origin story
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Hello!
Thanks for reading this far, and being interested in my story.
It's been a long road to get here... However, I didn't get here without help. My wife Sarah has been supporting me on this journey since 2016 when I first picked up a camera and dove in feet first. I went to school to be a mechanic, but after years of busting my knuckles I decided to take a chance on what I loved even more than cars.
I started my professional path doing media for the company I was working for at the time because they needed someone to help with product photos and social media collateral.
What started as a hobby, quickly accelerated into a career path within a year. I was OBSESSED with becoming better, faster, and more creative with my work. I gambled everything I had on upgraded gear during a Black Friday sale 6 years ago and since then I refused to let myself give up.
It started as a side job, 4.5 years of working all day just to come home and work all night to grow my craft. Eventually, I outgrew my old position and decided it was time to leave. At this point I had done weddings, small business videos, thousands of cars, and hundreds of products.
Fast forward to now I am the lead editor for a distinguished animation / live action Studio based out of downtown Portland, and I also own my business! It was here that things really turned up for me. I was able to grow substantially... More than I knew was possible because of Deep Sky.
The high level of work and the things I've learned in a professional environment, directly translated to my business. This is why quality, and pride in my work is so important.
Thank you for reading my story.
P.S - It's never too late to jump off the bandwagon and follow your dreams too.
Updated 03/23
Who's on the Team?
Team work makes the dream work
Brett White - Owner / Founder
I was born in Victorville CA and bounced around all over the west coast until I eventually settled in the NW. I have a background in automotive, but always loved making videos and playing with cameras since I was a little kid.
I started Shifted Optics in 2017 as a side hustle to my main job, and have been growing it ever since.
Some of my biggest hobbies outside of work are making music, racquetball, video games, fish keeping, and messing with my cars.
I'm very extroverted and look forward to collaborating with you. Thanks for reading!
Mike Basaraba - Right hand man
Hey there the names Mike! I was born and raised in the NW all my life and have grown to love it. My love for cinematography and photography started in 2017 when I picked up my first DSLR camera. Since then my appreciation for the art has only grown.
I started doing camera work on the side that same year shooting with the automotive community and eventually Shifted focus onto branching out with gym photography and portraits.
I eventually met Brett in the summer of 2022 where we decided to work and collaborate on projects together. Since then, we became good friends and started growing the business collectively.
Some things I like to do in my spare time are playing video games, going to the gym, watching anime and doing research on random subjects.
I look forward in helping capture memorable moments for you. Thank you for reading!
