Exploring Life & Business with Connor Moriarty of Elysian Studios

Today we’d like to introduce you to Connor Moriarty.

Hi Connor, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a Clevelander through and through, born and raised in Shaker Heights, and coming full circle to moving back to Shaker with my wife and daughter 3 years ago. I went to school at Miami University, worked in Columbus for 5 years after I graduated, and that’s what brings me to today, running my branding studio in Solon. 

I graduated with 3 degrees in Photography, Journalism, and Comparative Media Studies. I discovered my love and passion for photography relatively late compared to most: my first year of school. I found myself resenting the science-based degree I was pursuing and craving creativity and leading. So, I decided to re-route my education, pursuing photography, something I always loved but never knew I could make a future with. Adding Journalism and Media Studies to the mix really helped provide a well-rounded creative education. While I was in school, I had a few jobs: I was the Photo Editor for the local newspaper, I was a photographer for the University Marketing Department, and I was a photographer for a local fashion magazine. 

After graduation, I moved to Columbus with my now wife, Tori (who I met in freshman year Spanish class), and I landed a contract photography position doing editorial product studio photography for an online retailer called Zulily. That contract ended, but I loved what I was doing, so I used my writing degree to keep my foot in the door and take the only open full-time job that Zulily had: a product copywriter position. What I did was I worked hard to finish my copy schedule early every day so that I could go into the photo studio and help out the team and give some face time. It paid off because when a Studio Manager position opened up a few months later, I was the first choice. So, they promoted me to leading the studio, and that’s what I did for years. I lead a team of 30 photographers, stylists, and production assistants as we created product and editorial photography for vendors all over the world, such as Adidas, Nike, Fanatics, Bali, Beats by Dre, and many more. This is when I learned that though I’m a photographer at heart, my real passion lies in creative directing or leading the production instead of executing it. 

All of this brings me to today, working as the Studio Manager/Creative Director for my studio called Elysian Studios. Through a mutual friend, I was put in touch with some Cleveland investors who owned a multi-national digital post-production company and were interested in opening a product photography studio sister brand. They brought me in to hire a team, build the studio, implement production workflows, buy equipment, and overall run the studio. I created the website and built the studio from the ground up. Today, I run the day-to-day operations as well as the long-term direction of the brand, including targeted marketing campaigns, client outreach and consultation, and growth plans. We have acquired more than 500 clients in 3 years, including multiple Berkshire Hathaway brands, Fruit of The Loom, and Vanity Fair. I personally help clients by consulting with them, learning about their brand and their goals, coordinating the entire shoot (models, props, assistants, sets, editing, etc.), and building their entire visual brand through photography and design. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m extremely thankful for the opportunities I have had in my career. I do recognize that I am where I am largely because of how hard I worked and because of my ability to lead creative teams, but without my many amazing mentors and bosses who took risks by investing in me along the way, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today. 

That being said, any photographer will tell you that making a career out of photography is in of itself a very difficult endeavor. As we all know, the majority of photographers shoot portraits, weddings, sports, and events, but I have no interest in that type of photography. The type of photography I’m passionate about, product and branding, is a small segment of the photo world, and the vast majority of jobs are contract-based. As a family man, I require job security in a full-time, salaried position, and those are very hard to come by. 

Because of this, I quickly learned that you can’t just do what’s expected of you to make it in this industry. Having money and knowing people doesn’t get you as far as it does in other industries. You have to work late, go above and beyond, prove yourself, and do more than what’s in your job description, all while standing out from everyone else with the work you produce. An example of this was taking a job I didn’t like, copywriting, just to keep my foot in the door at a company I knew would kick-start my career. I paid my dues in that job, finished my writing schedule early every day, so I had time to volunteer in the photo studio, and by the time the studio was hiring, management had seen my effort and rewarded me for it. I’m so thankful that they took a risk with me and gave me an opportunity to prove myself because I wouldn’t be here today if they hadn’t. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Elysian Studios?
Elysian Studios is a creative agency specializing in product and branding photography for businesses all over the country. We are visual storytellers, bolstering brands through the creative vision and expertise I have gained through my career. We service everyone, from small Amazon sellers to brands on the Fortune 500. Our mission is simple: take the time to invest in our clients and learn about their brand and their goals so that we can execute visual content tailored exactly to who they are and what they need. Unlike other studios that more or less do the same thing for every customer, we do something different for every project. 

I start by meeting with the stakeholders at the company and learn what brought them to us, what their goals are, and what their brand is. I then learn about their products, do industry and competitor analysis, and apply that to what I already know about the current industry trends to make a comprehensive plan for re-vamping their brand. We utilize photography, styling, editing, design, and 3D rendering to create any vision our clients may have. 

The biggest hurdle I have is this: we solve a problem that most companies don’t know they have. I spend most of my time convincing brands why they will benefit from our services. Bad photography is not something you can directly correlate with revenue, and seeing a clear ROI from investing in new photography is hazy at best. The expense of professional photography is high, but the value is priceless. Online shoppers are visual people, brand recognition is visual, brand identities are visual, yet many companies still don’t prioritize professional visual content. But we have a clear and solid track record with our clients seeing increased sales after investing in photography. 

What do you think about happiness?
As much as I love my career, I don’t live to work; I work to live. 

What makes me happy is what I get to come home to. I have the most remarkable wife, Tori, who I have been with for 11 years. She is a Marketing Manager for Amplify, an education company providing curricula for schools across the country. She is the strongest, hardest-working, most inspirational person I have ever met. I am the man I am today because of her. 

We have a 16-month-old daughter named Marley, who is our world. Her smile makes the worst days the best days, and I crave coming home to see her every day. We also have a goofy Golden Retriever named Sky (short for Skywalker, of course) and 2 cats. 

Together with my family, there are so many things I love to do. We love the outdoors, so we go hiking and camping almost every weekend. Our favorite place locally is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, but our favorite place ever is Colorado. We try to go out west to hike and camp once every year or so. 

Gardening and landscaping are other passions of ours, and nothing makes me quite as happy and relaxed as working in the yard, whether I’m adding to my pollinator garden, building a terrace, or mowing the lawn. 

I love to read and try to get through a few fantasy or sci-fi books every month. I’m currently reading the Silo trilogy by Hugh Howey. 

Cooking together is one of my and Tori’s absolute favorite things. We make homemade meals almost every night, and it’s a great time to wind down, catch up after a long day, and just be together. My favorite thing to make is homemade spaghetti, making the noodles and sauce from scratch, but if you ask my wife, the best things I make are hot katsu chicken sandwiches and smash burgers. 

I’m passionate about many beverages. I couldn’t live without bourbon and coffee (sometimes together!). I love discovering new bourbon and sipping them with Tori. 

Last but not least, I’m a Star Wars geek. I love to watch and read anything Star Wars, and I am obsessed with the fandom. I call Marley “Stardust,” and 2 of our pets are named after Star Wars characters (Skywalker and Obi-Wan). My red Jeep’s nickname is “Darth Maul,” and yes, I have an Empire logo on my bumper. 

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.connormoriarty.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connormoriarty_Photo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-moriarty/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYNZ5lS6irl3BeHgCFPolUw
• Other: https://elysianprostudios.com/

Image Credits
Connor Moriarty