Between Melodies and Memories with Elsa Thomasson
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[00:00:00]
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Elsa, I'm very excited to, to talk with you about just, the audio/stills combination. you came across my Instagram feed. I don't know, I, I don't know which photo it was, which reel it was, if it was a story. I don't even-- I have no idea how I came across your-- which Instagram post of yours, but I'm so glad I did because [00:01:00] it caught my attention that you were a photographer that also played ukulele and sang.
So I said to myself immediately, "I'm reaching out to her," and I'm glad we, we connected, and we're gonna chat. So welcome to Lenses & Lyrics. thanks for being here.
Elsa Thomasson: Thank you.
Early Singing Roots
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz: I like to start every conversation just digging into your musical past, present, future. tell me about your, your history with music. How... I, I, I have to know the, the backstory.
Why ukulele?
Elsa Thomasson: Okay. So first, I think since I was very young, I always, you know, I was always singing at school. I was singing Édith Piaf. Do you know Édith Piaf?
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-mm. No.
Elsa Thomasson: The, the singer from "La Vie en Rose," the movie, you know,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Okay. Okay. Okay.
Elsa Thomasson: Well,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: old singer. She was already dead when I was singing it, and it was definitely not children's songs. So since I was little, I always loved to song, [00:02:00] and I was, We were having a theater group in my village. I was playing theater, wanting to dance. I was drawing a lot. So I think I was always very sensitive to art in general. so yeah, I was singing and sometimes, well, there were like, I don't know, like birthday party or I have very big family, so we, we were having a lot of events and I was, you know, going on stage to sing.
I don't know, like I think people were telling me, "Oh, go sing something," And I, and I,
was going to sing. So I always loved that. But I think as a teenager
I kind of put it on the side because, I don't know, I think teenage, uh, it's a weird part of your life maybe. And, and when I was 30, I wanted to sing again, but, uh, you know, I was not a kid anymore, so I think it's not that cute if you're an adult and say, "Oh, I want to sing a song."
And like, you know, you start singing just out of nowhere.
So
Why Ukulele
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Elsa Thomasson: I s- I wanted to learn an instrument [00:03:00] And I thought ukulele is really cool,
and it's tiny, and it doesn't sound so pretentious because, you know, it sounds kind of cool.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
Elsa Thomasson: And I was, I'm still a
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Okay And then also I think the first time I was
Elsa Thomasson: and
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: really inspired was when Mm-hmm ... but then I went back to it in two years and finished. And it was really fun
Elsa Thomasson: had the
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: learn
Elsa Thomasson: some little, little show in a local environment, And I was really not playing
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: basics of,
Elsa Thomasson: I learned by myself,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: sound.
Elsa Thomasson: and I think
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: And it was very basic.
Elsa Thomasson: it was
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: But it was still, you could see it You could remember
Elsa Thomasson: it
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: everything.
You could relate it to different
Elsa Thomasson: So a friend of a friend, saw me this day, and he offered me to start or to try to start, a duet, a band together, and so that's kind of how it started.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: pieces. So I think thatwas [00:04:00] really, really interesting. And I just, I just able to play instruments. So that's it. Amazing. Uh, it, it's, it is so interesting that ukulele was your choice, um, especially 'cause it's, I mean, it's, it's a popular instrument, but it's not a common choice when somebody's looking at a string instrument like a guitar or a bass or whatever it might be.
So I find it fascinating that, that you went with ukulele.
Elsa Thomasson: Thank
you.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: your, your singing goes very well with ukulele. So, um, it is, it, you know, it's a, it was a great choice. I also like the fact that, if you're doing like a destination wedding or something like that, and you're traveling, you could literally bring your ukulele with you, and it won't take up too much room, which is great.
