Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Arndt.
Hi Emily, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Observation has been the theme of my life. It helped me survive difficult childhood circumstances, and later move through a challenging adulthood alongside my found family. Life experience taught me to extend empathy to myself, and then, more deeply, to others. That same habit of watching closely is what Em’s Lens is built on: everyone wants to feel seen, and giving people the space to be themselves is where the best stories come from.
Photography found me early. At York College, my already good eye met formal training, from hand-developing in the darkroom to mastering exposure, framing, and Photoshop. Twenty years later, moving imagery has my heart, and these days I primarily shoot and edit video. It’s far more involved than photography, so I’ve invested heavily in my gear to deliver top-quality visuals for authentic storytelling.
Another thing that sets me apart is my master’s in communications from American University, plus two decades managing marketing and communications for private companies, nonprofits, and the federal government. Years of running data-driven campaigns sharpened how I strategically shape a client’s story, not just how I film it.
Details matter to me, and I never brush past them. Every film from my solo, woman-owned business is immersive, personal, and tied back to one thing: you, and what makes you uniquely you. With Em’s Lens, it’s Your Story, in Focus.
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?
Smooth? Not entirely.
The biggest challenge of building Em’s Lens has been convincing people that video is more than a nice camera and an afternoon of filming. Because video is everywhere now, it feels like anyone can do it, and that’s true. Doing it well is another thing entirely.
With Em’s Lens, clients get master’s-level copywriting to put words to their story, a trained photographer’s eye, and expert command of a fully manual camera, along with a deep understanding of lighting and movement.
Then comes the detailed editing: color and audio correction, carefully chosen effects and music. After ten years of producing professional videos, knowing when the camera should move, and when it should hold still, is often what makes a story land.
Three and a half years in, learning to value my specialized work has been as much a part of the journey as doing it. Just as every client has their own beauty to bring to the world, it took time to see the worth of my own time, skills, and experience, and to price them accordingly.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At Em’s Lens, the work is end-to-end video production, and it starts long before a camera comes out. Asking the right questions helps clients get clear on the message they want to share, who it’s for, and which marketing channel will carry it.
From there, the stories vary widely: surprise anniversary videos for a spouse, mission films for businesses and nonprofits, live event coverage, and fundraising videos. That last category has been especially meaningful, since those videos have helped raise almost $50,000 for York County nonprofits.
Editing is the part clients tend to underestimate. However long the shoot lasted, every minute of that footage has to be watched back first, which adds time right at the start. It’s worth it, because the key to a video that works for its audience is finding the emotional root of the story.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Music has been part of life for as long as memory serves. Excellent pitch memory and a deep understanding of music mean every edit gets an ear for rhythm and feeling, and knowing how the right song can change a story is one of the quiet secrets behind my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emslens.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emslens23/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emslens23/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyarndt1/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/emslens
