Where They Are Now
BRANDON WERTH: I am thankful to have had a catalyst like Rivets and Roses in my wedding photography career. It was an incredible place to start. While I was there I was given so much room to grow, not just as an individual but also as a creative and I wouldn’t say it was a linear growth that starts at the ground and follows a certain path of industry successions but rather you were given a fertile open field of possibility where you could plant in any corner you wanted, it was growth outward as well as in, moving on an astral plane of accumulation that was encompassing in every facet of business ownership.
I don’t think I knew all of this when I started nor did I embrace it as hard as I could have but I think thats because it was all new. There is nothing I wouldn’t give to do it all over again. Rivets was a moment in the wedding world when things were a lot more simple, we are talking pre-instagram here people, personal connections went incredibly far, printing your work and submitting it to local magazines was coveted and actually really cool, you felt like you really mattered amongst the other photographers in the city, the camaraderie was incredible, blog posts were 100’s of images long, and there were 5 celebrity wedding photographers who all lived in California, where the light is always golden and couples are continuously backlit. Those years were everything.
I learned so much being a lead photographer for Rivets and it is an honor to know that I was able to be a part of that beautiful creation that Eliesa made for other people to enter and feel what its like to own yourself and own a business while also having the confidence to keep working hard to be on the forefront of creativity, inclusiveness, and humbleness. It is hard to imagine where I would be without that experience, I found my perfect clients through my time there and I never really thought about how much those first years encompass who I am today and I am definitely a better person because of it.
LOUISA PODLICH: The last 10 years have flown by so quickly! I distinctly remember when Eliesa reached out to invite me, a new and untested photographer, to shoot for Rivets & Roses. Her leadership and mentorship helped me develop a sense of personal style and storytelling. Being a part of the R&R team gave me the confidence I needed to branch out and start shooting weddings on my own. Since leaving Rivets I've continued with photography, specializing in family portraits and young children, eventually leaving the wedding industry. Watching my portrait clients grow and change over the years is truly one of the best parts of my life...being "Miss Lou" behind the camera has brought so many wonderful and funny people into my life.
In addition to photography, I've started a second business, called A MANO, where I've sold handmade goods by makers from around the country, as well as my own ceramics. I now spend my time split between photos and making pottery in my NE Minneapolis art studio. You can find my work at local art shows, retailers around the country and online at West Elm.
LESLIE PLESSER: Since being on Rivets and Roses I've started my own company called Shuttersmack. I moved much of my focus (pun not even intended!) to documenting families as they really are. Besides my smaller, hourly sessions, I've been working hard this year on short documentary films and much longer Day in the Life photo sessions. Capturing small kids in all their glory is some of the most rewarding work I've had, whether it's documenting late night feedings with infants, the extreme love that parents of small kids show through continuous work and sacrifice, to the hilarity of potty training. I adore capturing life with small kids in general, and with film, capturing their precious voices and mispronunciations is priceless. I still keep up on all my dog work, but I've cut back on weddings to less than 5 a year. For some reason, I enjoy photographing the mess of real life more than the beauty of a wedding day. What can I say? I'm a weirdo!
DESIREE MOSTAD: Since I moved out of MPLS to live in Stavanger, Norway the biggest change in my life is Mila, my 2-year-old daughter. She's a spunky redhead with brown eyes and gets lots of attention when we travel.I'm still in love with photographing people and most of my work is families and weddings with a few small business commercial shoots sprinkled in. I have a cute little office with a natural light studio which I share with 2 other incredible women photographers. We have created a photo community to encourage photographers in the area to share and learn from each other. Community over Competition, right?!
Living in Norway has allowed me to be super flexible with work and life. I was on 1-year maternity leave and took a photo break to travel with my family (of course camera in tow!) to Indonesia, Australia and a couple visit home to the US! I'm still figuring out how to be a mom and make it through the ups and downs that life throws at me. Now I'm trying to learn how to be grounded while continuing my love of traveling and exploring with my camera. I'm SO insanely thankful for my time with Rivets, tho too short, I know I would not be the photographer I am today without R&R and Eliesa.
NATALIE FINAZZO FOX: So much has happened since I was a part of the Rivets & Roses team! While I still have a very soft spot in my heart for all things wedding photography, I found my true passion in working with businesses to help them achieve their creative and professional goals through beautiful styled stock and personal brand photography. The thing I enjoy most is understanding the client’s story and then working with them from a visual perspective to execute that vision through beautiful imagery for all of their social media platforms. Not only will I photograph that story, but for a few select clients, I’m their Social Media Manager. Outside of photography I’ve been busy as well! I’m a wife, mother to three {boy 6, girl 4, boy 2}, and I’m currently studying to be a Facebook Ad’s Manager {which I’m excited to launch as a service to my clients soon!}. When I’m not “working” you’ll find me running my kids to football, gymnastics and whatever the sport of the week is, listening to motivational-personal-development books on Audible, dabbling in artsy endeavors like painting/hand lettering and running. I’ve signed up to run a 5K at the end of August!
I just have THE BEST memories of my time spent with the Rivets & Roses team. Eliesa is legit the only person who has ever been able to teach me how to use my flash and I STILL, to this DAY, refer to her flash info when I need it! Ultimately, I really feel like each one of the team members brought a unique set of skills and creativity to the team which helped to elevate all of us in our wedding photography pursuits. For the good times had, friendships forged and the art created…I’ll be forever grateful I was a Rivets & Roses team member.
MARC JAMES: When I was first hired with R&R I was just a young buck, green in the gills some would say. I had experience in photography but the skills I learned while working with Eliesa and the R&R team I still use to this day. Fast forward almost 10 years later I am still working as a photographer with a small little brand of my own, Creek 44. I travel the US covering professional ballroom and latin dance sport competitions while also taking on a few weddings here and there. I can honestly say that in the one year I was lead photographer with R&R I learned more from Eliesa and the team than I could have anywhere else. Here's to 10 more years of success! Congratulations Rivets and Roses!!
