New Address and Studio Relaunch

It's been an uphill battle, but finally Elysian Photography Studio has a new home. The studio has moved from Hondo Pass Street in Northeast El Paso to a more accessible location just north of Downtown El Paso. The new address is now 801 N. El Paso St., in the basement level of a Greek Revival mansion that has been converted to office and commercial space. Don't let the "basement" thing fool you, the suites and offices in that level are actually very nice, airy, open, and bright, thanks to superb renovation and lighting as well as large and attractive picture windows at street level. The studio is actually much smaller than what I had before, but frankly, most of the space was being wasted at the old location. This studio, however, is much nicer than the old one, much more attractive, and space is being used efficiently and attractively, while still retaining the full functionality of a regular photography studio. You really must see it to believe it.

On a related note, there is a Grand Opening and Studio Relaunch during the month of November. Since the original studio under the original ownership never had a formal grand opening, this time there will be a big to-do and the celebration will be done right. I am asking and inviting local artists or photographers who would like to show some of their work at the opening to please contact me, I would love to feature local talent at the studio. The month of November will also be the Holiday kick-off, and again, I welcome anyone with a fall or holiday themed idea to please stop by or contact me.

Pictures of the studio to come soon. I will be posting photos of the studio interior as well as the building exterior, as soon as all the moving and beautification is completed.

Again, feel free to drop by and relax in a comfy place for a bit. I promise to try to always have some coffee brewing for you. Maybe you can even get your picture taken.

The Winds of Change

I feel it's my duty to keep our fans and customers informed of all the changes which have transpired at Elysian the last couple of months, and to hopefully provide explanation for the somewhat erratic hours we've kept and (hopefully not too much) the less than consistent service some of you may have experienced. As of October 1, 2009, officially, the ownership and management structure of Elysian Productions, and by extension, Elysian Photography, has undergone some changes. We have also had to say goodbye to some of our staff. Personal circumstances have moved my (now ex-) partners to relinquish their stake in the studio to better focus on family and career changes, and I must sadly see them go to new destinations and new frontiers. I wish them the best of luck, and thank them from my heart of heart (yes, no "S", read Shakespeare ;))for helping me start this awesome endeavor.

Elysian Photography is not going anywhere, in fact, the studio is more involved now in the community than ever. While there has been some ownership and management changes, it only means that the studio is more focused now on the most important thing: you.

There is a move being planned right now, more details to come. I'm looking at the downtown area near Sunset Heights.

Until then.

Fern

Studio Space Available for Photographers and Photography Students

Elysian Photography Studio is now available for photographers, whether professional, serious amateur, or hobbyist, for use as a “home” studio or on a session by session basis. I am now renting out use of the studio to anyone who needs studio space and does not currently have a permanent studio. The studio is available for rental on an hourly or daily basis. Rates start at $40 hourly or $150 daily, which includes use of all facilities and photographic props and accessories. The only thing we do not provide are cameras and lenses. If needed, an experienced and competent photographic assistant or assistant photographer is available for an additional $20 per hour or $100 per day. Please, call ahead to reserve your studio time. Available equipment and props are:

1. A total of eight (8) full-size (10’x20’) hand-painted or hand-dyed muslin backdrops, including two hand-painted scenic muslin backdrops (see our “Studio Backgrounds” page for sample images)
2. Full size black background for low-key
3. Full size chroma-key screen for digital effects
4. Studio lights, strobes, and umbrellas with light stands
5. Posing stools and benches
6. Two collapsible background stands if you prefer to bring your own background
7. Colored light gels

Studio equipment is available to use or you may choose to bring your own equipment. The studio has 10’ drop ceilings, and the shooting area can be closed off for privacy when needed.

If you are interested in using the studio, but may need a refresher or introduction to studio techniques and equipment, please, let me know. I can also be available to provide classes and demonstrations to those wanting to learn or expand their studio skills. Please call ahead for availability or to make an appointment.

Please feel free to contact me with any inquiries or to schedule a free consultation. I look forward to working with you!

EDIT: Since the original post date, I have moved my studio to a much nicer location at 801 N. El Paso St., at the corner of El Paso and Yandell in downtown El Paso. Updated photos will be added as soon as the moving and improvements are completed. The shooting area is slightly smaller, but the accommodations, accessibility, and location are vastly improved. Equipment is still as described earlier, and will continue to be available.

