We recently connected with Mario Daye and have shared our conversation below.
Mario, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I developed the foundations for film and photography in a summer camp after my high school graduation with Full Frame Film Festival. During this camp we learned what it meant to be a Director, Producer, Sound Tech/Op, Editor, and BTS Photographer for films. That summer camp was priceless and I still hold on to those foundational gems that I learned. Upon completion of our final documentary, I was headed off to boot camp with the U.S. Air Force. I can honestly say although the military was beneficial in ways that I’m thankful for, it also stood in my way when it came to progressing my knowledge as fast as I wanted when it came to my film and photography career. However, I pride myself in being a resilient individual and I didn’t let those obstacles prevent me from doing what I love.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
What’s going on everyone? My name is Mario Daye. I am a professional portrait and travel photographer who happens to be a filmmaker currently residing on the outskirts of Atlanta, GA. I enjoy meeting new people, traveling/exploring with my family, watching movies, hosting events, acting, doing creative photoshoots, and directing films. Film and photography has always been a passion of mine since I was a toddler. I love telling unique stories through stills and motion pictures which has led me to create my own company, Daye&Knight. As you probably have guessed, Daye&Knight is a photography and film production company, founded in the year of 2013 by me through my love and passion for the creative arts. Every artist is unique in their own right and that’s what I bring to my clients; a unique perspective or visions from a Daye’s point of view. Whether you are looking to capture portraits of any kind, destination images/video footage of your city, state or country, events, products and more, we are your one stop shop. With a decade of experience in this field, I’ve noticed that a lot of people have an idea but can’t creatively bring it to fruition and that is where Daye&Knight comes in. With our creatively unique perspective we can help you take your idea from conception to perfection. There’s nothing like seeing the excitement of my clients when they see the final results. Overall, Daye&Knight represents me using my talents and abilities to make a positive change. We are all knights in shining armor saving the day by exemplifying our skills and gifts to the world. Art has saved my life and I want to do the same for others through my creative passions.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I would have to say that my mission is to inspire young creatives and be a sort of motivation for them. Growing up, movies inspired my imagination and creativity. My family wanted me to be a judge or lawyer, but I knew that I wanted to inspire people through images and that’s been my goal ever since. Hearing people tell me that I motivated them or inspired them to go after their purpose is everything.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
So the positive part about my military journey is that I spent a lot of time in training or on active orders as a reservist. While in Basic Military Training and Tech School, I saved up quite a bit of money. I did so by not balling out on a nice car like most new recruits do when they get to their first duty station. I knew that I was going back home soon and those bills were going to start flowing in, so I became frugal and spent my money on necessities. At the time, I was never really the type to treat myself. Upon returning home, a wise man by the name of Todd Tinkham essentially told me to invest in myself first. I was worried about how expensive that initial investment to buy my equipment would be and all the bills that I had to pay. He asked me, “You find a way to always pay your bills, right?” I answered, “yeah.” He said, “Bills will always be there, and you will always find a way to pay them. So why not spend the money to invest in yourself?” I looked at him and told him that he was right and that same day I went to buy my film equipment. To celebrate my leap of faith, he gifted me my very first lens that I still have to this day. Whenever I’m thinking about making a big purchase within my business, I always reflect on that moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dayeandknight.com
- Instagram: dayeandknight_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dayeandknight/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marioedaye/
Image Credits
My personal photo of me in the green shirt was taken by Brandon McGee: Gritty Arts LLC (@grittyarts_photography) The photo of me in a A&T jersey was taken by Melanie Page (@girlmelaniee) The photo of me holding my camera in the white shirt was taken by Corey Lightner (@corey.micael) The rest of the images are taken by me: my daughter, Camille is pictured in the first image and Brandon McGee in the second one.