This week we bring you 5 Minutes with Amber and Garrette Baird of Eyenamics, dynamic wife and husband duo and Sony Artisans of Imagery - Thank you both for taking the time to chat!
Website: Eyenamics.com
IG @eyenamics @the_garrette @amberbaird
FB: facebook.com/eyenamics
Who are you, what do you do and how long have you been doing it? We are Amber and Garrette Baird of Eyenamics, wedding and documentary filmmakers and Sony Artisans of Imagery. Together we have been in the industry for 16+ years, but Garrette has had a camera in his hand for far longer.
When you started out in the field you’re in, how did you get your first “break” / was there a defining moment you just knew “This is what I want to do!” We are totally self taught and really never thought we could make a living doing what we do now. We started filming weddings for friends and family and when the first person offered to pay us... $200... we were hooked. We realized we could do what we love and be paid for it.
When people like me ask you that question “What’s your favourite photograph you’ve ever taken” which one do you think of first? This question is like asking someone which baby is their favorite. We have filmed over 600 weddings, countless commercial projects, documentaries, and all of them have a special place in our hearts because we learn something new and important during each one. We are currently working on a documentary we are very passionate about and it may be our favorite if we have to pick. It's a documentary about the life of a legendary photojournalist and we can't wait for it to be finished.
Do you have a photographic inspiration? Our biggest filmmaking inspirations come from a variety of television shows and movies. We are sci-fi people at heart and love to break down scenes in everything we watch to figure out lighting, camera movements, lens choices, etc.
What gear do you mostly use and what bags do you use mainly? We use the Sony a7siii and the full line of GMaster lenses Sony has to offer. We also use Light and Motion Stella CLX10 lights for all of our projects. We transport our gear in the ThinkTank Airport Security V2 (yes v2, we've been waiting for it to fail so we can buy a new one and it just won't) and the video tripod manager for our light stands, tripods, monopods, and lighting. We have a lean and small kit to enable us to move quickly. This has led to a rule for us, if we want a new piece of gear it must fit in our Airport Security bag or replace something that already exists.
Any advice for someone wanting to do what you do? One thing that has propelled us forward in our career is to say YES. We have been asked to film many projects we didn't technically know how to do, but we did our research and made it happen. Also, forget about getting the approval of others in your industry and do what you love. Your passion will find its place.
Thanks so much to Amber and Garrette for sharing some of themselves with us! Please make sure you check out their work at the linkage below!
Website: Eyenamics.com
IG @eyenamics @the_garrette @amberbaird
FB: facebook.com/eyenamics