Elsa Thomasson: Of-often it can fit in my luggage because it's real small. Sometimes I'm not even sure if I have it or not because it's under all my clothes.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
Elsa Thomasson: popular, and it's more popular in, in the US in general because, you know, it comes from Hawaii and Polynesia.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: And I
Elsa Thomasson: in
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: learned a few basic chords, and I [00:05:00] think that was,
Elsa Thomasson: think-- I
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: like
the first
Elsa Thomasson: No,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: time I really played an instrument.
Elsa Thomasson: It's a
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: But I, I liked it because it was easy to learn, and it was something that I could- Right.
Yeah. It's very different.
Elsa Thomasson: and I don't know how
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: and, I
Elsa Thomasson: I
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: think a
Elsa Thomasson: I-- like to be a bit different, so I thought it will be cool
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: of people, when they, when they, maybe they like to play the piano or something
Elsa Thomasson: be
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: just, like go to the
Elsa Thomasson: try
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: piano and start playing.
Elsa Thomasson: more original so people can't really compare
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: And,
Elsa Thomasson: and I think it
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: is that too. But I think ukulele is, like, maybe a, little bit easier because you
Elsa Thomasson: happy
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: like- Mm-hmm ... learn,
Elsa Thomasson: Zoé Deschanel.
Confidence and Technique
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz: And then you can, like- And where, where would you say your level is now with playing the instrument, to the point where do you know the notes and the chords? You still winging it? Like, where, where do you fall as far as, level with, of confidence with the instrument compared to where you started when you, s- like you said, you never really learned [00:06:00] music?
Elsa Thomasson: The, the guy I'm playing with, his name is Julian. He helped me a lot because when I start rehearsing with him, figure out I didn't have any tempo. You know, I was playing by myself, so I was sometimes may-maybe getting faster or-- I never really tried doing pickings. And so it teach me a lot about those things because he was much better. So now I c- now when I talk to real, musician, I feel very embarrassed. I'm like: Oh yeah, you know, I'm not really playing. But in other hand, I'm playing at concert, so I'm singing and playing with Julian who is singing and a guitarist. So I'm, I mean, I know the chords, I know how to play. I can do some picking, so I can do enough for what I want.
I'm not interested to, to go deep into technique, I think it's the same in photography. We haven't started talk about photography, but I'm not into technique in general. I think it's, it's boring. I just, I'm just learning the [00:07:00] minimum to be able to, to use it, to play with it, and I focus more on maybe energy, emotions.
So um, I'm not interested in playing ukulele just, without singing. So I
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
Elsa Thomasson: over ukulele, and the ukulele is just serving, to highlight, highlight the song or the singing. So I'm I think I'm not, I'm not a good player.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Okay. Yeah, no, I think, I think that's a really, good way to, approach it when, you're not a technical player. I think us-utilizing it as this-- It's-- I, I kind of, I kind of think of it as, let's say a, a a singer who all they do is sing, right? And they have the microphone, but then sometimes they, they utilize the, the mic stand, right?
A-and it's there to serve a purpose for them. It's to sort of give them the stability, this, this, this anchor to, [00:08:00] to, to lift up their-- what they're, what they're doing with their voice. It s- it seems like you're doing that with the ukulele, to use it as this anchor to... Yes, you're playing notes behind it, but it's there to help your singing more than, you know, more than to have a ukulele.
You know?
Elsa Thomasson: Yes, yes.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: That, that's k-kind of how I'm...
Elsa Thomasson: we
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: doing concerts, most of the time I'm playing and
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: But on some songs, Julian is, just playing the
guitar a-alone and singing. When I don't have to play, you know, also I like it because I'm more focused on the song and emotions, and maybe I can make a bit more contact with the, the audience, the public. So I also like not to play, but in other hand, it's like it keeps you busy. I mean, you know, you, you have more things to focus,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: good in one hand. In other hand, you know, you need to think about the chords, the streaming,[00:09:00]
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
Elsa Thomasson: story of the song, the lyrics. So, you know, I think it's, it's many things.
It's interesting, but also I can't-- for me, I can't play very hard things because I'm singing and I want to keep eyes contact with the audience. So, you know, it's not like, I-- my plan is, was never to be a, just a musician. It was always to sing.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right. Yeah, I love it.
