Commercial

The Restaurant Project

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I want to take a moment and introduce you all to The Restaurant Project.

It is an idea that struck me a couple of years ago (and frankly an idea that wouldn't go away). I actually tried to push it away, but the idea was persistent; it challenged me and so I listened. For the last year and a half, I have been working to develop the structure, concept and creativity behind this business and I am so happy I did. 

I started The Restaurant Project because I believe it is time for a shift. Imagery, video and self marketing have never been more important. Many people are doing parts of what we do, but we want joining The Restaurant Project to be different. Essentially, I am asking restauranteurs to rethink the way that they have ever spent their marketing dollars before. A bold statement? Yes, but someone has to make it. I think it is time for restaurants to invest in themselves. So what's included in the investment? So many beautiful things.

"So, you like take food photos and video for social media, right?" -- Wrong.

Let's break it down:

The Restaurant Project offers an easy, one button solution for restaurants to tell their stories. Through Photography, Videography and Strategy, we provide a steady stream of gorgeous content and then empower you to use this content in a big way. 

First, our clients will own full licensing rights to all of the photo and video work we create for them. Did you get that? Unlimited licensing rights. We want our clients to be able to use their content freely - for websites, social, press opportunities and beyond. We offer Monthly + Quarterly subscription services to keep your work fresh! When it comes to photographers, we have the best (award-winning in fact). 

Secondly, we want to educate and empower our clients. You have all of this beautiful content, so let's talk about how to use it best.  I teamed up with Annie D'Souza to be our strategist and I can't begin to tell you how damn perfect she is. Annie is a leader. She is experienced and has an approach to building communities and connecting with people that is inspiring. Do you feel a little overwhelmed with exactly how to use Instagram these days? Great, we can help you with that. Does your PR team want to develop a more helpful strategy for your marketing plan? We've got you. 

Lastly, we want to look towards the future. Video is proving to drive action and putting video on your website alone increases conversion by 80%. Eighty Percent. That's huge. Lauren Schneck is leading video for The Restaurant Project and she is amazing. Her background in reality tv lends a very authentic, yet refined approach to video that translates perfectly to food and the kitchen. 

I have lofty goals for The Restaurant Project. I know it's bold and I know it's not cheap, but I also know it is a game changer. It's an opportunity for better work and better connection with not only your guests, but also the media. It's the chance to grow from within and tell your own story. 

Can you still hire me outside of The Restaurant Project?

Of course. It's business as usual for eliesajohnson.com for our editorial and private client work, but this new project is an extension of our services. I hired the best to implement video and education sessions for our restaurant clients, so your team can be empowered to work better for your business. 

Without further adieu, I would love to introduce you to The Restaurant Project:

Website: therestaurantproject.co

Instagram: @the_restaurant_project

LOVEe

 

The Salty Tart //

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Salty Tart has released a new website and I am so happy to have been a part of this project! I have admired Chef Gayer for a long time - her energy, her hustle, and her amazing baked goods, so being asked to photograph new images for her was a dream. 

We wanted to bring a light and fresh look to her bakery and also a subtlety to the images - we wanted her gorgeous baked goods to speak for themselves. Everything that Michelle and her team make is rustic, free form, from scratch - and down right beautiful. We collaborated with Liz Gardner from Bodega LTD. on the styling for this shoot and came up with a series of images that are just so damn pretty. We also spent time at the bakery of Salty Tart and caught some of the real moments of their team working. 

Behind the Scenes // 

PMH // Creative Head Shots

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PMH (Peterson Milla Hooks) recently launched their brand new website and we are thrilled to have been a part of their 'People' section. I've always admired the word that this agency does and their mission statement, which is: Proudly independent, Creatively led, Oddly fast and they don't care much for meetings about meetings. 

The entire team at PMH is wildly talented and it was our goal to take portraits that portrayed the style and personality of each individual, as well as the company as a whole. When you visit the site you can scroll over each image to see more from each creative. 

This was such a great project and I love the way it turned out! I highly encourage you to check out everyone's portraits and the new PMH website!

BEHIND THE SCENES//



PDN 2015 TASTE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD WINNER //

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Well, this is really so very fun! It's been a solid four to five years since I last entered a professional photo competition, but a couple of months ago a great friend of mine sent me an e-mail with a link to PDN's TASTE Food Photography Awards competition. It was one of those days where you had *just* enough time to whip together a submission and I sent off my photos - if anything, just happy to have them in front of the amazing judge's panel (which was filled with a load of talent).

To be honest though, when it comes to submitting for anything - to be published, for competition, etc. I am of the mindset that I 'submit and forget'. There's too much going on here to dwell on if we are going to win or not and I always want to stay focused on the clients and projects at hand. 

However, when you get news that you WON! that is something to be excited about, take a moment and celebrate! I am happy to say that we are one of four winners in the Professional Editorial category, with a series of images that were created for the July 2015 issue of Food & Wine Magazine, featuring Jim Christiansen of Heyday and his award as Best New Chef! Liz Gardner did the styling on this shoot and it just turned out to be a magical set of images that I couldn't be more pleased about. 

PDN is a global leader in the photography industry and to be a part of this roster is a HUGE honor. I'm just happy that this opportunity came across and that we actually took the time to submit. It's a great reminder that sharing your work and taking a risk is most definitely worth it! 

