Wedding Photography Workshop // 2014 Boot Camp!

For those of us in the Midwest, weddings are a pretty seasonal business for us! We go from zero to sixty in one day and for the entire summer, we give all that we can to our wedding clients! We are on the dawn of wedding season and I thought this would be the best time to offer a little pre-season boot camp again this year for wedding photographers! The idea came last year, when I was preparing a little intensive for our in-house team. I wanted to put together something that would refresh our ideas, skills and inspiration. As I was been putting this together, I realized that the content is pretty great and that this could benefit way more people than just our crew! Last year's wedding boot camp workshop was a complete success and I'm happy to host this once again for the 2014 season. The workshop will be from 9am – 5pm on Friday, May 2nd. We will be hosting the workshop in Minneapolis and will be providing food + drinks for the day. We want to keep the vibe pretty casual and a great environment for learning! Topics for the workshop include:

- Using natural light to our advantage (especially in those dim-lit hotels and churches) - Group portraits - Photographing details - Lens choice & composition - Working with on-camera flash (perfect for family formals + reception lighting)

Registration is officially open for the Wedding Boot Camp – and the best part is, it is only $350 for the entire day! CLICK HERE to reserve your space, we would love to have you!

**Please note that the registration deadline is Friday, April 25th, 2014 and registration is non-refundable.**

Wedding Photography Workshop // Boot Camp

For those of us in the Midwest, weddings are a pretty seasonal business for us! We go from zero to sixty in one day and for the entire summer, we give all that we can to our wedding clients! We are on the dawn of wedding season and I thought this would be the best time to offer a little pre-season boot camp for wedding photographers! The idea came about when I was preparing a little intensive for our in-house team. I wanted to put together something that would refresh our ideas, skills and inspiration. As I've been putting this together, I realized that the content is pretty great and that this could benefit way more people, than just our crew! So, we have officially put together a 1 day workshop for all of you wedding photographers who would also like to freshen up and prep for the busy season ahead! The workshop will be from 9am - 5pm on Wednesday, May 8th. We will be hosting the workshop in a SUPER cool loft, which will also be the perfect space to practice with both natural and reception lighting. We'll be providing food + drinks for the day and we want to keep the vibe pretty casual and a great environment for learning! Topics for the workshop include:

• - Using natural light to our advantage (especially in those dim-lit hotels and churches)
• - Group portraits
• - Photographing details
• - Lens choice & composition
• - Working with on-camera flash (perfect for family formals + reception lighting)

Registration is officially open for the Wedding Boot Camp - and the best part is, it is only $350 for the entire day! CLICK HERE to reserve your space, we would love to have you!

Lighting 101 MINNeSHOP Recap!

Last week, we hosted a MINNeSHOP and the topic this time was all about Lighting 101! This was a two-day mini-workshop that was SO much fun! We had the best group of photographers sign up!Day 1 took place at the 331 Club, one of the best (and darkest) bars in town. This was the perfect location to practice using our speed lights! Reception lighting is hard, especially when you never know what the lighting situation will really be when it comes to venues. Some have gorgeous natural light with white walls and other, well, are simply dark black holes. As professionals, it’s up to us to create gorgeous images, regardless of the situation, and we can never practice enough! Day 2 was all about studio lighting! We hung out at 514 Studios for the day and set up various lighting stations where the attendees could practice their little hearts out and mainly, see the difference between various lighting techniques!

It was two days filled with cocktails, learning and a hell of a lot of fun! Below are some fun images from the fabulous attendees!

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MINNeSHOPS are designed to be mini-workshops, centered around a specific topic. I hold these a few times each year and I just love hosting them! We are always looking to hear from photographers on what you would be interested in learning at a future MINNeSHOP! If you have any suggestions, feel free to e-mail me: eliesa@photogen-inc.com

LOVEe

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

Location MINNeSHOP // Recap!

This past week, I had the pleasure of hosting another MINNeSHOP! The topic was all about shooting on location and teaching the students some tips and tricks on how to keep their work fresh while shooting in a new space - or an old one! I have to say, this was one AMAZING group of attendees! I enjoyed each and every one of them SO much and they really put themselves out there, during the shooting portion of the day to push their own comfort zones and creative limits! We started the day with a throwback lesson on the fundamentals of art. Simple principals like line, form, composition, symmetry and color were all things we talked about - and ultimately, how these basic ideas really make our images go from mediocre to greatness!