Photography Origin Story
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz: so you started out singing as a child, s- basically stopped and came back to it. So that means that photography came in there not as a shift away from music, but as something else. So how did photography become a thing when music wasn't a thing as like, here's what I wanna do with my life originally?
Elsa Thomasson: So as I said, as a child, I was very interested and sensitive to arts in general, and I
think when I was about 12, I asked my parents as a [00:10:00] gift for camera with film. So of course it was time ago when there was dinosaurs. And, so I was always, always, already very interested in making pictures, but it was expensive, so I wasn't taking a lot of picture. And when I had more money around 25, I bought myself a Reflex and a few photo lessons, I started doing photo, I think like everybody, like traveling or of my friends, that kind of stuff, and I really enjoy it. And I reconnect with my, this sensibility of art and everything. for many years I was, I was working in international business. And for many years I was thinking like, "Oh, I'd love to be a photographer," but you know, like, this is never gonna work. Like, I won't have enough customers or, you know, I'm not capable for many years and years and years. And I had an opportunity. I was in a job, it was very bad. I was really feeling [00:11:00] terrible in this job, and I was almost, you know, feeling sick.
And so I quit, and I thought like, okay, this is my time. Now I need to do something I really want to. have savings, so I'm gonna give myself like six months, maybe a year, and really try, and it's probably never gonna work. But, you know, I will you know, have the satisfaction I would have tried. And it, it worked, and it worked quite quickly.
You know, I had- like weddings and a lot of photo session and it was going well and I was wow. And, and then, you know, I was on way like starting my career of a photographer. it's still hard for me to say like I'm a photographer, you know, it's weird, it's been 10 years but I still feel like, oh, am I really a photographer?
Am I really a singer? So it's, you know, always, bit having doubts but, so that's how I started. And I think being self-employed and starting to build confidence on my capacity and [00:12:00] sensibility and ability to see arts, I think maybe give me will to maybe came back to singing or came back to music or dig into, you know, all the things I, I, I loved to do as a child and then I just put on the side because I was feeling maybe I was, know, not good at it or maybe it was worthless or maybe it was wasting time. I don't know if you know what I mean.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It, it is really, a common thing for creative people who are creative in multiple facets to not always feel like you're, one thing, right? I mean, I, I look at myself sometimes and I'm like, "Okay, I'm a photographer, but I also-- I'm an audio person. I'm a guitar player.
I, I podcast. I'm-- I, I like to... I'm not a good singer, but I like to sing, for myself and, and whatnot." And it's like, "Well, what am I?" Right? and I think it's, I think it's a very common thing to, to, [00:13:00] to not put yourself into one
box. Um, at the same time, whatever makes your, your, your income, right, that's what you are at the end of the day, right?
So it's kind of a weird thing. It's like emotionally you're, you're, you're all these things, but at the same time, you're a photographer,
Elsa Thomasson: Yeah.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: you know? So...
Elsa Thomasson: it's funny because when I meet people maybe they follow, they follow me on social media or
they, you know, I don't really know them but I'm, I'm talking and they-- for many people I'm the ukulele girl they ask me like, "Oh, are you earning more money with the
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
Elsa Thomasson: photography?" And I'm like, "Photography."
Like with my music I'm You know, earning very little money. Only when,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: get paid, but it's not a lot. And for me, I'm a photographer and singing is just like a hobby.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: [00:14:00] Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: they think maybe I'm, I'm earning most of my money with the music, which is, for me, it's very strange because it's absolutely not the case. yeah, I keep, as you say, like, my earnings come from photography, so for me it's like what occupies, I don't know, like at least 40 hours of my week, and music it's just a few hours.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
Elsa Thomasson: So that's what
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: And...
Singing at Weddings
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz: I'm curious, have you walked into a wedding on the wedding day, and a-as you know, there's a wedding band, and as you're photographing the wedding, have you ever... Maybe it's a band that you've, you've, been to a wedding where, like, you've gotten to know them over the years.
