Eli's Photography Blog

Tuesdays with Eli – I Still Love Video

This “Tuesdays with Eli” is a little different from the blogs in the past. I wanted to give you guys just a little taste of where I have came from. I started in the wedding industry shooting wedding videos. This was a few years ago, technology has changed rapidly since. I have a confession to make, even though I am a full time wedding photographer, I still have a love for video. Can’t a guy have two loves? Haha. I do believe that there is something timeless about photographs. Something that a video can’t emulate, this is why I am a photographer. I just wanted to share this little “date story” with you guys. Not sure if I will do any more of these, I guess that depends if anyone is interested or not. : ) I actually shot this about 6 months ago, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it at the time, I knew I just wanted to shoot it. It went down just like my engagement sessions. We spent a couple hours together hanging out, and taking photos. The couple in this video are actually my sister and brother in law. They tied the knot in November of 2005. Elana has been super supportive of me and my business since the beginning. Before I even knew what I wanted to do, she trusted me with her wedding photos before I was a photographer. Nick has helped me out so many times when I’ve been in a pinch. Supportive family and encouraging people around me, are the reason I am where I am today. I thank God for blessing me and people around me for extending their help.

Nick + Elana Date Story from Eli Murray on Vimeo.

Music by: Ingrid Michaelson – “Can’t Help Falling in Love”

I hope you liked my little video. Just to clarify, I am not a wedding videographer. I encourage you to look into having a videographer for your wedding, I know many great videographers I can refer you to. I only shared this video because at the moment, I can do this. Not your wedding day, just an addition to the engagement session.
Here’s the technical stuff. I shot this with a Nikon D90 and a couple prime lenses. I used a Glidecam 2000 Pro to steady the shots. I spent about 1/2 an hour editing this together. I just picked a few of my favorite shots and threw them together. Now that I have shot one of these “Engagement Videos/Date Story”  I have an idea of what I want to do next time.
Leave me some love at let me know what you think. All you videographers, be easy on me. I’m just a photographer. Haha

Tuesdays With Eli – WPPI, Las Vegas, & Friends!

Today is Tuesday! I have to apologize for not getting my “Tuesdays with Eli” blog post up sooner for you guys. I’m still here in Las Vegas for the giant WPPI convention and things are a bit crazy! There is so much going on I really don’t have time to blog, but I know that you guys are waiting on it! Haha. As I’m typing this, I’m sitting here in the MGM Hotel’s lobby up against the wall using their electricity and free WiFi. This is Vegas, it’s 2010, you would think there would be free WiFi everywhere…there’s not. This week has been so much fun! I’ve meet so many people and seen so much stuff. My feet hurt, because for 3 days I’ve walked everywhere and let me tell you this place is not small. I still have 2 days left, and I’m trying to get as much as possible out of this trip. I really am have a super great time, but I’m also really starting to miss Leslie. The people in the photography industry are some of the best, positive, friendly, and inspiring people. To get this many people in one area that all love what they do radiates excitement! I can’t wait to get back and share all that I’ve seen and heard with my friends back home that didn’t get to come. I’m sure thankful that I’ve had the oppertunity to go to WPPI! God has blessed my life immensely, and I’m excited to share with others!
Here are a couple photos for you guys that I took while walking the Vegas Strip! I also wanted to let you guys download them if you wanted for prints or desktop wallpapers if you want. So here you go, Enjoy! Full downloads here: PhotoA, PhotoB, PhotoC.

Tuesdays with Eli – Vegas Baby

Hey, hey everyone! Well I made it safely to Vegas. Vegas Baby!

I landed yesterday and my brother picked me up at the airport. He lives about an hour away from Vegas in a little town called Bullhead City, Arizona. I’ll be staying here at his place for this week before the WPPI convention next week. I’ve got lots of planning to do before the convention, but I have to say, this is one sweet pad I’m staying at. I can work from the back deck still pick up WiFi and look right over the flowing Colorado River. Pretty Sweet!

Here’s a couple iPhone pictures from the flight!

Tuesdays with Eli – Adobe Lightroom Tip #1

Hey everyone, today is Tuesday, that means you’ll be hearing from me again. Since I’ve been doing so much personal blogging lately, I decided to share with all you interested photographers and photo enthusiast a couple tips I’ve learned for my post processing. First of all I want to say I’m no expert, there are plenty of great ways to post process your photos, the key is to just find a great system that works best for you. I’m just sharing with you my current system that’s working for me. The first part of my workflow after capturing the photos onto my hard drive, is using a program called Photo Mechanic. It cost $150 bucks, but makes selecting, re-ordering, marking, and re-naming the original files much faster that trying to do it in Lightroom. I save tons of time doing it this way first. I shoot a lot of pictures, so that means I get rid of a lot too. I like to shoot a lot because sometimes I’m just looking for the difference between a half smile and a real smile. I try to catch that fraction of a moment that’s just right, so I shoot a lot and I’m liberal with trashing the ones that don’t make it. When I ready to import into Adobe Lightroom, I make copies of the selected photos as backups. When I import into Lightroom I always make sure that I’m adding the copyright metadata to the images during import.

