Every story has a beginning.
This is ours.
A Haitian word with a deeper truth
Degaje is a Haitian word meaning to make a way, to press through, to work with what you have, and to find possibility where others see a dead end.We learned this word during our five years as missionaries in Haiti, watching people create beauty, community, and resilience in the hardest circumstances. That spirit stayed with us. Degaje is more than our name. It is how we live. It is how we create.
It is why we tell stories.
Where it All Began
Our Story
Twenty-five years ago, we sat in a mall kiosk surrounded by computers, trying to sell interactive children’s ebooks long before the world was ready. No one understood the idea, the CDs sat unsold, and rent was coming due. It was a breaking point. In prayer and desperation came one idea that changed everything. We tore down the computers and put up a simple sign:
“Tell Me Your Story.”
People stopped. They shared who they were. We listened, wrote a poem from their words, paired it with their image, and framed it. For twenty-five dollars they walked away with something that mattered.
The kiosk thrived. Rent was paid. Our first digital camera was purchased. And from that moment, storytelling became our path. Dan Elliott Photography sustained our family for the next twenty-five years.
Now we have come full circle.
Degaje is a Haitian word meaning to make a way, to press through, to create beauty with what you have. We learned it during our years in Haiti, and it captured the spirit of everything we do. Today, Degaje Studios carries that heartbeat forward. We tell stories of resilience, identity, and connection. For brands. For families. For communities. Our journeyman logo represents the miles we’ve walked, chasing stories through fields, cities, homes, and nations. It represents legacy — how stories come full circle when they are shared.
At Degaje Studios, we do more than create content.
We discover the heartbeat.
We capture the grit and grace in every story.
We make a way for stories that lift, teach, and endure.
Because in the end, story is what carries us.
Story is what makes a way.
Degaje.
Why We Do What We Do
Mission
At the center of Degaje is a simple belief.
People matter. Their stories matter.
Honoring a story strengthens everyone it touches. We exist to celebrate the people, missions, and moments that shape our lives
Our mission is to shine a light on the beauty, courage, faith, and love that often go unnoticed.
The stories we tell become a source of joy, a reminder of what matters, and a gift that connects generations. This is more than filmmaking. It is our way of making a path for stories that lift, teach, and strengthen us.
We help brands find clarity and presence, and we help families preserve the heritage and meaning woven through their lives.
Our mission is not only to create but to equip, to stand alongside our clients as partners, and to ensure the stories we tell carry purpose far beyond the moment.
In the end, story is what lasts.
At Degaje Studios, we make a way for stories that matter.
Our Logo
The Journeyman & the Circle
Our logo tells its own story.
A journeyman with a backpack and a hat, walking the path.
He represents the miles we have walked with cameras slung over our shoulders, chasing stories across countries, fields, city streets, and family living rooms.
The circle around him represents legacy.
Where stories begin, return, and live on.
Because when a story is told, it keeps traveling. It keeps shaping.
It becomes part of someone else’s journey.
This is Degaje.