The MINNeSHOP took place at one of my favorite venues in the city, the Calhoun Beach Club. We had a stellar crew of models and some absolutely stunning floral arrangements, which were put together by the one-and-only Skinner Jones! Thank you to all of our models for taking the time to be a part of this, you were fabulous!

Here are some blogs from the student's work from the day!

Emily Steffen Shelley Anderson Wing Ta Nichole Lee Robin Hohenstern Rachel Nadeau

MINNeSHOP: Location, Location, Location!!!

Woo Hoo! After a brief break from teaching MINNeSHOPS during the busy season, I am SUPER excited to bring this back! Photographers, we listened to your input and I am SO pumped about our next subject!

The next MINNeSHOP will be all about maximizing the use of one location! Many times, we get clients requesting the same areas over and over. How do we keep our work fresh in the same area? What if we get stuck? How can we look at things differently and look around to create something brilliant? We will be addressing all of these questions and so much more during this day!

Here's the scoop:

When: Tuesday, March 1, 2011 Time: 10am - 3pm Cost: $150 Location: It's a secret :0) Topic: Location, Location, Location - and how to maximize the use out of one space! This will most definitely be a shooting workshop! Bring your gear and get ready for some awesome challenges! And remember - lunch is on us during these sessions!

Spaces are limited, since we like to keep these MINNeSHOPS super intimate!

To reserve your space, click here!

Operation Inspiration MINNeSHOP Recap!

This week has been a super busy week at Photogen Inc Studios, and an exciting one as well! I hosted the second MINNeSHOP, which was all about Inspiration! I have to say, I thought this workshop went better than expected! This was a very conversational-based workshop and I couldn't have asked for a better group of photographers!! Everyone was so open and honest about their journey in this industry and I am constantly amazed by the quality of artists we have here in this city! I knew that I really wanted to do a MINNeSHOP about Inspiration after I took my little soul-searching trip to Seattle this spring. Unknown to many people, I was in a big creative rut this winter and was very uninspired by everything around me. I didn't know why I was feeling that way - and I also felt like I couldn't talk about it at all. I mean, would that mean that I was admitting that I had lost my mojo? Was Eliesa really, for the first time, going to be mediocre?!?! How was I going to be GREAT for my clients, staff and industry when I was feeling this way?!?!? AHHHH!

Thankfully, I realized a few things during this process. 1) I've been shooting for 11 years now, and a little burn out is bound to happen. 2) Don't freak out, it's not that big of a deal 3) Deal with it. It is my responsibility to re-inspire myself and - although it doesn't happen overnight - it is necessary to be conscious about it and really dig inside myself to figure out why I was feeling that way and how to fix it! I was going to do whatever it took!

To answer your question, yes! I am totally and completely out of my 'creative rut' now, but I couldn't help but think about how many other artists may have felt this way and also felt like they couldn't talk/admit this to anyone! Hence, this MINNeSHOP! I wanted people to know that this was normal and OK to feel and that you are not crazy or losing your MOJO. In fact, if we are going to be doing this for years and years, it is simply a very natural part of the creative process! We also then turned the tables and dove into what really inspires us?

Who are the people you surround yourself with? Do they inspire you? Do they push you?

What kind of music, movies, or other creative outlets just get you PUMPED with ideas?

What kind of equipment are you using while shooting? Are you using a medium that is inspiring for you to create amazing images or are you just using set-ups that you know are safe?

Are you taking RISKS?

Are you seeking out new locations? Are you looking at your clients differently every shoot or are you just going through the motions?

Are you trying something unexpected?

Are you collaborating with other artists to push that creative energy?

What are YOU doing to inspire yourself?

Right now, there has never been a better time to be a photographer.

Embrace the change.

Thank you to all of the MINNeSHOPPERS who attended this workshop! I am truly SO happy you were all there! And for the rest of you, I hope this post inspires you a little bit too!

LOVEe

MINNeSHOP: OPERATION INSPIRATION!

The next MINNeSHOP is official! The Topic: OPERATION INSPIRATION!

I have really felt compelled, recently, to talk about what it means to be inspired as an artist and how to push ourselves in ways beyond the norm. It's also the perfect time to explore these ideas...wedding season is RIGHT around the corner, yo!

This MINNeSHOP is going to be centered heavily around conversation and critique!

There will also be a pre-class shooting assignment, so the earlier you sign up, the better! As always, I like to keep these small and intimate, so spaces are limited!

When: Wednesday, June 9th Time: 10am - 2pm Investment: $125 Bucks Location: Photogen Inc Studios, NE Minneapolis

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!

