BRI Featured Artist
Elise Ellis
How long have you been shooting pro?
I have been shooting pro since July of 2006. My mom and I were shooting a wedding. We had finished all the before ceremony pictures and headed over to the ceremony. We pulled into the parking lot. As mom got out of the car, she stumbled. In the next few minutes, I knew something was wrong. It became very apparent to me that she was having a stroke. I called 911. As the ambulance pulled away, I turned, walked into the church and finished the wedding. From that day forward, I was a pro.
Describe your education & training in photography.
Being a second generation photographer, I have had the opportunity to learn from my mom. She has been the biggest educator in my life. Having said that, I have attended many PPA conventions, seminars, as well as other photographic events like SPA and SYNC.
What challenges did you face early in your career?
Everything! No seriously, learning the business side of photography has probably been the biggest challenge I faced and continue to face. No amount of talent will ever make up for being a weak business person. As the old adage goes, one can be a phenomenal photographer and a poor business person and be out of business in a heartbeat. On the other hand, an average photographer with a strong business sense will be highly successful!
What is your secret to balancing your
photography business and your personal life?
For me, it's not only balancing my photography business and personal life. I also have a full time career that I factor into my life. Monday through Friday, I work my full time job until 5-5:30pm. I schedule sessions, consultations, and sales appointments in the evenings and on Saturdays. Generally, I will only shoot one or two sessions or one wedding each weekend.
I edit and process images after dinner is done, the dishes cleaned up, baths are taken and my young boys—AJ and Grant—are in bed. Quality time with my husband is usually from 8-10pm Monday through Friday unless I have an appointment. We do make time for date nights. Those are oh so very important to us. They give us a chance to connect with each other.
During the week, I work from home for my full-time career. I do have the advantage of being able to work while I cook dinner, start the laundry, or run the vacuum. If I have a sick child, no problem, they stay home with me and I can work.
It can be very tricky but we make it work for us.
Define your photography style.
When I first started shooting pro, I sat down with a pen and paper and defined what I like and disliked. I love bright vibrant colors, shallow depths of field, fun, energetic, and lively images. I set out to create those images with my seniors.
As I have matured in my photography, my style has changed or become more refined. I still love bright vibrant colors. However, I am finding that I really love adding a more, hmmmm, dream-like feel with a real-life spice to my images. It's a look that transports you into the image.
What inspires you artistically (a person, place, movie,
you name it!)?
Fashion magazines, books, art, music, movies, websites, blogs, my children, my friends.
When going into a session, what motivates you?
Different things motivate me depending on the type of shoot. With high schools seniors, I am motivated by one simple premise: I want the client, especially the girls, to leave feeling beautiful, intelligent, self-confident and full of self- worth.
With a wedding, its all about capturing the excitement, the love, and the intensity of the day. Wedding days go by in a blink of the bride and groom's eyes. It is my job to make sure I "remember" for the bride and groom.
When working with babies and children, I want to capture them as the pure innocent beings that they are.
When working with your clients, how do you evoke the
perfect expression
and pose?
I like to study my client, how comfortable they are with their body, how their body moves, how they stand when relaxed. These things give me a sense of how much direction a client is going to need. Some people need more direction than others. Some people need to build up a trust with you. I always shoot a few images and then show them the back of the camera so they know how beautiful or handsome they are. Generally, they will relax and show me the perfect expression.
When working with a bride and groom, I like to watch how they interact with each other. If they are comfortable with each other, I know that intimate romantic poses and expressions will be easy to attain. On the flip side, brides and grooms that are a little shy with each other take more work to achieve the intimate romantic images. I let them know that it is okay to be close to one another, to touch each other and to be focused only on the two of them. If need be, I will ask the bride and groom to take a few moments to just close their eyes and feel the love the have for each other. Once they relax and become more comfortable with each other, the poses and expressions follow.
What business tip would you give the new photographer?
Learn to say "no." This may seem a little counter-intuitive, especially if you are brand new, super excited and love photography. But learning to say "no" to jobs that are not in your niche is so important. Your efforts will be better spent working the jobs you love, instead of spinning your wheels working on something you hate.