MATT GAGNON - OUTDOOR CINEMATOGRAPHER
The life of working photographers and videographers can often be a hectic and unpredictable one. Couple that with a focus on wilderness and adventure production and you end up with one of the most dynamic and difficult day jobs that doesn’t involve some sort of specialty protective equipment. But for Matt Gagnon, founder of Time Honored Media, there are few things in the world he’d rather be doing.
Matt was born on the east coast, and pursued a career in engineering. However, life and the search for adventure sent him westward towards Montana and Wyoming. Now he spends most of his days roaming around the western United States filming and shooting for a myriad of hunting and outdoor adventure projects.
His main weapon for getting the job is an absolute unicorn of a pickup truck. Matt is the proud owner of a 2013 Toyota Tacoma, standard cab, long bed, and with the five-speed manual.
And, no, the truck is not for sale. We asked.
Mounted to this magical machine is a Leitner Designs’ ACS Forged rack, packed with one variant of every GearPOD Leitner makes and a HydroPOD. Matt was also one of the first folks to get his hands on the new ACS ROOF, complete with our new GearPOD ROOF boxes to match.
When asked why he chose Leitner, he said it was the obvious choice. “When I started this work I was using a bed topper and a Decked system. While functional it made it too hard and slow to get into and get equipment quickly. When filming in the wild you need to be able to react at a moment's notice when a perfect shot presents itself. You can’t waste time fumbling through a truck bed looking for lenses, tripods, or anything else.”
This is where the ACS Forged and GearPODs come into play.
“Having an open rack and the GearPODS makes getting to my gear so much faster. On top of that I know that everything is secure and protected. I trust the system. It gives me peace of mind that all my stuff is secure and won’t be wrecked by the elements. I really appreciate the robustness and engineering of Leitner. I was an engineer by trade and I worked in the robotics industry. I just find Leitner products are well-built and well-designed.”
This is a big part of why Matt was so quick to grab one of the new ACS ROOF platform racks. It expands his system in smart ways while maintaining all the features he already loves.
“I love the new roof platform. I added extra load bars to build a solid platform. It’s the perfect size for me to set up my tripod and stand on top, even with the GearPOD ROOF boxes. So when I’m somewhere like Yellowstone I can get up on the truck and get my camera over the heads of all the tourists and traffic so I don’t miss my shot.”
When he’s not filming or taking photos, you’re still likely to find Mr. Gagnon outside with his truck. Along with camping and hunting, Matt is big into training and working sport dogs. The guy can never sit still and you’d almost swear he is allergic to being inside.
We ask about his plans for the future and he can’t help but chuckle, a wide grin spread across his face. “Well I won’t be resting, that’s for sure.” He is already scheduled well into the summer with hunts, video projects, and more. By our estimate, he has about 15k worth of driving between now and July.
After a few minutes he regains his composure and continues, “Beyond what we already have scheduled, I just want to spend time growing my team, growing our capabilities. I’m hungry for more. I want to tell much bigger stories and make much bigger productions. Time Honored Media is just getting started.”
If you want to keep tabs on all the projects Matt has in the works, you can follow him over on Instagram @MattGagnonPhoto. Otherwise, if you’re out west and see a handsome bearded man standing on top of his truck waving a huge camera, wave hello. It’s probably Matt.
And then be kind and make sure you aren’t standing in the shot.
