Eliesa
Our latest test shoot was SO much fun last week! I'm just giddy with excitement to show you all the outcome of this shoot!
In the mean time, here are some behind-the-scene photos for you!
Enjoy!
So, I have some super sweet news! I'm super happy to announce that one of my photographs will be a part of an amazing exhibition, called Women as Photographer, here in Minneapolis! The show is all about women photographers, documenting women! This was an International call, so photographers from all over the world were able to submit! I'm excited to be one of the women chosen - we are from 14 countries and 25 US States, which, I personally think is super cool!
The image of mine that was chosen is very near and dear to my heart! I took the photograph with my Holga camera, in Bend, Oregon, during my annual 'girls trip' with my Marfa Ladies. All of these women are absolutely incredible and our trips are meant to be a true relaxing adventure for us all! Our group of ladies are from all around the country, so these trips are one of the only times during the year that we really get to hang out with each other in person! I absolutely love this image, because it was late at night and we were ALL piled up on a bed, just talking about nothing. It was a moment when we truly all let our hair down. It was warm and cozy and everything you imagine when you think of a slumber party - complete with the girl talk! All of us women who go on these trips are strong, successful, inspiring, amazing individuals, so they fact that THIS image got chosen for this exhibition means quite a bit!
The show will be up March 11th - April 17th at the Minneapolis Photo Center, make sure to stop by and check it out!
The organization has also published a book of all the work in the exhibition (which I have previewed and it is AWESOME!)! This exhibit book is a 9”x9”, 123 page bound book, skillfully printed on 100 lb Chorus Art Silk paper, with each photographer featured on their own page, and retail for $39.95. If you would like to purchase a book, please e-mail me at // eliesa@eliesajohnson.com!
This morning I stumbled upon a world of new fashion blogs that I had never seen before! I found some of these to be super inspiring and refreshing and thought I would share!
Enjoy!
The latest issue of Metro Magazine is fresh on the news stands and I am SUPER excited about this issue!
This month's issue includes the 2010 Keeper Awards, which is an award given out by Metro to 7 amazing artists in our city! I've photographed this article for the past 3 years and we have always done in-studio portraits for this. When I was invited to shoot it again, I wanted to switch it up! Sometimes I think that we are bombarded by fancy, over produced shoots, whenever we look in a magazine. I wanted to give the readers a break from all of that and offer them some amazing, honest imagery! All of these portraits were photographed on location and using the existing natural light that we had! I am beyond excited to share this with all of you, because I am super proud of this year's spread! I also wanted to give the readers a stronger sense of exactly who these people are!
Make sure to pick up your copy, which also features some yummy breakfast on the cover (breakfast is my personal favorite food!) Check out all of the amazing artists who are the current Keepers of Minneapolis!
Congratulations to all of the wonderful people who I met while shooting this! You made this an AMAZING feature!
We've been searching for the perfect roll of film for my next test shoot! Here are some out takes from a test roll we shot in the studio! I think it is super interesting to notice the color change, depending on what we are wearing and how the camera picks up certain tones in some shots and not in others! I am SUPER pumped for this next shoot - it's coming together beautifully and I can not wait to share it with you all!
These images were photographed with Fuji Pro 160S and we used a Canon FT QL 35mm camera!
Well, I have some exciting news!
For the first time ever, I entered the AdFed Awards - and I WON!!!
AdFed MN is a non-profit professional trade association serving the local advertising community including agencies, advertisers, suppliers and students. Each year, they host a big awards show, that is basically the Academy Awards of the local ad world! Advertisers, Agencies, Designers, and Photographers from all around submit work in several different categories. These categories range from everything from Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns to Billboard ads!
I entered in two of the Photography categories this year and here is how I placed:
Photography - Self Promotion - Campaign
Title: The Modern Day Man
Award: SILVER!!!
Photography - Editorial - Campaign
Title: Fine Lines
Award: Merit
I am BEYOND thrilled that The Modern Day Man shoot took the Silver honor!! This was a test shoot for my portfolio and to be honest - I didn't expect to place at all! I was more entering this competition for the experience and exposure to just be critiqued and judged, so I am SO excited about actually winning! I also love that this was something that I dreamed up and worked with an amazing team to create - and that it is good enough to be award winning! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make the awards show, so I'm don't fully understand what this winning thing means, but I do know that my work gets published in a book that is distributed among the Advertising community!
I've posted images from both shoots below - enjoy!
The Fine Lines Shoot for Metro Magazine also received a Merit award in the Editorial Campaign Category!
I'm on the CUSP of getting ready to send out my portfolios and begin the official ELIESA campaign! That's right...I said campaign! As far as I am concerned, this is a mission of three things:
1) To get my work in front of new editors/agents/art directors/designers and publications.
2) To network and begin building relationships with potential clients
3) To book some kick ass jobs!
While all of these above things are necessary and exciting, I am a big believer that it all starts with me. I want my potential clients to know me, just as much as they know my work. I want them to WANT me soooo bad, they can't say no! In the commercial world, I have always been taught to 'sell your work' first, but I'm taking a different approach this time around! I'm selling myself, and the idea of working with me, just as much as the amazing work we produce! I want clients to know that they are getting the complete package and that we are going to ROCK whatever concept we are given!
This past week, I had the lovely opportunity to get in front of the camera and update my personal photos with my friend, Collin Hughes. I have always loved Collin's work and it made complete sense for him to photograph me. When choosing a photographer to take images of you, choose wisely! I chose Collin, not because he is such a good friend, but rather because his work and the energy in his work emulates the exact vibe that I want to put out there for my clients. Needless to say, he did an amazing job! Here is a tiny quick preview of some of the images from our shoot!
CREDITS //
Photographer - Collin Hughes
Hair + Makeup - Margo Gordon
Styling - Alice Sydow
For the past 2 years, I have photographed many people around this city for Metro Magazine's Self Styled article! I have had SO much fun with this particular spread and it has been a staple for the magazine since it's start! The time has come to retire Self Styled and move onto bigger and better things. With this, I bid adieu to this spread and present you with the final Self Styled portrait!
Woo hoo!!! Our FINAL portfolios came, hand delivered, by Aurora of Red Organic!! This is the final step in the branding process of ELIESA. It's been an amazing process, but the portfolios are better than I ever imagined! I am SO proud of them and even more excited to start pounding the pavement and putting them in front of potential clients!
Our next step will be making the actual prints for the books, compiling our list of Art Directors, Editors and Agents that we would like to work with and beginning to share our work with them! Then, the real work begins...the hard phone calls, meetings, leave behind campaigns, test shooting...
It's all a part of living the dream!!
A BIG thank you to Red Organic for bringing this brand to life - and hand making these gorgeous books!
