the photography, cinematography and biography of Jared Eischen

[A Passion for Photography}

story by Jon Bennett
photography by Jared Eischen

​Local photographer Jared Eischen realized his passion at a young age. It all started with his family and family videos. While some people shy away from the camera, Jared was drawn to it, whether it be on vacation, at school events or holidays. He fondly remembers his mom taking home movies of their family, and that is what he looks back on and smiles as he remembers how he found his love of photography. After realizing his love for the camera, his mom gave him a camera for his birthday one year, and he got his start with friends and family.

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​Taking It To The Next Level

After growing up in Willmar, Minn., Eischen moved to Moorhead to attend MSUM studying film, chasing a lifelong passion. He met many close friends in college and started with videos of friends hanging out at the dorm and different school events. From this, he took it to the next level by shooting weddings for a “friends and family” discount, using the earnings to upgrade his gear while growing his love for the art. During his time in college, Eischen worked on MSUM's “Go Team,” which covered the school's sporting events, and reaffirmed his interest in filmography while "testing the waters," as he said. During his college years he landed a job at Valley News Live in Fargo as a production assistant working on live news casts and various programs, while getting a taste of every part of television. ​

Bigger And Bigger

Eishcen recalls a pivotal point in his career was during college when he came across an ad for a DJI Phantom 3 drone. He recalls knowing some things about drones, but wasn’t fully aware at the time of the magic he could create with them, thinking they weren’t available for the public to use. Years later, his fascination of drones became a reality — you might say a dream come true. This allowed Eischen to take his work to the next level, creating outdoor shoots, nature photography and some incredible landscape images. By this time, his work had shifted from mostly photography, to film making.

Words From The Artist 

“If you look at my photography, most of the photos are taken at sunset. It's pretty hard to beat a nice Minnesota summer sunset, and I draw my inspiration from all the time I've spent on the lake. I've lived in Minnesota my whole life, and we would often visit the lakes as a family," said Eischen. "It's one of the best things about the state, honestly, so shooting photos of the Minnesota lakes at sunset is probably my favorite type of photo to shoot.

Along with drones and sunsets, my next favorite type of photos to shoot would be photos of the night sky. Living in Minnesota means we don't have a ton of light pollution, so on a crisp, clear night, you can see the night sky light up with stars once your eyes are adjusted. I am always blown away by the stars whenever I go out shooting in the middle of the night. Shooting photos at night always happens in two phases for me. The first phase is where I get to my location and just stop and stare up into the sky. This part is non-negotiable, and I will always take a moment to appreciate the clear sky and how some people may have never experienced such a thing before. Once I am done star gazing, I get to work with my cameras trying to translate the experience I just had observing the night sky into a photograph I can share with my friends and family."

Where Can You Find Jared Eischen?

Eischen resides in Moorhead and owns Jared Eischen Cinematography. He films weddings, local events, automotive shoots, real estate photography (photos and drone work) and, as you can see, some stunning nature and landscape work. His work is on display in various businesses in our community. His full time job is in the corporate office of Scheels as a creative media specialist where his primary role is lead camera operator. He is responsible for shooting, editing and distributing commercials for the company. 

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