***All images in this post are copyright Eliesa of Photogen Inc.***

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Eliesa, In 10 years you have grown your studio into such a thriving business. Your photography is fantastic and you have such a wonderful, infectious personality.  Your business includes commercial work as well.  You have so much going on, I'm excited to hear about how you manage to do so much and make it look so easy.  Thanks for being on Women and Business!

How long have you been in business?  I’ve been photographing professionally for 10 years, but officially incorporated for 5!

You are a wedding and commercial photographer.  How do you make both of those work together? I started out as a commercial/editorial photographer and weddings kind of fell into my lap about 4 years ago. People knew I was a photographer and would ask me to photograph their weddings, but I had NO idea how you were ‘suppose‘ to shoot a wedding. I think this was a really good thing, because from the start, I photographed weddings in a way that I wanted to, which made it incredibly rewarding and fun for me!

Right now, my business is 50/50 between weddings and commercial work. I really, really appreciate this balance. The commercial world is fast - but there is a new and exciting challenge each month. Weddings though, really touch and effect people’s lives.  I don’t know, honestly, if I could just be just a commercial photographer or just a wedding photographer - I thrive off of the difference that both industries bring to my world!  

You have set up a unique studio situation.  Will you explain?  How did you decide on this arrangement?

From the moment I decided to incorporate and make this business official, I knew I wanted it to be ‘bigger‘ than myself. I have always wanted a team of amazing artists around me; hence, the Photogen Inc. crew! We have now grown to a staff of 7 and we are truly stronger than ever! One misconception that some people have is that I have associate photographers - and I actually don’t. I highly dislike the word ‘Associate‘ and what they have become in the wedding industry, which is a bunch of photographers working under a lead photographer’s name and brand. Value, Quality and Service are incredibly important to me when it comes to making my client’s happy and I feel like sometimes that gets lost when there are so many people shooting for a studio. I have also worked SO hard to have a stellar reputation - and I don’t want anyone to mess that up for me! Having a staff for me is not about booking a million clients a season, but rather to have a constant creative collaboration in the studio. Here is how we are set up:

Eliesa - Lead Photographer / Boss Lady

Liz - Studio Manager (Helps me with editing, post processing, client management, print orders, - and you name it, she does it!)

Brandon - Assistant with Photogen Inc. for the last 4 years, this year, we launched a new company for him called Rivets and Roses (http://www.rivetsandroses.com) He is now ready to be a leader and this was the perfect solution for us all to keep him in the family!

Melissa, Tom and Ryan - All of these amazing people are assistants for both Brandon and my weddings! At each wedding, I bring along 2 assistants, so there are 3 photographers total. I absolutely love this creative collaboration on a shoot - it keeps things alive and fresh!

Judd - Judd is the business/tech guy! He is the brains behind the analytics of how Photogen Inc. runs! I am really not a technical person at all, so he does a lot of research for me on equipment, programs, software, etc! My computer is always magically calibrated and it is a beautiful thing! I also think it is extremely important to ‘collaborate‘ with business minded people, just as much as it is with artists. I didn’t go to school for business, so I have learned a lot from these people - they are so valuable to me! 

What does your workflow look like?  Do you outsource or keep everything in house?

We have a wonderful program called SHOOT Q, (http://www.shootq.com) that has saved our lives as far as client organization and workflow goes! Because there are so many of us, Shoot Q totally keeps us on track and we never miss a beat! Absolutely everything we do is in house. I chose to do this, because I want to make sure that absolutely everything is perfect when it leaves our studio. When I decided to hire Liz, our studio manager, we spent months and months training her on how I do my post production for both weddings and commercial work.  We are now at the point where I trust her 100% with all of my editing and she does an amazing job! I have super high standards and I expect us to rise above those - and I want to keep it all in the family!

For our online proofing and print fulfillment, we use WHCC (http://www.whcc.com) and Red Cart (http://www.redcart.com) , who are both local to us here in Minneapolis. For albums we use Finao (http://www.finao.com).

How do you keep your client files and organized so that they are easy and quick to find?