Elsa Thomasson: Mm-hmm.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: you ever gone to sing with the wedding band?
Elsa Thomasson: Yeah.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yes? You have?
Elsa Thomasson: a few times. I couldn't resist it. You're like, you're taking the picture of the
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: and you're like, "Oh yeah, I love this one." And at the end, I know most of the songs because it's, [00:15:00] often it's the same songs and it's famous songs,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
Elsa Thomasson: much. And depending on how I feel with the couples, but
often I, I try to build a good relationship before.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
Elsa Thomasson: on, you know, if, if I'm sure they don't, they will not take it, like wrong. and if I know people of the band or maybe if I think the band is cool, and you know, sometimes they-- you can see like they are very open to have people singing one song. So I've done it a few time and it was a blast because, you know, I, I was, you know, very frustrated.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: I wanted to sing, so I've done it a few times. but you know, I think you can kind of feel people, like what they want,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: respect, but you can see like how far you can go. few times at very, like, most, like, more intimate weddings, so like small,not a, a large number of invitees, I made a surprise for the couple and I, I sing a song with the ukulele. So I [00:16:00] just told the, maybe the who were doing the ceremony, I said like, "Oh, I have a surprise. I'm gonna sing a song." And I've done it a few times, and it was very stressful because I have to come with the ukulele, to hide it somewhere, to grab my camera, to see the, the sign like, oh, this is, this is your time.
Now you have to do. it, To leave the camera, to take the ukulele, to put the tune and... But you know, a few times I've done it and people were
crying, not because it was bad, because it was, you know, very emotional
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: you know, they really-- the, the time I've done it, the people were really thinking like, oh, this was, like so beautiful.
Like, thank you, it was
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: And sometimes people were crying like Like a lot, and, you know, I had, like, really to focus not to cry with
them. So I've done it a few times, always thinking like, "Oh, I hope this is gonna be okay." Few times I wanted to, to do it, and I was like, I'm not sure. Like, I'm, I'm not gonna do it."
But I think it's, it's nice if you can... You know, for me, it's like [00:17:00] a gift. Like, I
hope they will like my gift, but for me, it's like giving all I
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: for, for this moment, for the, the emotion of this moment. So yeah,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah, I,
Elsa Thomasson: a few times.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: yeah, I definitely, would compare it to a gift. Like a lot of wedding photographers might send champagne aft-after a wedding to their clients. You've done something that's extremely personal that nobody can replicate, people can do their own song if they want, but you are you, right?
So you've done, you've literally done something that nobody else can replicate. and that's a, it is a beautiful thing to be able to do that. So I mean, that's, that's, that's amazing. a, a great musician knows that, like when, when to come in on the exact beat, when to come in. can you describe a moment where your timing as a photographer made the difference between an ordinary photo and something unforgettable?
Elsa Thomasson: Ooh, that's a tough question. [00:18:00] I don't know. I'm not sure. I always try to be, during a wedding, very focused,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
Elsa Thomasson: to find the balance, being close and not too close. I, I think the common point is, sensibility. I think, you know, I can generally feel quite well how all these people feel. I think I have a lot of empathy, so I think that's, yeah, how you feel if it's a good time or not to, to, to be closer to people or maybe to ask them to do something, to move a bit, to... So I think it's more like being aware of, all these people feeling. I would say that it's-- I hope this is a good answer.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. Well, so, so, in a similar, similar way, have you ever had a moment where, someone actually forgot that you were there? Like, n-not, like, [00:19:00] really forgot, but you were... 'Cause you, you photograph weddings, but you also photograph families and, like, all sorts of things. So where you're just in documentary mode, right?
you're not posing them, you're just there to, to witness and document their moments. so have you ever had, had a m- a moment where your clients forgot you were there,
Elsa Thomasson: Mm-hmm.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: that's when, like, the real story began and revealed itself for your, for the work, for the, for your photos?