I choose to add the photos to the catalog without moving them. You can do it either way, just make sure you have a backup. After the photos are in Lightroom, I go through every photo in order and make my adjustments. In my opinion, the key to great post production is subtle adjustments. You want to get it right in camera before you begin to process in Lightroom. I make small adjustments to preserve the look of the photo. Too much post processing can kill a great photo. Here you can see the before and after. I also want you to be able to see what I adjusted in Lightroom.

I shot this with my Nikon D90 at 1/1250 SEC at f / 1.8 200 ISO 85mm. You can see the original photo was pretty nice as is. I just made a few small adjustment to the photo in Lightroom to make it pop a little more. The older I get, I realize the things that my parents taught me can be used in just about any area of life. “Everything in moderation.” I basically only make small adjustments to the exposure, blacks, sharpness, sometimes vibrance and color. Then After I have processed all the images in that set, I make another backup. You don’t want to have to do the same work over again. Hope this helps, Thanks for listening. : )

Tuesdays with Eli – Community, Helping, Sharing, Giving, Growing.

To quote the KJV Bible in Acts 20:35, Jesus Christ said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” To quote John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address of 1961′ “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” One more quote made famous by Albert Einstein, “The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable receiving.” These three men didn’t share a whole lot in common. Their passions, interest, and personal lives were all different, but they all seamed to understand one universal truth. Giving anything to anyone, is much better than waiting to receive. It’s much better because its positive, it helps others, and something magical happens to the giver… they are in turn blessed back. I am sharing this with you guys on my “Tuesdays with Eli” for a couple reasons. One, I’m seeing first hand right now in my life how this basic principle works. Two, I’m hearing the stories first hand of my friends and family that are also working this principle, and three, I hope that this blog post might inspire someone to do the same. With all of that said, I am young and naive to a lot of things in this world. Yes, I did just read a couple books recently that jazzed me up and made me think that it is that easy. But, I’m just telling you from what I am experiencing, that this stuff does work wonders.

Community:  Most of you may know that for the last couple months, I have been organizing and inviting fellow photographers to a lunch meet-up once a month. A bunch of like minded photographers sit down and eat and share with each other. I think this is great for the photography community here in Little Rock, and the feed back that I’m getting is that everyone really enjoys it. I hope that I helped give just a little to the industry. I gave a little bit of my time and now I’m reaping HUGE benefits. I now have more photographer friends who all bring something unique to the table, and I’m also feeling much more comfortable meeting new people. If there are any new photographers reading this that would like to join us in our monthly lunch, please let me know. Shoot me an email, tweet me, or facebook me.

Helping:  I am quickly learning that every successful person has only become successful because of inner drive and more importantly the help of the people around them. The tricky part to this equation is that you must help others before looking for help yourself.

Sharing:  The photography industry is not exactly the same as it used to be. Modern technology has forever changed the face of Photography. Blogs and social media have made sharing information just about as easy as tying your shoes.  However, people still wear slip ons….don’t they?  Sharing is super easy and everyone has something to share. Photographers in this age will NOT survive by hoarding up all their tips and advice because the don’t want others to know their secrets.

Giving:  Just do it. It feels good and good things happen to you when you give. I could share with you all the great things that have been happening to me because of giving, but I’m trying to wrap this thing up. Plus I bet your thinking I’m just going over and over the same stuff by now. Give… just do it.

Growing: Like most of the photographers I know, we are never quite satisfied with our work. I’m always looking for ways to grow and master my craft. Reading books, watching instructional DVDs, taking pictures, and trying new things are all great ways to get better. However, don’t forget about the other ways to grow. “Let the information flow both directions.”

My sincerest thanks from the bottom of my heart to every single person that has ever affected my life and helped me get to where I am today. – Eli : )

Arkansas Sunset

Tuesday's with Eli – Roadtrips

I have always loved road trips.  For one thing I do some of my best thinking on the road. All the distractions of the “day to day life” are taken away when you only have one simple task to do…Drive. Because I had dated Leslie for 3 years long distance, I got pretty used to long drives. I really only need a couple things to make me happy on a road trip: Plain sunflower seeds, bottle water, possibly a Rockstar Energy drink, and if it’s a really long drive… an audio book. These simple things make all the difference to me if I’m driving by myself. However, if I have a driving partner, that is something else. This weekend Leslie and I took a roadtrip to Nashville, Tennessee, her hometown. We we going there for her sister’s birthday dinner at her grandparent’ house. The weather was really nice the whole weekend, just a bit chilly, but made for a super pretty drive most the way. I was major excited to listen to my new audiobook “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi, and the 11 hour drive was a perfect fit. I’m glad Leslie didn’t mind either. As long as the narrator has a non-annoying voice we’re good, haha. It was a good book, I definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to get a little better at networking, and not in an artificial way, but in a genuine making friends and lasting connections kinda way. My friend Geoff Duncan recommended it to me, and I’m sure glad he did. Now I say pay it forward!

