Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Ben Shmuel.
Hi Elizabeth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My creative journey started at a very young age. Being that I was born and raised in Florida, my family often took trips to Orlando where we’d visit Disney world. My dad always had a video camera on him (back then, those things were huge). I took a big interest in watching our home videos and started recording things myself on the long ride there and back. Fast forward to today, I still hold those videos close to my heart and I’m always eager to create new memories to look back on. I love recreating pictures that my parents took from the past and trying to understand how they got them to look the way they do.
I took up film photography in high school and from then on, I started shooting non-stop. The magic that came with looking at photos you took come to life in your hands just made the world slow down for a second. The whole process from shooting to developing to printing… all of it felt wild to think it was made with light and your hands.
I continued my photography journey at a portfolio school in Miami and there, I met some pretty amazing people and learned more about what I like to shoot and how my style fits into the creative world.
Somehow I fell into the advertising world and worked for a small agency in New York for almost two years before the pandemic, something in me told me this wasn’t the right fit.
The pandemic was a blessing in disguise in a way… I had the chance to truly have time to find my way back to my camera and all the creative messes that come with it!
Today I’ve checked off a few projects I’ve always wanted to try and found super interesting, things like set design, music videos, food styling, and some production work.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a bumpy road full of lessons and self-doubt a lot of times.
It’s so easy to look around you and assume everyone knows exactly what they’re doing at all times (or at least it felt like this for me). I struggled to find my style cause I’d get so caught up in what I thought was the right way to start… in reality the best thing to do is to just START! F*ck up and then f*ck up some more until you stop and look and say, “that’s actually kinda sick”.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I definitely have more of a focus on portrait photography but I also shoot food and products amongst other things. I love to dip my hands into many forms of media. I enjoy creating graphics, shooting videos, and designing sets as well.
I’m most proud of my ability to continue taking on new creative ventures that can sometimes be out of my comfort zone. You never know what you’ll like til you try!
What matters most to you?
Family. My family plays the biggest role in my life. They’re the reason I am who I am and why I do what I do. I think I really became interested in photography and video work because of how photos and old VHS recordings made me feel. As a kid, I would even start to tear up looking through old album photos. Something about the moment in time just stopping right there… How can we even do this? What were people doing in this image later that day? Who took this photo?
All these questions in my head made me the curious little girl that wanted to recreate it all.
Pricing:
- $350 1 hour session
- $1000 day rate
- $400 starting set design hourly rate
Contact Info:
- Email: elizabethbenshmuel@gmail.com
- Website: liziebenshmuel.com
- Instagram: liziegettinbusy