Hair Color Masterclass and Clinic with John Kaytaz

On Monday, July 13, renowned stylist, Master colorist, award-winning salon owner and consultant to various cosmetic lines John Kaytaz was in El Paso to give a master class on hair color and color correction. Along with members of his design team, John showed attendees, most of which were salon owners, cosmetologists, or cosmetology students, how to achieve perfect color every time for any hair type. Mr. Kaytaz, the founder of JKS International Salons and the JKS International line of hair products, demonstrated his techniques on volunteer models using, naturally, products from the JKS collection. Elysian Photography was there to get some before and after shots of the models as they went through their hair transformation.

I have to say, the team does some pretty cool stuff. While some of the color techniques simply enhance natural color, I was impressed with the color corrections done with really wild or faded hair color.

Special thanks goes to the organizers of the class, Merle Norman/Salon Source and Fabi's Beauty Salon, along with Mira Beauty for putting this together and inviting us to attend. And of course, many thanks to John Kaytaz and his team for being so passionate about their art and being so approachable and generally very cool.

Links to the finished model shots coming up as soon as permissions are obtained.

Exploding into the scene, hopefully.

Well, after officially opening our studio, we had days where we were left thinking, "okay, what now?" and kind of wondered how to make a splash in the community. Then, suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, we get a phone call. I'm asked if we're free for a job the next day, and of course, I said yes. The job? Ft. Bliss' post-wide NCO of the Year Ball.

So, we scrambled to gather up all our portable studio equipment, charge up all the batteries, prepare outfits (what, it's black tie?!), which we had to scramble to find (thanks, especially, to the Men's Wearhouse), and gather our point-of-sale equipment. I usually like to plan things well in advance, but this was a classic scramble, albeit without the stress of a last minute wedding shoot. Well, as it turns out, we had an amazing turnout that evening, working well into the night and having a blast doing it. Our hosts at the Centennial Club were gracious and generous, offering to assign ushers specifically for us, providing drinks and dinner, and setting aside a room for us to set up. While most of the portraits done that evening were necessarily of the formal type, we did have some incredibly good, candid, emotional portraits that were captured throughout the evening. So far, the response from attendees has been positive, even fantastic. I'm hopeful that this event is the beginning of our explosion into the scene here in El Paso and Ft. Bliss.

So, if you were in attendance at the NCO of the Year Ball, we really, truly, greatly appreciate that you chose to get your portraits from us. Proofs can be viewed in our Client Galleries section of our main website. If you need access, or lost your password, please call us or e-mail us via the "Contact Us" page on our site.

Again, our sincerest thanks to SFC Edwards, the staff at the Centennial Club, and as always, to Gary for name dropping and believing in us. And as always, SDG, it couldn't be possible otherwise.

Elysian Photography Studio Opening

I know it has been a good long while since my last post, considering updates were supposed to come every week or so. Even the previous posts have been erratic and spaced quite far apart. Well, rest assured that the Elysian Photography team and myself are still here, and still very much active. So what's the reason for the online inactivity, you might ask? Online inactivity for us has meant real-world activity and goings-on, keeping us quite busy and quite frankly, a little neglectful of our internet presence.

What can possibly keep us this busy? Well, plenty of exciting change. First of all, we have finally formalized our business structure and status. We are now officially Elysian Productions, expanding our products and services somewhat to include other imaging and photographic services in addition to our existing photography services. Most of our branded products will still say Elysian Photography, although formally the company is now Elysian Productions. Let's look at this for a moment--we now have more to offer.

As I stated earlier, in addition to our studio, location, and event photography services, we now also offer corporate and stock photography, fine art photography, and sports photography. We can also do (limited, for the time being) small-scale design projects and photo book layouts. And, if you're out there and are still a film fan or have old film negatives, we now do film-to-digital conversions and archiving. Of course, along with our newfound ability to work with film scanners we now offer custom photo restoration. Our web page, too, is changing, as we will be upgrading to a much more dynamic and interactive flash-based page.

The biggest news, however, involves the evolution of our studio. Until now, we have been working primarily out of our photographers' home studios. But now we have the awesome blessing and privilege to move in to a brand new, 1400+ sq. ft. commercial store-front studio. We have also upgraded all our studio gear for much more control and customization, along with hundreds of new available digital backgrounds and templates for clients to choose from. We are still officially open and booking clients, but of course, we ask for your patience as our studio space receives its necessary face lift.

