Fujifilm South Africa Take Ten X-Community X-Series X-User

TAKE TEN: Ilse Greyvenstein

September 5, 2023October 3, 2023

We’ve already featured the photography side of The Garden Route Creative, now it’s time to delve into the videographer. It’s clear Ilse Greyvenstein loves videography, putting a lot of passion into especially weddings. We chatted to her about what drives her videography, her video setup and those (hopefully) just-around-the-corner bucket list shoots.

Why do you love videography?

There is something quite romantic in the ability to retell a story in motion, offering the viewer the means to pause, relive a particular time and evoke a particular feeling over and over again. Videography is an ever-evolving art. It creates more than visuals. It captures significance and enflames emotions.

Tell us more about your videography work.

I am a storyteller at heart and therefore my style is all about inspiring through authenticity – less staging makes room for real moments. I started The Garden Route Creative in 2018 with diversity in mind and decided to offer varied video services including wedding films, corporate advertisements, event coverage and short films. We even dabbled into the world of reality TV.

Weddings are our largest focus area as this offers us a wonderful creative scope and the opportunity to tap into our love for storytelling. Our goal is to continue creating magic in the film industry locally and abroad, and to create a platform for filming destination weddings and elopements at breathtaking locations internationally.

What made you switch to Fujifilm and when did this happen?

The first camera I held as an apprentice was from another brand. By 2017 I had the opportunity to meet a Fujifilm representative who introduced me to the brand. It was the easiest decision to switch, as it was lightweight, affordable to upgrade and maintain, offered unmatched quality and it was super user-friendly.

I started out with a pre-owned Fujifilm X-T1, followed by the X-T2, X-T3 and I currently trust the Fujifilm X-T4 with all my shots. I also find the support from Fujifilm South Africa to be exceptional.

Which Fujifilm camera do you use and what’s your favourite lens?

The Fujifilm X-T4 when filming in HD or 4K, and my go-to lens is the Fujinon 35mm 1.4.

In terms of videography, what would be your setup when shooting Fujifilm?

My setup is usually dependent on the type of video that is required. I find bulky equipment quite creatively restrictive and in my experience I believe it best to keep it light. I therefore mainly use my Fujifilm X-T4 with the Fujinon 35mm f1.4 lens on a gimbal stabiliser in a well-lit environment, unless the brief requires a more extensive setup.

What’s on your videography bucket list?

The number of bucket list items in this category might just be too much to count, but one thing that stands out is to one day film an elopement in the Namib desert.

What’s a videography tip you wish you knew sooner?

Filming: Travel light and trust your equipment.
Post Production: Be bold, push boundaries and trust your own creative identity and intuition.