Daily Inspiration: Meet JJ Geiger

Today we’d like to introduce you to JJ Geiger.

Hi JJ, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began photography in high school, my grandpa was a Navy photographer and passed along his old cameras to me. I went on to study acting at Juilliard and after graduation and working in the business, I decided I needed more agency over my own creativity. I picked up the camera again and started photographing my friends and from there, it snowballed. It all happened very naturally which I took as a good sign I was doing what was best for me.

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?
Nothing is ever a smooth road. I’ve come up against struggles constantly, which I like; struggling pushes me farther, it makes me examine my approach and my work in a new way. The biggest struggle has been learning how to make this a career and something that exists off of social media. The best thing to me about art is being able to touch, hold or at least see it in person. Because of the age we live in, everything exists virtually which makes having an impact difficult.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a photographer focusing mainly on portraiture and sometimes fashion. My work is known for being soft, easy and natural. I focus mostly on queer people and the queer experience in America. My work showcases queer people, often in their homes or an intimate space. I love looking at how throughout history queer people have to carve out our own space and showcasing the person and people behind that carving out. Who are the architects of our community? Those people have stories to tell and I focus on highlighting them.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
The role of luck is really just being in the right place at the right now with a good amount of preparation. I feel incredible to do this work full-time, but it came with a lot of hard work, self-education, support of friends and family and belief in myself. I think luck can be around every corner but we have to be ready for it.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: jjgeigerphotos.com
• Instagram: @jgeigs

Image Credits:
All images belong to JJ Geiger