Check out all of the winners here! 

 

The Charlie Awards Campaign!

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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working with MAYER to create the new campaign for this year's Charlie Awards! For those of you who aren't familiar, the Charlie Awards is an event that recognizes the exceptional contributions of the Twin Cities metro area food and restaurant industry. It's a pretty cool concept for the community. Basically, there are several categories that restaurants can enter and then the general public can vote on their favorites. Along with a panel of experts, the winners are chosen. We have ah-maz-ing food here in Minneapolis, and personally, I'm a big foodie, so this project was perfect for me! For the shoot, we collaborated with Open Arms of Minnesota, who so graciously invited us into their space to shoot, while still producing meals for that day! Open Arms is an incredible organization that I fell in love with, if you are thinking of volunteering, you should definitely check them out! We also assembled a dream-team for this! Our subjects were all previous winners of the Charlie Awards and some of the best in the restaurant industry! Michael Dodes styled the ladies in Joynoelle and Amber Rose & Susan Swanson beautified everyone to be camera ready! Jackie of Munster Rose styled our table and the wonderful people of Flashlight Photo Rental were a giant help for all of our gear!Of course, I couldn't pull a shoot like this off without an amazing team of my own. Thank you to Paul, Duane, and Marcie for lending a hand and making this all happen!

The official Charlie Awards campaign rolled out about a week ago at Le Meridian Chambers hotel and will be seen in all over the city, as well in local and regional publications over the next couple of months! Keep an eye out for it!

As a special little bonus, I had Chris Wegner come to our shoot and document some of the behind-the-scenes footage of what our day was like and also what it takes to pull of a shot like this! I absolutely love it!

Behind the Scenes // Charlie Awards Campaign from Photogen Inc on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greenwich Vintage // Online Store

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The fellas over at Greenwich Vintage Co. have officially launched their new online store and I'm happy to say I've been a part of it!

It's a pretty cool concept. They take vintage shoes and restore them like new! Until this point, Greenwich has been a by-appointment-only store, but they've stepped up their game to make their shoes more accessible to all! Check out their online store for a shoe you like or go ahead and get a custom order made by the cobbler himself!

I photographed the shoes for the website and photographers - you'll be happy to know this was all done with natural light!

 

A Simple Portrait //

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This is the perfect time of the year to test. It's the calm before the storm and an opportunity to add to your portfolio! Amber Brenke, who is one of my favorite hair and makeup artists in the city, helped me brainstorm the idea to do some simple, beautiful portraits of models. The whole concept was to document these ladies in a way that was true to themselves. We didn't want them to feel like they were modeling or playing a part, we simply wanted them to be themselves. Our inspiration was an Adele portrait that was just simple and stunning. A big thank you to all of our ladies from Ignite Models Inc. who took the time to come on into our little studio and be our subjects! Tasia, Jo, Cana and Molly were so lovely. Another big thank you goes out to Corey DeGuia, who has been testing himself and exploring video. I love the little behind-the-scene bit he put together for us!

Jason Wu for Target RED Magazine //

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The images have been released for the shoot I did for Target RED Magazine, which is Target's internal editorial. This issue featured real-life Target team members showing off Jason Wu's super-popular line! I was incredible grateful to be a part of this shoot, which was my first time collaborating with the people over at Little & Co. and Viet Do, who is a great designer and freelance art director. As always, a project like this doesn't come together without a small army of people, so I would love to give credit to our entire team:

CREATIVE TEAM//

Photographer: Eliesa Johnson

Producer: Conor Lawrence

Design, Processing & Layout: Little & Co.

First Assistant: Bryce Bordenkecher

Second Assistant: Sara Montour

Digital Tech: Liz Hardt

Laydown Photographer: Larry Callahan

Laydown Digital Tech: Josh Syx

Laydown Stylist: Lynn Ostrowski

Stylist: Erick DeLeon

Hair & Makeup: Amber Brenke

 

 

Test Shoot // Marcellina

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Remember back in the film-days, when you shot off a roll and didn't know at all how things would really turn out? Some of the best images came from those perfect mistakes, and it made you fall in love with photography. There was a mystery, a giant un-known that was challenging us. With digital, we have instant gratification...and many times that translates into judging out photographs far too quickly. Of course, there are major perks that digital photography has brought to us as well, but I miss the mystery. Last week, I tried to bring some of that back. I hadn't really picked up my camera in a couple of weeks and I was itching to shoot. Lucky for me, our fabulous hair and makeup artist, Amber Brenke, was feeling that same itch. We simply wanted to create. Sometimes a test shoot should not be over-thought, over planned or over styled. We literally picked a date, called up my intern, Marcie, and raided her closet for clothes. Then I called my friend Sara and borrowed her apartment for a couple of hours. We didn't have a plan or any direction when we showed up. We literally just sat and dreamed up some looks and some ideas. Our concept ended up being a little commercial, a little happy and very colorful. Personally, I approached the shoot as if I were taking Marcie's portrait for an editorial or campaign. After all, this is a real girl, her real clothes and real attitude. This is Marcie thru and thru. I'm really happy with these images and a few of them might just make it in my book! Here's to collaboration and the element of the unknown.