LOVEe

Tilt Shift MINNeSHOP!

WOOOO to the freakin' HOOOO! Yesterday I hosted the first-ever (and first of many!) MINNe-SHOP! The topic was all about Tilt Shift Photography, which I feel is an area of shooting that many photographers want to learn more about and/or are curious about. The thing about using a Tilt Shift lens is that it is quite tricky. It's an all manual lens, but there are many, many more things to think about than simply just the technical function of the lens! When shooting with a T/S lens, you need to take your time and think about a few things:

1)Composition. Where and how am I going to place my images in a setting that is going to benefit from this lens?

2)Exposure. The light changes WAY often when using this lens. How can I nail this exposure?

3) Focus. How is this lens/effect going to benefit my image? How am I going to use this tool to draw in the viewer?

(And this is all before you even take the photo!)

It's super tricky, but absolutely stunning when you nail a good image! This lens takes nothing but time and patience to learn, hence the MINNeSHOP. I wanted to give our attendees an opportunity to use all of the T/S lenses available out there and just have time to play. There is a lot of artistic freedom with using this lens, but I think there is one MAJOR rule that all of us photographers really need to follow:

Every time you pick up your T/S lens, ask yourself, "Is this the right tool for this image? How is this lens benefiting the overall composition? Am I using it to really captivate and draw in the viewer or am I just using it to be trendy and cool?"

I must say, I was very impressed with all of the MINNeSHOP-ers! Some of them had never even picked up this lens and they got some amazing photos! We had an AMAZING turn out (one girl even came all the way from Iowa!) A special thanks to everyone who attended!

Emily Steffen Jen Schultz Jessica Newbauer Emma Freeman Alicia Struble Brianna Kopka Vickey Weiss Bethany O'Day Paula Charchenko Shelly Anderson Tom DeBruyn

A HUGE Thank-You to our super HOT couples who came out to model for us! Erick, Bri, Emily and Matt, you ROCKED it!

 

Here are some awesome images from the attendees!

The purpose of the MINNeSHOP is to educate photographers in the Midwest about specific topics of the photography world! It's also designed to be a very casual learning environment with some hands-on opportunities and bring people together! I'm hoping to be doing a MINNeSHOP about every 2 months, so please write in with any suggestions on topic that you would like to learn about!

eliesa@photogen-inc.com

Happy Tilting!

LOVEe

LOVEe Consults Presents: MINNE-SHOPS!

WHOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!

I am SUPER excited to announce the first-ever MINNe-SHOP!!

2010 is all about giving back and educating photographers all across the country and also right here in the MPLS!

The MINNe-SHOP is an afternoon for Minneapolis photographers to get together and really learn about a specific part of photography.

The first topic will be all about creating amazing images using the Tilt Shift lens! This has become a big trend in the industry all around - and with any trend, there are good and bad ways to use this tool. My goal is to pump up the volume and really help photographers feel comfortable using this amazing piece of equipment!

Agenda:

Tilt Shift Talk Live Shooting / Practice with T/S lenses Group Critique of Images

We will be renting T/S lenses for the attendees to try out and practice your mad-skills! Food and Beverages will also be provided throughout the day!

TO SIGN UP FOR THIS AWESOME DAY, CLICK HERE!

FAQ:

How much does it cost?

$125/person and this includes the class time, lens rentals and food!

What will I learn from this MINNe-SHOP?

This first-ever MINNe-SHOP will be focusing directly on Tilt Shift Photography. We will cover everything from the technical reasoning behind the lens to how to use it to create an EPIC image!

Will I actually be able to use a T/S lens?

Yep! We will be renting T/S lenses for both Canon and Nikon Cameras. If you have your own, absolutely bring it along! We will also be having real couples as your subjects to practice on!

Will the group critique be scary?

No, no, no. Group critiques are meant to help you grow as a photographer! No one is going to beat you down to the ground, this is all about encouragement! I am a big believer in critique...in fact, I think it is essential!

What is the difference between a LOVEe Consult and a MINNe-SHOP?

LOVEe Consults are one-on-one, 8 hour mentor sessions. During these days, we cover anything and everything about your photography business. MINNe-SHOPS are mini-workshops designed for groups and we will only cover a specific topic during the afternoon.

Will there be future MINNe-SHOPS?

Absolutely! Do you have a topic you want covered? E-mail your ideas to me: eliesa@photogen-inc.com

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE FUN!

I'm Sooooooo excited!

LOVEe