Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Geist.
Hi Emily, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been interested in photography almost my whole life, but it wasn’t until 2017 that I got my first DSLR camera. I bought a used one just to play around with and it was really a hobby for quite a while. Eventually, I ended up in a job where we had nobody to handle the more creative aspects of business, so I started taking the initiative to do those things myself and was essentially self-taught. I quickly learned the basics, and even some of the more advanced tools and abilities of the Adobe suite, learned how to take basic high-quality product images, and even helped build a few websites. After that job several years later, I ended up opening my own product-based business where I continue to do quite literally everything myself. I make my products, photograph them, upload them, optimize the listings… you name it, I’ve done it for my own brand. Fast-forward to 2024, though I do love my business I realized that my true passion is not in the making of the products themselves, but the promoting and marketing instead. When you are a small business owner, professional quality marketing can seem unattainable when prices are sky high and all you see online are expensive agencies claiming they will do everything for you for several thousand dollars a month. In theory this could be a great deal, however, many of us don’t have that to invest, especially on something with no guarantee to actually bring in money. So, I decided why not start helping other people like myself? I have always been passionate about small businesses, and the idea of providing a valuable resource to others at a price that is reasonable just seemed like a no-brainer for me. I have become very burnt out and tired of just making my products and when I started trying to think of other ways to fill my time while bringing in some income, it hit me that offering product photography and creative services was the way to go.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Surprisingly, yes! I am lucky to have plenty of experience with starting up businesses, so for the most part it was pretty easy for me to develop my branding and get an initial website off the ground. After a few months, I did decide to rebuild the website which ended up being a huge pain, but it was worth it in the end. I will admit I have not had very many clients yet, and I was feeling a bit discouraged as of late with how little traction I was getting, but almost as quickly as I felt discouraged some new opportunities popped up and reminded me to stay optimistic and just keep grinding.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Although I do offer portrait and event photography, my primary focus is product photography and e-commerce support. That could be anything from photographing a bar of soap to helping a hair salon update their website!
Humans are very visual creatures, so it’s no surprise that strong visuals are vital to promoting businesses + bringing in clients/customers. Anyone can snap a few pictures with their iPhone or throw together a quick facebook page, but elevating the online presence to a more professional look and feel isn’t quite so easy. Fortunately, this is where I can come in and make a huge impact for small businesses.
I believe what sets me apart from others is my unique experience both in manufacturing and owning my own businesses, as well as my passion for helping other brands grow – affordably. I’m not in this to make millions, I really just want to take nice pictures and share my skills with those who need it most.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was very similar to how I am now, but I wasn’t always sure what I wanted to do for a living. For a long time I thought I wanted to write music, but after a few years of music school it lost it’s luster and I shifted gears to more practical avenues of income.
I have always been very determined, creative, and business-minded. I enjoy creating as much as I enjoy marketing, branding, and commerce in general. (Everything except accounting!)
Pricing:
- Product photography starting at $10/image
- Graphic Design & Web Optimization $50/hr
- Portrait sessions starting at $150
- Event coverage as low as $250
- Always open to trades & bartering!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://emshad.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/emshadcreative
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568214266654
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@emshadcreative
