Geoff Barrenger Interview

Geoff Barrenger is semi-Canadian. Born in Brazil, moved to Canada. He photographs people for a living. And he is amazing at it. It was our destiny to chat. It’s pretty accurate to say his work is cinematic. But I really have no idea about the man behind the… photo?

Trey Taylor: Can you please fill this out?
Name: Geoffrey Mourão Barrenger
Age: 26
Occupation: Adventurer / Photographer / Aspiring R/C Airplane Builder
Currently Resides: Suitcases
Favourite Song: Johnny B. Goode, Jimi Hendrix Version? I don’t know.  I’d have more fun asking my friends what they think my favorite song is and seeing what came back.  Someone just told me “Motherless Child” by Kathleen Emery.  That’s probably it for now. I listen to it a lot. I also heard “Rock Around the Clock” today on the radio while I was driving; today’s the anniversary of when it was recorded. I like that sound too.

Trey Taylor: Geoff. You seem to have quite the reputation. Let us know who Geoff Barrenger is for all those who haven’t heard of you.
Geoff Barrenger: I don’t know about this reputation….I’d like to know what it is!   I’m not big into talking about work unless I’m on an interview or something, but anyway, photography is fun yadda yadda, but I’m really into airplanes these days.  I’m just finishing my initial license and started saving pennies for my own.  If someone was to try and be like “what’s this geoff guy all about by using stereotypes”, i don’t think i’d fit the photographer stereotype.  i’m not like artsy fartsy or whatever.  at least i hope not.

TT: So this may be biased, I’m Canadian. Do you like Canada? On your bio you say you pretty much left as soon as you got here.
GB: Sometime before I wasn’t so fond of it…but I can’t explain why.  But now I love it more than ever and want to move back to it one day.  Not to its cities though, but to its nature. I’d love to live in Vancouver.  I don’t know if I’d live in Toronto proper ever again, but maybe just outside of it.  Maybe I will one day go to Vancouver, it seems to have all the things I love to do. I wish it was more accessible though.
Things I hate most about Canada though: Amazon Shipping Surcharges, iTunes Store Limitations, eBay Limitations.
I don’t really know where I want to be.  On the go is nice.  New York bugs me sometimes too; I think I just like having all of my stuff in a backpack.

TT: Name your inspirations. And quickly.
GB: I’m really thankful to have Tony and Konrad come on set with me, they relieve a lot of stress.  Stress is the inspiration killer, and when I’m relaxed, I’m inspired. Stress kills it. I think a lot of my inspirations come from things I don’t remember properly, they just make a subconscious impact and I don’t really notice it until later.  Then afterwards when I critique my own work I realize like “oh yeh the colours are like that” or whatever.

TT: What makes you different from all the other photographers out there?
GB: One time, a client wanted to do so many shots in one day, and I said “I’ll do it, but we have to listen to the Led Zepplin Discography in chronological order non-stop.”  We had to take an intermission to listen to Marvin Gay, but in the end I got almost all of Zepplin.  I think I missed out on Coda, but then we made up for it a few months later on a commercial job.  I haven’t listened to Zepplin since, it was too much.  That’s how I negotiate…thank god for my agents or I’d never make money.

TT: What is this big deal about you loving travel so much? You’ve been to how many countries? Dust in the wind?
GB: I grew up like that! The lease is coming up on where I live, and there’s nothing wrong with the place, it’s really an amazing loft actually, but I love moving.  The best thing on facebook is that “cities i’ve visited” application, i want one like that with a journal so I can remember what I’m doing. I’ve pinned 133 cities in 29 countries.  I hope to get to 1000 one day.

TT: If you were to live by a life philosophy, what is it?
GB: Prioritize, there’s only time for so much. Take care of what matters, the rest isn’t worth worrying about.

TT: Any advice for photographers trying to make it in the business?
GB: Don’t take it too seriously! They’re just photos.  And this could go to the models that take it too seriously and get weird attitude.  Do your best but don’t be consumed by being so cool or whatever.

TT: Do you like films? What are your favourite five?
GB:I don’t know if these are my favorites, but these are all movies that I wish I could have selective amnesia to watch them for the first time.  Sometimes I put them in to watch and I sorta get bored but I want to watch it. I just wish I could watch them faster or something, its harder to explain. But I know all the words so its a bit irritating to sit and wait for the good parts.
1. Back to the Future 1, 2, 3
2. Indiana Jones 1, 2, 3 (not 4, I was too angry about who played Indi’s kid he’s such a bad actor)
3. Menace II Society
4. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
5. Children of Men

OH and Gataca too.  I guess that’s 9 movies.

TT: Leave us with something that you know, or learned.
GB: Cessna 172 V Speeds: Vy 75, Vx 62, Vso 33, Vs 44, Vno 123, Vne 158, Va 99 at max weight.

Hahaha nice. Well at least if our readers didn’t get anything out of this they know of a few good movies to rent or can impress their friends with Cessna speeds. Thanks a lot Geoff! You’re worldly character surely translates into your photography and it works. You’re a real character.