We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emily Christy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emily below.

Emily, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

Growing up I was very creative. As a kid I loved to draw, paint, and perform. All things creatively based were what I was interested in. However, I was told from a young age that creative jobs are not realistic. I enjoyed writing, but being an author “isn’t realistic”. I was in the performing arts for ten years (acting, singing, dancing, etc.), but making a career out of that “isn’t realistic”. By the time I was a teenager, social media and Youtube were really popular. I loved watching videos, making videos, taking pictures of my friends and there was even a Canon camera that I always had my eye on, but never bought. I was convinced so early on that anything I had a passion for was not going to be a sustainable job, so I went from having several ‘dream jobs’ to having none at all.

When I was graduating high school and being asked what I wanted to do, I had no answer. I figured eventually I would find something I could tolerate doing, but none of the career paths that the educational system pushes upon students sparked anything in me. I decided to major in Communications at the University of Cincinnati. Surely with the broadest major possible, something would come. I spent two years earning my Associate Degree in Communications. During that time I dreaded school because I didn’t know what I was going there for. I worked part-time and full-time jobs and had zero creative outlets. It was scary not knowing what I would do when it was over and I felt like I was wasting my time. It wasn’t until a year after college that I found my love for photography.

If I could do it all again and start over, I would go to school for something creative, literally anything. Even if I didn’t initially choose journalism or photography, I think I would have found it along the way no matter what. Being in a creative space during that time would have saved me from a lot of stress and anxiety. I could have started building a portfolio earlier, taken internships for photography in college and been further ahead in my career. But all that being said, I still am incredibly happy with where I am right now. Everything happened the way it did for a reason, I’m just glad I found that spark again.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Emily Christy, I’m from Cincinnati, OH, I’m a sports photographer and digital content creator. In 2020, I started taking portrait photos. I built a small business of my own called Gieske Photography (Gieske is my maiden name), which was featured last year by Voyage Ohio magazine. For two years I spent time taking photos of couples, seniors, families and I even did a few weddings. Three months after my article came out in that magazine, I started taking sports photos.

After toying with the idea of trying sports photography for months, I decided to reach out to local teams in my area, asking them if I could come take photos to build my portfolio. I didn’t have any sports photos to show, but I had my portrait work to prove that I knew how to use my camera. With zero sports experience, the University of Cincinnati’s Athletic Department said they would allow me to choose some of their games to attend. My first game was August 21st, 2022 at a soccer game. I also shot for volleyball and a few football games.

Through working with the University of Cincinnati, I found out that they had a club hockey team. While the team is considered a club, they are also semi-varsity as a part of the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association). My favorite sport is hockey so I proceeded in reaching out to them for an opportunity to shoot a game. I took photos at their home opener in September of 2022 and enjoyed it so much that I asked to come to another game a few months later. After two games, I contacted their team managers and we had a phone call where I expressed my interest in working for the team. I was added on as their official Content Creator by November of 2022.

Since November, I have not only shot and created countless amounts of content for the University of Cincinnati Men’s Ice Hockey team, but I also began freelancing for a media agency called Undrafted News. Through them I have gotten to take photos at the NHL level and even attended a few NCAA hockey games for the Ohio State University and Miami University (OH). While hockey is in it’s off season, I am currently taking photos for the Florence Y’alls baseball team as their Photography Intern. In less than a year I created a portfolio that I am incredibly proud of.

One day I would like to make this my full-time career. I hope to encourage others to pursue their dreams, but specifically to inspire young girls and women in sports. My goal is to leave others feeling impacted by my work as much as my experiences in the industry have impacted me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative in the sports industry is the community. I have received far more support and built more relationships with people than I could have ever imagined. I went from having zero instagram followers to having 1,400 in less than a year and while that is just a number, the majority of those followers are athletes, coaches, and tons of fellow sports creatives, some of which I have never met. The ones I have never met are some of my biggest supporters online, sending me meaningful, kind messages and comments of encouragement.

I’ve not only built relationships with them, but the people I have had the privilege of working with in person. The hockey team I work with has become like a second family to me. The support they show me not only in their program, but outside of it in my other endeavors is truly so special. I can only hope as I continue to grow in my career and inevitably move to different teams, that I am as welcomed, appreciated and valued as much as I am there.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

While I don’t think it is ever said with cruel intentions, I’ve often received comments in conversations and messages that suggest my job is just clicking a button. That all of the work, time, energy and creative ideas I put forth into this career is actually just luck. Although I often feel very lucky to be where I am, to discredit the success that I or any other creative in this industry has had by calling it ‘luck’ or ‘button pushing’ is hurtful and untrue.

Myself and I am sure many other creatives, have had to learn so much to not only create high quality content, but we sacrifice a lot. I am not working full-time in this industry yet, so I have all of my sports photography jobs that I participate in part-time, on top of a full-time job in the insurance industry. Outside of working, I also have a husband, friends and family who I sacrifice my time with to pursue this dream.

It seems misunderstood that because a creative job may seem more fun than others, that it doesn’t qualify as hard work. It has it’s difficulties and challenges just as much as other careers. I love what I do and I seemingly made a lot of progress in a short amount of time, but that does not mean it was easy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilychristysports.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilychristy_sports
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilychristysports
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmilyChristy
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emilychristy_sports

Image Credits
Emily Christy Sports NHL & NCAA Hockey photos shot for Undrafted News by Emily Christy Y’alls Baseball photos shot by Emily Christy