just kidding Judd - you ROCK! Also making his singing debut is Jeffrey from JNP Studios...

This is truly hilarious.

Photogen Inc Blog Episode #6: Viva Las Vegas pt 2 from eliesa on Vimeo.
Enjoy!

eliesa