Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremiah Frisby.
Hi Jeremiah, 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?
I’ve always been a “car guy” or a “gear head” so to speak. I’ve been a part of the car scene since I was in my late teens and I grew up around car guys as a you child.
This adventure started a couple of years ago when I bought a 2013/Fiat/500 Abarth. The car was in excellent condition with 18xxx miles. They have an Italian racing pedigree with a rich history. Known as a pocket Ferrari. I started upgrading the car right away. That led me to showing the car locally.
My goal at that point was to start a social media page based on my car and I’d call it The Daily Sting. This was also directly related to the car. The badge for an Abarth is a scorpion. This is based on the astrological sign of the creator Carlo Abarth. I was planning to post daily and the post would be just about my car. Hence the Instagram name “The Daily Sting”
A little more about my car, there are several different trims/versions of my car in Europe. Even a special edition related to Ferrari. However in the US we were only given one version of the Abarth with the only differences really being a convertible vs hardtop and automatic vs manual gearbox. The automatic wasn’t available in the US until 2015 while the Manual first became available in the US in 2012.
As I started showing the car more I started taking more and more pics of all the cars, trucks, and bikes I could find. My interest was really peaked in June 2024 when my car was in a music video staring a very talented up and coming artist named Hana Canhasi “calling” at the Cherry Garage on Locust in St Louis. I had a great time working with her and the whole crew. I started to see all the things I could be doing. I talked with a couple of freelance photographers who was on site for the video to gain more insight. Seeing it all first hand and participating a little behind the scenes etc. was so much fun to see and be a part of. You don’t get to see those kinds of things very often let alone be part of it.
After that some friends started to take interest in my work even though at that time I really didn’t know what I was doing. But it gave me a nudge so to speak. So off i went, I’m completely self taught. One thing I’ve learned about myself throughout my life is that I dive in 150% to anything that I find a passion for, turns out I had been bitten by the photography bug.
I decided to obtain professional equipment and learn the trade. I went all in trusting in my ability to learn and I’m happy I did. There’s no better teacher than experience, well and the university of YouTube lol. I started to absorb any and all photography information I could get my hands on. Everything from technical, equipment, lighting, editing, positioning, I couldn’t get enough. I’m sure you get the point.
I’ve now been on this journey for about 8 months. I’m a one man band, I do everything myself from start to finish. I’ve found this helps keep cost down for my clients as well.
Within that time I’ve offered to work for free to build a portfolio and relationships. As a result I became a freelance photographer for the Cars and Coffee Foundation (CCF) supporting #blackplates for MO. If you have time please visit carsandcoffeefoundation.org and sign the petition to make Cars and Coffee #blackplates a legal option to purchase in the state of MO. I’m sorry for the shameless plug but it’s an amazing license plate that looks good on your car.
This opened other doors for me. I would reach out to local dealerships especially ones with unique or exotics vehicles for sale. I would speak with a manager or whoever was in charge of PR/media, introduce myself and explain I’m calling to discuss getting some photos for CCF black plates campaign. I have a magnetic replica CCF black plate that I put on the cars when taking photos for the campaign. I’ve built several professional relationships with local businesses as a result. It doesn’t hurt that I’m very outgoing by nature. How you carry yourself is very important. I always try to be fair, humble, and honest. With a little sprinkle of kindness. I like to over deliver. Don’t be afraid to ASK. You’d be amazed at what you can get done by just asking.
I’ve recently been offering and doing free edits for my followers. These are photos my followers have taken and they send to me to “work my magic” as some of them would say. I typically have them back to the follower the next day and I give them permission to use the edited photos however they’d like. This has also led to meeting several people and earning their support. That’s what I care about the most, building my community. I also do this to help establish and build my portfolio while spreading kindness and happiness in my community at the same time. I lead by example. My ultimate goal is to build a community that’s full of kindness and that’s supportive of one another.
I’m branching out into other fields of photography like weddings, parties, graduations, portraits, special occasions, real-estate or any photography needs. I’m also able to film and or shoot rollers. I have all the camera and car mounting equipment ready to go. I plan to have a high-end drone available for services soon. I’m very flexible with my services and recently got my website up and running www.dailystingstudios.com.
Anyone can view my portfolio, galleries, and book appointments. If anyone has a special request or questions in general they can always contact me through the website or DM on Instagram @thedailystingg. I’m sure there are other things I could add but in the interest of everyone’s time I’ll end it here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say yes and no. It’s been smooth in the sense of talking to people and finding plenty of cars to shoot but it’s been challenging in the sense of getting in front of people to say “hey, I’m here and I can help you look your best”. Let me work for you and put an eye on you and/or your business. I guess I’m saying it’s hard to get people to notice you without having a marketing budget as a new business.
I plan to try and build some relationships with auto detailers and dealerships soon. Thankfully my work seems to help me gain followers to build onto my community however, Its challenging to build a client base. It’s happening slowly but surely. However, the biggest challenge has been learning and doing everything on my own but I’m happy to say I’ve overcome that challenge.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In my full time career I work for a major auto insurance company. I’ve been a claims adjuster, subject matter expert, senior adjuster, level II adjuster, auto physical damage estimator, total loss/theft estimator, and head of physical damage recreation committee. I’m most proud of working for this company 18 years in September and I’m currently top 5 in the company for vehicle channeling.
When I’m not at the day job I’m literally spending every free moment doing photography related things like editing, shoots, and managing social media.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Visit my website www.dailystingstudios.com to book a shoot with me or to view my work. The website went live very recently. I also design, print, and frame custom car posters or t-shirts directly made from photos of your vehicle. Making them unique to you or your special someone. They’re truly one of a kind unique products that make great gifts for any car guy or gal. I’m sure there are other things I’ll remember after I finish this interview.
Pricing:
- Pricing can be found on my website.
- First time customers get 10% off
- Veterans get 10% off
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dailystingstudios.com
- Instagram: @thedailystingg
- Facebook: @thedailysting
- Twitter: @thedailysting
- Youtube: @thedailysting
