B-Funk is taking over blog episodes and I am SO happy with his first one!!!
So many people wrote in to tell me how they wish they had purchased tickets or wished they could be there! Well - now you can!
Enjoy!
For Photographers
BLEND WORKSHOP: Recap!
This past week, I traveled to Santa Fe for the BLEND Workshop!
The workshop over all was A-FREAKIN-MAZING! It was super unique, because everyone was there to learn from 3 TOTALLY different photographers. I found this very refreshing, because I was able to learn about each business and it really made me think about why and how I do what I do! Instead of learning from just one photographer, we had so many different perspectives and it proved the point that everyone is different, there are no 'right' ways to do things and yet, you can be SUPER, UBER successful - simply being you!
The great and fearless leaders of this workshop were Nate and Jaclyn from The Image is Found, Jose Villa, Jesh De Rox and Tamara Lackey!
We didn't do a lot of shooting at this workshop, which I also enjoyed! It was nice to observe, think and just soak in all of the information and techniques. All 3 speakers have SUCH a different approach with their clients, which made me think about my interaction.
Day 1: Image is Found - We went over branding and RAD-ASTIC imagery.
Day 2: Jose Villa - He discussed marketing, film vs digital and direction.
Day 3: Jesh De Rox - All I have to say is I have never been so emotional in my life! Seriously - sobbing, snot-dripping tears within 10 minutes of talking to this man! INTENSE!
My absolute FAVORITE part about the BLEND Workshop was meeting all of the BLENDees! I can not even begin to express how AWESOME the entire group was! We all got along SO well and were SO close by the end of the week, I definitely have some photog-friends for life!
Since I didn't pick up my camera all that much, here are a few shots!
So, one of the coolest 'perks' about the Encantado Resort was taking out a benz...on the house!
Now that I have been BLEND-ed, I'm super excited to apply all of the fantastic info to our business!
LOVEe
Tax Time!
It's that time...again...the dreaded Tax Season! Each year, we SWEAR we have our act together and we are organized and then comes crunch time before we go see the FABULOUS people over at Fox Tax!
I haven't been blogging (or shooting) much, because we are focusing on some final business stuff before the beginning of the wedding season!
I've been designing new marketing and packaging materials while Judd has been working on the books, Liz has been doing the final stages of her training and Cadence has been organizing our new hard drive system and backing everything up...we have been total home bodies here at the Photogen Inc Studio!
Check out the new...and serious...hard drive system!
We updated the studio gallery with some new art!
And got some new toys for the upcoming season...:0)
Our FAN wall is filling up!
And now my fun is over and back to taxes....
Thanks for humoring me...
eliesa
Q and A with Eliesa!
Its about that time again! I've acquired MANY e-mails in the past month asking me about business questions, technical questions, etc - and so I've decided it's time for another Q and A on the bloggy!
Q: How do you choose/hire your employees and assistants?
A: I'm a HUGE believer that certain people come into your life for a reason! Every single person I have brought onto the Photogen Inc team has been a very natural transition. When I met Brandon, he had never shot a person in his life - I LOVED that and hired him immediately, because I didn't want to hire anyone who had a pre-conceived notion of 'what photography was suppose to be' - especially when it came to weddings!
For Cadence, I remember we were walking around the lakes last summer and talking about photography and her passion to pursue it more and I was like....DUH! Why don't you assist me? Why haven't we discovered this before?
With Liz, Brandon introduced me to her at an art gallery and after 5 minutes, I knew she would be a bigger part of the Photogen Inc team.
Every choice I have made with the company has been and easy and obvious answer - and the way I always want my business to be run!
Q: After meeting you and your team in Las Vegas, I couldn't help but notice your chemistry! How can I connect with my assistants like that?
A: Have FUN! There is obviously a certain level of expectation for my assistants and I expect them to go above and beyond that! I take my assistants very seriously! They are so talented and so amazing - and I realize their potential! I try to take the time to critique their work (though I should be better at this - it's one of my goals!), have yearly reviews and set goals! Overall though, we have amazing shooting chemistry because we have great relationships! It makes all the difference!
Q: Does Brandon have a girlfriend?
A: NO LADIES! HE IS SINGLE!!
Q:Do you advertise?
A: Nope! I've been too busy to advertise! Sometimes the thought crosses my mind as to 'What if? How would that effect things?' But overall, I feel that by getting published (which is usually a monthly basis) is the best exposure I could ask for! People are seeing my true work, in many different ways and not just an advertisement. Not saying that I won't EVER advertise, but for now I like being the hidden gem!
Q: How do you get such correct exposures in direct sunlight?
A: Easy. Seriously! Many photographers are scared to bring their subjects into direct sunlight - and it definitely takes practice! There is no magic exposure, but go ahead and try test shooting! Remember to bring your ISO all the way down and your shutter speed all the way up! Also, remember to watch the shadows - the sun is like a big spot light!