All of our client information, contracts, invoices and e-mails are kept in Shoot Q! Seriously, I can not tell you how much I. LOVE. SHOOT Q!!!! It has been the best thing I ever did for my sanity and workflow / organization with clients! With a click of a button, I have all of my clients information organized and at my fingertips!

How do you keep your 10s of 1000s of client images organized so that when you need to find an image quickly you can go right to it?

We keep a large RAID set up in the studio and one off-site to ensure that all of our images are super-duper-crazy-safe! We keep folders for the various things we have going on (ie. Weddings, Commercial, Marketing, etc) Then, we break it down by year and date, which keeps it pretty easy to manage and find things super quickly! We use Photo Mechanic to sift through and find images super quickly on our hard drives. This program is amazing, because it literally loads images instantly, which saves us SO much time!

What daily practices do you have to keep your studio running smoothly?

We have a daily pow-wow once a week to discuss what we need and want to do in the coming days! We are also in constant communication with everyone - that is key when working with a team! The Photogen Inc. crew also does ‘team building’ hang-outs every 3 weeks or so. It’s so easy for life to get busy and in the way sometimes, and with our team growing, it is so important for me to not lose touch with everyone. We’ve really enjoyed these moments together - it is definitely making us stronger!

What do you do to help your clients be so comfortable with you during a photo shoot?

Honestly, just being myself. My shooting style is very laid back, and I simply just create-on-the-go! I am passionate about photographing and my clients see that during a session, which absolutely puts them at ease!

What do you recommend women do who are just getting started in the industry?

Surround yourself with people who will support you and build you up! This is absolutely essential. If I chose to hang around people who told me that this was a ‘Bad Idea’, I probably would have been very discouraged. Confidence in yourself and in your craft go a long way too! At whatever level you are at, you need to own it! Now, this doesn’t mean you have the OK to be super cocky or get a big head, but if you have the talent, determination and true passion to really pursue this full time, then hell yeah! Work it girl! 

What do you do for fun…that has nothing to do with photography?

I love to do hot yoga and cook. Yoga just chills me out and makes my entire being feel strong, healthy and balanced. I also love to cook. I shop at a local co-op, so all of my food is coming from farms directly in my area and the mid-west. I didn’t use to be a good cook at all, but I have learned a lot about it through friends and there is absolutely nothing better in life than a great meal, good drink and fabulous friends to share it with! 

You have a workshop coming up.  What are you most excited about in regards to the workshop?

2010 is all about giving back for me! I launched LOVEe Consults this year, which is an 8 hour one-on-one mentor sessions for photographers. Absolutely anyone and everyone can book a LOVEe Consult, it is not just for photographers in the Midwest! I am absolutely in love with these days! I have met some super incredible people and I have also found that I have a new passion for mentoring.

I also just launched MINNe-SHOPS, which are small afternoon mini-workshops for photographers specifically in the Midwest area. They are very specific to a certain topic (ie. our first one will be all about Tilt Shift photography!). I am super excited for these, because it is a great way to connect the people in my immediate market and also teach them about very specific parts of running a business or shooting techniques, etc. I will be taking suggestions from photographers as to what the topic will be for each MINNe-SHOP!

Last but not least, a bigger, more glorious workshop is in the works! It will most definitely be amazing and centered around our unique situation of having a team!

What are you most proud of as a business woman?

I’m proud of living my dream and not compromising anything along the way! I’m young and successful - and more importantly I have amazing clients, respect in my industry and I get to make a living doing what I love - and I am surrounded by people I love. What could be better? 

What is the best thing you’ve done to make your business successful?

Doing exactly what I have wanted to do and not what other people have ‘thought‘ I should do. I have always taken big risks and never played it safe. I have also surrounded myself with the most amazing people, which have been a huge support system for me!

What have you done to get clients that you really love that want what YOU do?

There are two things I feel have heavily contributed to me getting the perfect clients:

1)  My blog. Over time, I have built this amazing following of blog readers who tune in daily to see what is going on at Photogen Inc. I have been told that my blog is sometimes the best part of a person’s day and that is huuuuuge! I am myself on my blog. I swear all the time, I post photos of myself running around in my underwear, and I also show only the work that I want everyone to see. Because of this, the people who book me are attracted to ME, just as much as they are my work. This makes all the difference in the world to have that connection with people.