Elsa Thomasson: So often I've been told by the couples or invitees that I was very discreet.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
Elsa Thomasson: That, you know, I was discreet. And I was surprised because I, I don't know, I don't feel
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: I'm moving a lot during ceremony. I'm, I'm moving a lot. I'm, and I'm not, introvert person, so I'm, you know, talking a lot and laughing and making junks-- jokes.
So I, I don't feel I'm like people will forget I'm here. But what I'm trying to do is to [00:20:00] try to create some, boundaries with the couples and people in general, family invitees, talking to them, being smiling and nice and always helping if someone needs something. or... And so I think maybe it's not they forget I'm here, but it's just they feel, comfortable with me, and so they don't mind I'm here.
So they don't mind at a point that, you know, they will be okay if I witnesses something maybe vulnerable.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: so the m- the, the main story of a wedding, is, is most people think, and it's true, it's the couple, right? The couple is the main story. But there are other stories that happened, that happen at a wedding. I'm wondering if, as somebody who is musical, as somebody who I'm sure pays attention to what is going on musically throughout a wedding, at the same time as paying attention to the wedding itself, the [00:21:00] couple itself, or themselves, are there other moments maybe pertaining to the music that you are looking out for that maybe others would not look out for?
That y- because you're likely paying attention to that more than others would?
Elsa Thomasson: I don't know. I don't feel like being a musician gives me more, tricks or power to do that. I just think that being more empathic and sensitive to also non-verbal languages me to feel more about how all these people
are feeling. Uh, and also sometimes it can be also like, sometimes, I don't know, the mother, the parents, the mother-in-law, the, witnesses, they are, like, really stressed because they have so much to think about during the wedding day.
And also I can feel the stress very much. So those people, for instance, I will try to Not to bother them with, don't know, like stupid questions, or I'll try to, you know, to check on them, like, "How do you feel?" Because everybody's gonna ask the couple, like, "Ah, how do you feel?" But you know, when [00:22:00] you're, when you're like the, the...
Yeah, you-- We say witnesses,
like the witness of the groom or the bride or the parents, like nobody's really ask-asking them how you feel, and sometimes they are really stressed. And just to have someone checking on them, you know, is gonna maybe make them feel good or maybe they can complain a bit to
me because I'm the photographer, you know, I'm not family.
So I think it's more about trying to, yeah, to consider more people than just the couples and to also, yeah, try to s- to feel if it's a good time or not for them. If, um, yeah, maybe, I don't know, if, uh, something's gonna happen, like emotionally. Uh, so it's, yeah. I'm repeating myself a bit, but it's, for me, it's all about sensibility and caring about people, how they feel, if maybe how you can...
Um, sometimes I see people working on weddings and they are not so nice or I think they don't really care about the people in general, so they're just here because it's job and they can't wait to [00:23:00] go back home. And, and I think it's too bad be-because If you're working in the wedding industry, I think it's, it's really cool, it's fun, and you're also here to, to help people to feel good about this day, to feel happy, to, to come with joy.
Even maybe sometimes, you know, you're going to a wedding and you're not feeling well, like physically or, or emotionally. But I think you, for this day, you have to give all you have. And it's the s- the same thing for a concert, maybe a gig. Like, people want to have a good time. Like, maybe it's not a good day for you, but you have to, to give all you can so people
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: have a nice moment.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. It's very true. in, in the same, in the same vein, you mentioned stress that, like, everybody's going through on this day.
One Take Pressure
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Elsa Thomasson: when you're r-when you're recording music, right? You can make a mistake,
Mm-hmm.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: wipe it out, and do it again, right? S- But if you're live, it's a one-take, right? There's no going back. [00:24:00] Weddings are live. One-take things, right? There's no do-overs How do you handle that kind of pressure creatively?
