THE OUTPOST - entry002 - Daybreak Launch Shoot
Hey there Daybreak Crew,
For our second entry in THE OUTPOST, I wanted to share a little behind the scenes of our first Daybreak shoot that took place in St. Augustine back in May.
One thing that George and I really wanted to hit on with the outward expression of Daybreak is the fact that we wouldn't be who we are or where we are without the people who surround us. Due to this (alongside an incredibly low production budget) we wanted our closest friends to be involved in our founding shoot.
Our home base was a cool stilt house on the intracoastal side of A1A just north of the Crescent Beach Bridge, a 10 minute walk to the beach and a 2 minute walk from the neighborhood boat ramp. It was a great spot to hang out between shooting locations and rest up when nothing was going on. St. Augustine, for most Gainesville natives, is a kind of second home town. Everyone's been there and everyone has their own little spots they like to go to that are unique in their own way. During this trip George and I were brainstorming about where to go/what to shoot outside of our planned shot list and it seemed like every niche idea that I had was an unknown spot to him, and every niche idea from him was an unknown spot to me.
The best moment of that weekend came when George wasn't even behind the camera. We shot sunset at Rattlesnake Island, which is just south of the Matanzas inlet (we highly recommend going to hang out here). When we wrapped for the night, none of us had eaten and we were all starving. We decided to go to Mango Mango’s which, even though it's off A1A near the beach, I consider it an under rated spot. This dinner was the best moment of our trip because all 12 or so of us enjoyed each other's company rather than being on our phones. We were all joking, laughing, catching up, and having a good time. It was a very present moment where it felt like we were all celebrating new beginnings; the reason why we were there in the first place.
Aside from the quality time spent with friends, executing the shoot was a pretty surreal experience. The exact vibe and concepts we envisioned for Daybreak were being witnessed in real time through George’s lens and then again when staying up late watching George edit. What made it all so great is that a lot of these photos and quick videos we got weren't actually planned, it was just snapshots of us all hanging out. Which is the exact ideology behind Daybreak. No plan, no agenda, just seeing where the day goes and being present in that moment. That's what makes it all worth it in the end, and the exact reason we started Daybreak.
As we continue to grow this brand, shoots like this will be more and more common either in the form of trips with the guys or just hangout sessions captured on a camera. So when you see Daybreak content in the future, just know there's nothing too serious about it, we're just showing you the lifestyle we try to live.
See you guys later,
Dylan