2)  Word of Mouth. Whether it’s my blog, facebook or twitter, online presence is absolutely everything now.  I have also never advertised, so the constant chatter about my blog as brought in more readers and followers than I could have ever imagined. Eventually, these people get engaged and I am the first person they call, price is not an issue, they just want ME. I seriously have the perfect clients!

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

There is no doubt about it, owning your own business is overwhelming and stressful. However, it is completely rewarding. I honestly don’t get overwhelmed that often. The vibe in our studio is pretty chill and we have such an amazing system over here that we know we’re all in it together, which helps with my stress! And yoga!

You are such a fun person.  What keeps you going?

You know, it’s all about having fun. Life is way too short to not love what you do. I feel like this entire journey of owning my own business has literally just been so much fun! I am so fortunate, but also a big believer that everyone can be this happy when they take big risks and make their life exactly what they want! I have a lot of momentum to push the limits - that is what keeps me going!

You have 7 people that work for your company.  How did you know it was time to hire?  And how did you make the leap?

Hiring the right people is a very organic process. I am a big believer that people come into our lives for a reason and it’s just all about recognizing their potential! It is essential to hire people who you have an instant, deep connection with - and who you can also put your upmost trust in. Loyalty, honesty and passion and three of the main things I look for.  I also hire people who really have had never photographed weddings before or have goals of their own completely separate from photography - it helps us so much more with an overall group collaboration and they also have no pre-conceived-notion of what you are ‘suppose to do’.

You do a great job capturing with the Tilt Shift lens.  How do you know when to use it?

Thank you! I think a lot of what makes a person a good photographer is knowing what tool is going to be the best for the image they are trying to achieve! Personally, I get a little excited ‘feeling‘ in me when I look out and visualize what a certain image might look like with the Tilt Shift. If I know it is going to enhance the image and make it the best it can be, I will use the lens! If not, my 50mm or wide angle might be a better option! The T/S lens is trendy right now and it’s important for photographers to really step back and think “Am I using this lens just to get a cool blur effect or am I really enhancing the image?”

What is something that you think women in the industry should not do?

Jump the gun. I know a lot of people who get burned out really quickly from launching their business too fast and not taking enough time to practice their craft. It’s taken me 10-11 years to get where I am now (and no, I’m not that old, but I have been working at it that long). Things for me did not happen over night - and they are not suppose to. Take your time to really be REMARKABLE at what you do.

What is something that you think women in the industry should do?

Have confidence and have fun! If you really, deep down inside of you, know that you are suppose to do your own thing and run your own business - DO IT! Yes, it’s scary and you could think of a million excuses as to why you are not-suppose-to, but I guarantee you, they are all bullshit. If you try, I bet you will surprise yourself as to how successful you can be! Also, get un-comfortable with your life. Big things happen when you are un-comfortable - it forces you to take risks!

What five suggestions do you have for women who are trying to have a more balanced life?

Take time for yourself: Don’t make it all about business! I did this for a wee bit of time and I was pretty stressed out. I realized I was doing everything for everyone else and not for myself. Go get your nails done, go to the gym or take a trip alone...you have to be connected with yourself to connect with others!

Travel: There is a bigger world out there than your little bubble of twitter, facebook and immediate industry. When your eyes are opened, you don’t stress about the little things!

Dance Party! That’s right! I always like to rock it out and have little dance parties in the studio to Just. Let. Go.

Get your shit done - and you’ll have time for the fun stuff! Sometimes in life we have so many distractions that it takes us way longer to get things done.

Get a good working space. Getting my studio and having a creative space to come to work in really helped me separate work from life. It also allowed me to be more productive and creative. A studio is not the solution for everyone, but a creative space is!

 To see more of Eliesa's work:

Website

Blog

LOVEe Consults

MINNe-SHOPS

***All images in this post are copyright Eliesa of Photogen Inc.***