Here’s a quick little photos Leslie grabbed on the drive. Have a great week!

Eli

Road Trip Sunset

Tuesdays with Eli – Fun in the Snow!

Yesterday I blogged about the engagement portraits I took of Danielle & Jordan on Saturday. I told you guys that if they didn’t want to get out because of the weather, I was gonna be stupid and get out anyways just to shoot some portraits of Leslie & I in the snow. But because Danielle & Jordan were such awesome sports, they wanted to shoot their engagements, plus shoot some of Leslie and I too. I have to say, I really liked the idea because shooting my own portraits with a tripod and remote is not the easiest thing to do. I was a little reluctant at first though, I didn’t want to make my clients work for me, haha, but Leslie didn’t mind. She always wants great shots of the two of us. She thinks that we don’t have enough photos together because I’m always behind the camera.  So, after I did some photos of Danielle and Jordan, I showed them some of the basics on working my camera and they were ready to go! After I looked at a few of their photos, I was shocked. I better watch out, because Danielle & Jordan may be the next dream team photographers to take my job. Leslie was ecstatic, she couldn’t stop talking about how great the photos were. It was a lot of fun shooting in the snowy environment, but it sure was different letting my clients photograph me.
So there you go, my second “Tuesday’s with Eli” post and I’m already getting my clients to shoot for me, haha. Stick around, who knows what what craziness I’ll have next week.

These first few I shot of Leslie before we met up with Danielle & Jordan.

Arkansas Portrait Photographer

Arkansas snow portraits

Eli Murray

Couple Portraits

Snow Portraits

Happy couple

elimurray photography

Seriously aren’t these great. Leave Danielle & Jordan some love and let them know what you think of their skills.

Tuesdays with Eli – My Goals for 2010

It’s a new year and I have some big things planned. First, I want to start blogging more. I hope you will all stick around and enjoy the ride with me. I’ve decided to start a “Tuesdays with Eli” blog. My plan is to release a new blog every Tuesday, that lets you get to know me a little better. Some with pretty pictures, some with just boring ol’ words. Most of the time I will probably talk about what I did that week, new movies I see, family stuff, planning for my wedding with Les, or whatever is on my heart. I want to encourage my readers to give me some feedback if you feel like it. I really enjoy when you guys leave me some love, offer suggestions, or ask any questions. : )

Okay so for the first “Tuesdays with Eli” blog post, you get a treat. I am laying out my goals for the new year. This list is actually not complete, but this is a good start.

1. Attend a Jose Vila Workshop
2. Book at least 25 weddings
3. Second shoot for at least 7 weddings
4. Teach Leslie to drive a standard transmission
5. Upgrade my camera body
6. Develop my wedding turn-around time to under two weeks
7. Do a bridal portrait session during busy Rivermarket (any takers?)
8. Make revisions to website and logo (small re-branding)
9. Teach Leslie how to shoot a DSLR like a Pro
10. Set up 2 small workshops for non-photographers (maybe next year I’ll be teaching other photogs)
11. Book wedding location (my wedding)
12. Book photographer (my wedding)
13. Book honeymoon (my wedding)
14. Blog at least once a week (Tuesdays with Eli)
15. Book keeping every month.
16. Make trip to see my brother Geoff in Arizona
17. Make a trip to Colorado just to visit and take photos
18. Try a new food I’ve never had
19. Help someone who is just getting started in photography
20. Volunteer at the Pulaski County Human Society
21. Take photos of the adoptible animals
22. Shoot a portrait session with my grandma
23. Find a bigger place to live
24. Give away all my old clothes
25. Get some new clothes
26. Call my parents once a week and tell them I love them
27. Sell some of my old gear (let me know if you are interested)
28. Book 6 senior sessions
29. Take photos of my products for the website
30. Audiobook- “Never Eat Alone” (Thanks Geodun)
31. Take weekend get-away trip with Leslie
32. Orginize monthly lunch meet-up for photographers
33. Attend an Autocross event
34. Buy food dehydrator
35. Develop my own brand of Beef Jerky
36. Audio book – “Fast Track Photographer”
37. Find a new location to shoot portraits every month
38. Photograph a total stranger (with permission)
39. Buy a new office chair
40. Attend a John Mayer concert

So there you go. Like I said it’s not complete, there are still a million other things I would like to do this year, but its a start. Also sorry about the strange order. I was brain storming, and it was just flowing that way. One more treat for you guys. I just shot some really great bridal portraits on Monday at Marlsgate Plantation, blog coming soon, but I wanted to share with you the sunset that evening. So Bang! First Tuesday with Eli and you get a pretty picture too. Haha

2010 Winter Sunset Photography