Q: Can I come along to shadow you? Can you help me with pricing?
A: I can not even BEGIN to tell you all of the requests I have had for other photographers to shadow, observe and assist me! It's a little humbling, because I am not a technical shooter - and again I feel like I am invited into people's worlds and I just get to hang out, play and take photos everyday! We will be setting up a program for photographers who want to learn more from Photogen Inc in the future!
Hopefully this helps! Have a fabulous week everyone!
eliesa
Vegas: Day 1!
Our first day in Vegas was a ton of fun, yet a whirlwind! I always forget how overwhelming Vegas can be - but SO. COOL!!!
Today we had a full on photoshoot with some FABULOUS photographers...more images from that to come!
Right now, I need a nap! :0)
The boys at BLU...
The UBER fabulous Jason Armond!
I won! I won! One of my competition prints received the highest rating in the 'Awards of Excellence!' - SO. FUCKING. AWESOME!!!
A BIIIIIGGGGG group of us out for dinner!
Our days in Vegas have only begun! More photos to come!
eliesa
Operation Inspiration: Snow Shoot!
Yes! It is time for another 'Operation Inspiration' episode! These little missions are to help us all push our limits with our cameras and shoot things we normally wouldn't - even in the dead of winter! A couple weeks ago, the Photogen Inc crew went out to photograph some Minnesota Winter Landscapes. However, we stumbled upon an abandon building that totally had a blair-witch feeling to it - complete with a dead rabbit and mummified cat! We also explored the Back Forty, which was a ton of fun!The most interesting part of this shoot for me was seeing everyone's images. We were all in the same place, shooting the same things, but we all have such a different perspective on things! Check it out...
Eliesa's Images:
Brandon's Images:
Ryan's Images:
Eli's Images:
Cadence's Images:
The Crew!
Enjoy!
LOVEe
Inspiration: Winter!
Yesterday, I had a photo shoot in Wisconsin and on my drive to our neighbor state, a heavy fog had rolled in and left this BEAUTIFUL frost on the bare trees! I just haaaaaaad to pull over and take a few shots!
I'm not even sure these images give nature justice as to how stunning it looked! It was gorgeous - and reminded me maybe some good things can come from winter! ;0)
Have a happy weekend!
eliesa
Save JPG Magazine!!!
Dear photographers and photo lovers:
One of my all-time-favorite-magazines, JPG Magazine needs a little love! Due to our blah economy, JPG was suppose to sadly close it’s doors today. HOWEVER, there is a glimmer of hope and the photography community has really come together to try and save this magazine! To learn how you can contribute to this cause, visit SAVEJPG.COM or show your support at JPGMAG.COM !!!
JPG is such an inspiring publication, because it features real photography submissions from all sorts of photographers. Whether you are amateur or pro, photographers determine the content of the magazine – and there are some AMAZING images out there to be seen! I would hate to see this go, but am super proud of our community for simply putting forth the effort so far!
eliesa
ASKDANE.COM - SOOOO COOL!
Photographers!!!!! There is a GREAT new resource out there for you from Dane Sanders! Dane has had a HUUUGE year! First, he published his book Fast Track Photographers, which I have read, loved and HIGHLY recommend any photographer to read - especially those photographers who are young in their career or are just starting to think about taking their dreams to the next level and starting their own business! I also encourage all established photographers to read the book, because it hits home on quite a few issues that are important for us all to remember when running our business! Secondly, Dane has just launched ASKDANE.COM, which is a great website he started where he will have videos and podcasts and free coaching sessions to help you with your business! I am totally pumped about what Dane is doing, becuase he is helping our industry in a positive way (and the dude is quite hilarious!) CHECK IT OUT!
Canon 5D Mark II Review...
So, a funny thing happened! When I blogged about getting the new Canon 5D Mark II, I received TONS of e-mails from blog-fans and photographers asking me to write an honest review on the camera. I finally got my first opportunity this past weekend to use the camera for a full wedding shoot - I'm not a very technical person, so here it goes!
For the first shoot with this camera, I used all of the 'stock' features that were set in the camera. (So, I didn't custom set my Kelvin settings, contrast, white balance, etc...) I really wanted to see what the camera could do on it's own...
MEGA-pixels!!!! - The 5D Mark II comes equipped with 21 mega pixels! If you are shooting on RAW, get ready to stock up on your memory, because this camera uses a TON, since the files are soooo big! The good thing is there are 3 settings for RAW shooting to reduce the size of your image and still utilize the RAW editing feature! Digic-4 Processor!!! - The new processor in the 5D is nice, but you will need to upgrade your software to process the RAW files! (If you shoot all in JPG format, you don't need to worry about this!) If you are an Aperture user, there is an easy upgrade to get - and I think with Lightroom as well! If you are strictly a Photoshop user, I suggest upgrading to CS4. You can download a converter for CS3, but it is an extra step in your workflow and I think a bit of a pain. Speaking of pains, CS4 is currently a pain in my ass. I upgraded and it has this annoying 'tab' feature when opening your files.