Like the fact that you know whether I'm performing live or whether I'm photographing a wedding, I have to be on game. If I make a mistake, I can't let people know that I made a mistake. I just move on. Like, what, what goes through your mind either during your one-hour set when you're performing or whatever it might be,
or
Elsa Thomasson: Mm-hmm.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: when you're photographing a wedding for a full day?
Like, what's going through your mind to ensure that you're always
Elsa Thomasson: Yeah.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: a, a step ahead?
Elsa Thomasson: So for the gigs, concerts, generally we play, like, for two hour, two hour and a half, which is quite a lot. So
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: we are making mistakes, like wrong notes, like, you know. My mistake often is, like, I'm not gonna play the good a, a chord, a note, chord. But it's because, you know, I'm not looking at my, my fingers or the iPad.
Like, I'm looking to the audience. So yeah, sometimes I'm checking the iPad and, oh, I miss it, and... [00:25:00] But it's okay. But it, I think it never happened that we haven't made one mistake. most of the time the people, they don't even
hear it because, well, first, often we are playing in bars and restaurants, so often people are just drinking and chatting. So sometimes, you know, they don't really listen that much, so they can't hear the mistake. So it's okay. I f- I, I know we're gonna make some mistakes, but I really care about the energy. Like, are we
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: offering something to people? Are they gonna dance? Are they gonna sing? Are they gonna think like, "Oh, I like this song," or, "Oh, it's so fun," or, like, we are making, making jokes on stake so- on stage.
So, so this is okay. For a wedding, you know, people are giving you much more money you know, it's one day, it's so important, so there's more pressure I think.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
Elsa Thomasson: it's not about making mistakes, but sometimes at a wedding, like, you know, I'm shooting of course, and, so sometimes, you know, like you, you're, or you're gonna just turn and ooh, the image is a bit too white or [00:26:00] maybe it's too dark or maybe, ah, something happened but ah, it's too late. So yeah, on about, you know, I don't know, I'm doing, like, almost 3,000 pictures a day. Yeah, of course maybe I could have some pictures I, I missed or... I think it's the average counts and, and I'm, I'm quite confident because I, I meet the couple one or twice before and I really talk with them and I'm asking a lot of questions and I'm explain- explaining like, "Oh, if you want to do the ceremony at 3:00 PM in July, you know, like, this, the light m- might be very hard."
So,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
Elsa Thomasson: the best thing, so I will manage, but just please know that this is not what I would recommend, for instance. I think also the customer, they will see if you give, really giving So I think they will really see and they will see the, the beautiful pictures they will see, like, you give all you can for these days and you are like, you know, [00:27:00] all day and smiling and really sharing that beautiful day with them.
And I don't think, or it never happened to me, they will complain, "Oh, when my sister blah, blah, blah, blah, the picture is, you know, is not really sharp or blah, blah, blah, blah." I don't, I don't think would happen. Or very bad luck, like maybe it was a bad casting. Maybe you choose- customer or you agree to sign a contract with customers who maybe were not really fitting with your, mentality.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah, yeah. Very interesting.
Elsa Thomasson: I mean, I'm really committed, and on
Friday nights, normally if I have a wedding, I try not to go out and I try to go to bed early, and Saturday morning I'm doing yoga and meditate, you know, to be very at the best condition. But I don't feel so much pressure because I think also I, I've shoot like about 150 weddings, I'm not saying I'm the best photographer, but you know, like I got experience, so [00:28:00] I'm, I'm
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: I'm gonna do great, like, you know?
Self Care for Wedding Days
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz: it's, it's interesting that you said,if it's a Saturday wedding on a Friday night, you're,
Elsa Thomasson: Hmm.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: you're, you're taking care of yourself, taking care of your body to prepare for the next day that's gonna be, you know, a lot of people don't realize, a lot of people who are not wedding photographers don't realize that wedding photography, it puts a, puts a,
Elsa Thomasson: Yeah.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: beatings on your body that,
Elsa Thomasson: Yeah.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: 'cause you're, you're on your feet all day.