Hopefully, now you can see why we've been so out of contact with our blog, on Facebook, and on MySpace. Now that the age of Twitter is here, we may soon plant the Elysian flag there, too.

I hope that you'll come visit us soon, even if only to chat a while and relax in our cozy, comfy studio. We'll be glad to have you over, kick off your shoes a bit, relax on the sofa and share an Italian soda with us. And as always, we welcome phone calls and e-mail. I'm including complete contact information so that you may contact us any way you're most comfortable. Until then, have a blessed evening and days filled with joy.

Fern

Contact us at Elysian Productions:
4727 Hondo Pass Dr., Ste. D
El Paso, TX 79904
(915) 253-9085 or 202-9696
www.elysian-productions.com
MySpace: myspace.com/elysianstudio

Special offers for Military and Public Services

Elysian Photography is now offering great promotions and discounts for our friends in the military and their families, as well as all those who serve in a public service organization such as police, fire, and rescue departments. With the recent popularity of some of our photo packages, for a limited time we are extending our special photo package prices to those of you who selflessly serve others.
Our photo/portrait offers are as follows:

For military personnel and their families, we are offering the following family portrait packages:

Basic Portrait Package, includes prints in the following sizes and quantities-
1 - 8x10
2 - 5x7
8 - wallet size (2.5x3.
5)
for only $25.
00

Silver Package
1 - 11x14
1 - 8x10
2 - 5x7
8 - wallet
only $40.
00

Gold Package
1 - 11x14
2 - 8x10
2 - 5x7
4 - 4x6
12 - wallet
only $50.
00

Platinum Package
1 - 11x14
2 - 8x10
4 - 5x7
4 - 4x6
16 - wallet
only $60.
00

Session fees are included in the package price, and you get not one, but up to four poses per photo package.


If you have a loved one deployed overseas, you will also get either two 4x6 prints or 8 wallets free, to send them overseas.


Fire, EMS, and police departments, as well as other civil servants, will receive 15% off any photo package they order.
Prices will be published shortly on elysian-productions. com.


Call us now to book your photo session. As always, we continue to offer event photography, so book your wedding, quinceanera, office party, or graduation now. Remember, these promotional prices are good only for a limited time, so hurry into the studio or contact us whichever way you're most comfortable with soon.


We look forward to hearing from you!

Film Noir and Classic Hollywood Glamour

I don't often get a chance to sit down and watch a movie on satellite, but today I was doing some bored channel surfing and came across a showing of Casablanca. Having been a photographer for some time now, I now view the cinematography and the artistic way of filming and lighting with a different twist. I thought, now these guys knew how to compose a shot, how to light a set, and how to make these actors/actresses look stunning. I mean, just look at photos of Humphrey Bogart or Ingrid Bergman. Classic. And they don't look much better than they did in that movie.

I thought about some of my previous projects, such as the classic film noir session I did with my sister and brother-in-law. There was also a private party done in the Roaring 20s theme. The feedback and input on the prints made from those sessions has been overwhelmingly positive. Now, friends and clients alike are asking for the ubiquitous low-key, chiaroscuro "Film Noir" look for themselves. And they're loving it. So many people love the vintage black and white look, but are completely dissatisfied or turned off by the abundance of badly posed, badly lit, sepia-toned novelty portraits turned out by the gross at the local mall kiosk "studios" staffed by "photographers" still in high school who don't know their ISO from their f-stop and who think "faded and soft (blurry)" equals "vintage." I tend to agree with this dissatisfied demographic.

It is my goal to be the first in El Paso to specialize in Film Noir and Classic Hollywood glamour photography, and to be the best at it. I'm not talking about just regular black and white portraiture, or even low-key black and white. There are already plenty of photographers locally, and with great credentials, who do a great job at that already. No, I'm talking about film noir, the great and timeless look of classic Hollywood portraiture and films of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Remember Casablanca? Or Shanghai Express? How about The Maltese Falcon? All of those films had a great look, with dramatic lighting, shady characters, red fezzes, and fedoras. Of course you know the look. That's what I want to do here at Elysian.

If you'd like to take a look at some samples of past sessions done in this style, just check out our Film Noir & Hollywood Glamour gallery. We are ready to start booking clients for this type of portraiture, be it for a special event, anniversary, or just for fun.

So, if you're just not that into the cookie-cutter stuff at the mall, give us a call. It's always nice to feel like Bogart or Bergman for an hour or two.