Eliesa Johnson Photography

I love personal work, test shoots and collaborating with other fabulous artists. A few years ago, I struck gold with a NAHA submission and learned a TON about the hair & makeup industry, along with what-it-takes to submit to this prestigious competition. NAHA stands for the North American Hair Association and the awards they give out are like the ‘Grammys’ of the hair+ makeup industry. When Amber Rose approached me about wanting to submit, I was absolutely 100% in. This girl had her concept down to be a dark, high fashion shoot, and incorporating certain accessories – bones, long, creepy nails, a nun wimple and veil – you know, the usual. We brought in the fabulous designer + art director, Liz Gardner, to help us with the layout and along with clothes from Emma Berg and Cliche, the team was complete. Julie Lam assisted Amber Rose with the hair + makeup and Agnes Xiong was our model. We are all incredibly busy people, so this shoot had to happen in our ‘off’ hours. I think we wrapped close to midnight or 1am? Either way, totally worth it. We actually didn’t make the cut to be finalists in this competition, but I am a believer in submitting to competitions, whether you win or lose – the work is always a win.
 

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I love getting back to my documentary roots as a photographer and going on assignment. I’ve had a few gigs now with Twin Cities Business Magazine and this last story I photographed was awesome and I absolutely loved every last minute of it! The story brought me all the way out to Glencoe, MN to photograph the men on the railroad. My favorite subject was a man named Kenny. This is the only job he has ever had in his entire life and the quiet pride he has for this job is very telling when you meet him. Sometimes, we dream about ‘making it’ and ‘following our passion’ and it always seems to be doing something big and ambitious. For Kenny, his passion lies on this railroad, in this community and it’s simple. Here are some out-takes that didn’t make the spread, enjoy!

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The latest issue of LAVENDER Magazine is officially on newsstands and I am SUPER happy to have been a part of this shoot! This issue is the 2013 Wedding Issue for the magazine, and I was chosen to collaborate with some AMAZING people to really elevate the presence of gay marriage in our city and photograph the fashion editorial. Obviously, same-sex marriage is a hot topic at the moment, and a movement that I really believe in. I was over the moon with the idea of creating imagery to promote marriage equality and I hope you are as pleased with the outcome as I! Below are images from the LAVENDER Online Issue and you can grab a copy in print – literally – all around town! The issue is only on newsstands for a few weeks, so check it out before they are all gone!

Of course, no shoot happens without an amazing team behind me. This was a major production, with two days of shooting, in two very different locations. We photographed the women at The Union Depot in downtown St. Paul and then moved the crew back to Minneapolis at The Bachelor Farmer to photograph the men.  Style Architects put together the wardrobe and set styling, which featured some fabulous companies, including: Ignite Models Inc., Gateaux Inc, Martha’s Garden, L’atelier Couture, Realia by Jen, On Solid Ground Vintage Rentals, Roe Wolfe, BeThings, Saima Says Design, Heimie’s Haberdashery, Martin Patrick 3, Hammermade and more!  In addition to the photographs, Chris Wegner also came along to create two amazing behind-the-scenes videos for you to check out:

LAVENDER Wedding Shoot // Day 1

LAVENDER Wedding Shoot // Day 2

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This year, I was asked to photograph a fashion editorial for Lavender Magazine’s upcoming wedding issue. The prospect of legalizing gay marriage in Minnesota is on the horizon, so this is a very exciting project to be a part of! The shoot took place over two days, and we had an amazing crew of people to work with, including Style Architects, The Bachelor Farmer and The Union Depot – just to name a few! The issue is printing, as we speak, so I’ll share more when it rolls out on news stands. In the mean time, Thea Volk, took some awesome behind-the-scene photos of our crew that turned out to be so much fun…I simply had to share!

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Look books seem to be my jam lately, and I couldn’t be happier about it! When it comes to my job, I love working on the ‘big’ picture. I have learned over the last couple of years that my passion really lies in telling stories and when it comes to working with start-up-companies or re-brands, I have the opportunity to help visually shape a brand. Now, with this comes great responsibility to convey the right message and also to inspire consumers to want to know more and be a part of the company. I love this challenge. I love wrapping my head around the company, its vision and creating work that reflects that!

MidNorth Mercantile is a new menswear shop opening up it’s first shop in Minneapolis in a few weeks! MidNorth was founded by ‘Mustache Mike’, who is a barber in town and also has a great passion for finding hidden vintage gems. You name it – clothes, bags, shoes, furniture – the man has curated a serious inventory of some amazing finds. MidNorth Mercantile will be a fusion of both of his worlds. Come in a get a great barber cut, along with spending some time shopping the racks of vintage finds. I’ve always loved what this company has in stock and when I saw the boys at Northern Grade this year, I decided that I simply had to photograph their fall collection. Thankfully, they believed in my vision just as much, and our shoot together was absolute magic! It was the perfectly overcast day, which allowed for a bit of an eery mood and some nice even light. I want to give a special thank you to our entire crew, who not only made this fun, but absolutely gorgeous. I love photographing menswear, enough said.

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