I finally figured out how to change the setting to get it off the tab, but it's still annoying...There is a drop down menu in your tool bar that you have to select 'Float All Windows'. So far I haven't figured out how to make this a default...Does anyone know?
ISO Range!!! - The Mark II has a new-and-improved ISO range. From 50 - 25,600!! Super cool; however, I think it's a bit ridiculous! Take a look at what 25,600 gets you in the image below. Personally, I would never use this setting and after using the camera, I don't think I would venture on with anything above ISO 3200. Anything above this gets super pixelated and weird with digital information.
Color!!! - OK, time for the honest part - I'm not happy with the color! At all! This is something I am going to have to customize in my settings, because I was SUPER frustrated with what was coming out of camera. It seems as though the Kelvin settings on the 5D Mark II are 1000 degrees cooler! All of my images were coming out with lots of blue and magenta tones. Also, in lighting situations where the light should be soft and pretty on skin tones, I found it to be a bit harsh and not as flattering. Look at the image below to see an example right out of camera...This image was shot with a 50mm @ 1.2 with ISO 200. It was also very light and the subject was in a soft shadow...
On the opposite side of the spectrum, I also found if difficult to shoot in full sunlight! Normally, I have my settings dead-on in the sun. However, I found that while shooting in full, direct sunlight, I had to shoot 1 1/2 - 2 full stops down to get the correct exposure...
This image is way too hot in the highlights...
The following image was shot with a 50mm @ 1.2 ISO 100 1/500 and it is too blown out...
To get the correct exposure, I had to bring it down to 1/1250...
Again, I don't know if this is a software issue that the images are appearing too hot in the highlights at certain times and cool in color at others, but I need to find a way to fix this! I would be interested to hear if any other photographers are experiencing this as well!
HD Video!!! - It's amazing and sweet! I'm super impressed with it. I think the whole 'fusion' of stills + video will most definately be a trend in photography for a while. However, one thing I learned is that I'm not a good videographer! Ha-ha - seriously! I'm super shaky with it and it's hard for me to compose in live view and manually focus. So, this will take some practice for me! It is killer though!
BIG Screen!!! - I HEART the new LCD screen! It's so much easier to tell if your subject is truly in focus!
HAUT Body!!! - I love the way this camera feels! It's big, strong, tough and fits me like a glove! We just have to work on our relationship! ;0)
Overall, my first impression of the 5D Mark II...I'm a little disappointed! There, I confessed! I said it! I know I need to sit down and totally customize this camera and all will be well; however it's going to take some time to get it exactly to where I want it! New technology is always bigger and better, but also different. Whether we like it or not, the fast track way of photography is here, so we have the choice to love it or hate it. No matter how frustrating new technology is, we just have to breathe and take the time to PRACTICE with this new equipment! Ask me in a month, I'm sure this camera will be my best friend! ;0) So, I do recommend getting this camera, but just look out for a few things and make sure it is shooting exactly how you want it to!
Hope this helps! ROCK ON!
eliesa
Operation Inspiration: Christmas!
This last week has been a big week! I updated my equipment with the 50 1.2L lens, along with the new 5D MarkII!! Before the new camera came in, Brandon and I went downtown Minneapolis, simply to shoot. It's December in Minnesota and everything pretty much shuts down - and we all hibernate! However, each month, we are going to try and organize photo shoots, for no other reason than to gain inspiration!
Some images from B-Funk!
Santa Came Early!!!
YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! My new camera FINALLY came today! The Canon 5D Mark II is here and I'm totally geeking out about it! I'm going to start shooting....right NOW!
eliesa
Some of my FAVORITE things!
Tis the season for gifting and giving! Here are some of my favorite things!
Music:
Gadgets and Gizmos:
Websites:
Places to DONATE!:
Gear:
Photogen Inc Blog Featured on ITDR Site!!!
WOOO HOOOO!!!!! I couldn't be happier with the new blog - or the KICK ASS service I received from everyone at Into The Darkroom! I actually enjoyed our phone meetings, because I felt like I was just kickin' back and throwing ideas around with some old friends! It was GREAT! I also appreciated their patience with me throughout the process and their willingness to try out ANY crazy idea that I had! If there are any photographers out there who are looking for a custom blog - GO TO ITDR!!!!!! The investment is completely worth it and this company ROCKS!
I'm also SUPER excited to be one of their featured blogs!!!!
eliesa