You're up, you're down, you're, you're moving all around. You're going upstairs, you're going downstairs. Yep. You're, yep. so it is, you know, you're, you're burning calories just from, from, from concentrating
for, for 12 hours a day. so yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot. I
Elsa Thomasson: so
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: so
Elsa Thomasson: sorry. So, so on Sunday in general, I feel like I have a hangover, but of
course I don't, I'm not drinking when I'm working, but you know, I'm dehydrated. I'm like,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: hurts and it's a lot. And often people, like sometimes friends, they don't understand [00:29:00] why I try not to go out on Friday night because they're
like, "Oh, but you don't have to wake up so early." Yeah, but I'm gonna work like 14 hours and like, like, you know, it's, it's, it's difficult. And
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: no, I think they don't really realize, but it's okay. It's a nice job. But yeah, it's almost like a sport competition, so you need
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
Elsa Thomasson: prepared. And also it's in respect, I think, for the couple because you know they are paying you, so you should be,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
Elsa Thomasson: or the more you c- you can do, like not tired because you, I don't know, because you went to a nightclub the day before and you, you drank too much.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. Yep, totally.
Photos as Folk Pop
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz: I have two more questions for you, Elsa. the first one, if somebody looked at your photography work as if it was a, an album of music,
Elsa Thomasson: Mm-hmm.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: what would you want them to feel while looking at your work? Like, what kind of, emotions would you want them to feel [00:30:00] a- as if they, they were listening to their favorite music that gives them the s- the same emotions?
Elsa Thomasson: So, my music, well, it's, quite diverse, but
I would say it's pop folk music.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Elsa Thomasson: So I think in my pictures, in my photos, I have the pop, side because it's quite colorful and I like... I don't know, like I generally I have people smiling and people who seem happy and, you know, also popular in the sense of, you know, except if some client they don't want me to post the pictures, of course I
don't.
But everybody else, I post the pictures. For me, it doesn't matter if people are maybe not looking cool or maybe they don't have cool outfits or, um, I don't care. I want to represent, you know, everybody. I don't want anybody to be like out of my social media because, I don't know, they don't look cool or pretty or whatever.
So this is, I think, the side of pop music for like, for everybody. [00:31:00] But also, I think the folk music is more, um, sensitive and emotional and melancholic, and so this is also im-important part for me, and I hope my pictures also can reflect that, the, yeah, the side which is more like maybe poetic,
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
Elsa Thomasson: and more, yeah, more sensitive.
So I, I hope I can show both.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: you actually an- you actually answered my last question, that I was gonna ask you, which was, i- if your, if your photography style was a genre of music, what would it be? and I think that's fine. it's very interesting you said folk pop because, so I have your Instagram up right now, and I'm looking at it, and I definitely see that in the mixture of your vibrant, beautiful co- colors in the color photos that have this great contrast to them, so they do have this, like, pop, sort of look to them, combined with the black and whites that are also in the feed, you're getting this folkiness out of [00:32:00] these, like, contrasty black and whites that are almost like film, type black and whites, which is more folky.
So it is interesting that you're getting, It's a really good sort of explanation of, of the work that, that you offer. so
Elsa Thomasson: Thank
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: it's, pretty good. Pretty good.
Elsa Thomasson: Thank you.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz: yeah.
Wrap Up and Where to Listen
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Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Elsa, this has been, this has been a lot of fun. it's a great conversation. I love to, to just dig into, everybody's overlap, everybody's, you know, history and where it sits now.
And, I'm definitely gonna share, both of your Instagrams, your, your Bandcamp, where everybody can listen to your, your, your songs, and all that. so I, I l- you know, thank you so much. I appreciate you coming on here and chatting with me about it and, and sharing your story.
Elsa Thomasson: Thank you. Do not hesitate to listen to my music because I have songs in, in English I wrote, in French, one in Spanish, one in Italian, and one in Portuguese because I love languages. So if you want to travel, yeah, you can check my Spotify or YouTube or [00:33:00] Instagram.