About Unit Stills Photographer Daniel Geesen

Unit Stills Photography is where I can finally say “I love my job.” I feed off the creative challenge of capturing the essence of Film, Documentary, and Television productions within single frames. I have spent a lot of time behind the lens of stills cameras over the last 20+ years honing my craft and constantly learning. Over the past 6+ years I’ve worked on some of the biggest and smallest film sets in Ireland, learning setiquette and skills that helped me bridge the gap between two passions.

Origin Story

Hailing from Missoula, Montana, I was very interested in photography from a young age.  It started as a hobby, as it almost always does.  I was working in a busy kitchen when, dissatisfied with my digital point-and-shoot, I decided to splash out on a ‘proper camera’ and sign up for a photography course.  I completed “Making the Most out of your Interchangeable-Lens Camera” early enough to be only one of two individuals in the class with a newfangled dSLR.

The other students were given the task of shooting exclusively on slide film while me and my one digital comrade were fairly limited to shooting only 36 frames per week on our Canon dSLRs to emulate the careful premeditation our manual film cohort would have before clicking the shutter release on their SLR cameras.

I spent the next 16 or so years continuing to make my living through the culinary arts even while making the move from Missoula, to Seattle, to Dublin.  I found a stable home in Ireland, becoming Head Chef of a restaurant in a quaint seaside town.  Queue plot twist.  Fate cruelly intervened, when one of the owners of the restaurant tragically passed away very unexpectedly.  The restaurant closed its doors permanently.

I had been passionately practising photography in the background and improving my art, gathering a small following and sparking a growing commercial interest.  So, I brazenly/foolishly leaned into the change, pivoting careers, and realising one dream of becoming my own boss.  As a freelance photographer, I enjoyed shooting a wide range of creative subjects and commercial projects. You can learn more about the types of things I shoot when I’m not on set by visiting my main website DanielGeesen.com.

A Cinematic Story-Arc

Of course, working for oneself has its pros and cons.  The irregularity and shortage of jobs is honestly terrifying and a legitimate existential threat, but the freedom of setting my own schedule meant suddenly I could pursue interests and opportunities that had never previously been possible.  My cinematic journey ignited on the set of the renowned series “Vikings.”  The series had put out a background casting call for all men of a minimum height of 5’8″.  Barely making the cut, I took it as another sign of fate, self shot a headshot hoping my Ragnar-wannabe hairdo combined with my spectacularly average height, would make me a shoe-in, and sent it off to Ashford Studios.  The next day they called, inviting me to report to the studio in all 5’8” of my glory, for a costume fitting.  It was a ceremonious occasion; I arrived as a mere freelance photographer and I left formally dubbed by my NDA as a “Background Artiste.”

My first experience as an extra provided a unique behind-the-scenes view of the mesmerising filmmaking process.  I was struck by the collaborative nature of filmmaking.  Watching so many creatives, from costume and set design, hair and makeup, lighting and sound, to the actors and directors, interweaving their unique talents and contributions to tell stories that were greater than the sum of their parts was enthralling.  However, an underlying feeling persisted—an urge to have my camera in hand.  My inner photographer was perpetually finding details and angles on set and framing compositions with an imaginary lens.  Like most people, I didn’t know Unit Stills Photographers were a thing.  Of course I had seen, and appreciated, hundreds if not thousands of images shot by Unit Stills Photographers over the years, but I kind of just assumed they were single frames pulled from the video.  That was until I saw the skilled Unit Stills Photographers at work on the set of “Vikings.”  It hit me immediately, that was it, that was my dream job.  Unit Stills Photography was the perfect combination of two great passions; Photography, and Filmmaking.

The Evolution

Fast forward six years, and I have not only graced (or perhaps disgraced with this ugly mug) the screen as an extra on some of the biggest Irish productions for Netflix, HBO, Apple TV+, and Paramount+, but have also earned a reputation as an adept Unit Stills Photographer.  My portfolio includes a growing array of Short Films, Commercials, and Documentaries, which I hope you will find showcases my ability to capture the heart and soul of each project.

Selected Unit Stills Credits