Today we’d like to introduce you to Luis Francisco Rodriguez Mancilla.
Luis Francisco, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I became intrigued about photography when I discovered Ansel Adam’s landscape photography during my senior year at Abraham Lincoln High School in East LA. His beautiful work was and continues to be an inspiration to me. Later in my studies, I experimented with multiple styles and eventually leaned towards portraiture. I studied photography at Pasadena City College (PCC) as recommended by my ceramics teacher at the time. My love for still photography only grew as I spent countless hours shooting and developing images in the dark room.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Pursuing a career in the visual arts has been a wonderful life choice. Although difficult at times, the satisfaction far outweighs the challenges I’ve faced. I immigrated to the US when I was 15 years old, and from then on, I was mainly raised by my grandmother and a few of my aunts. While going into the arts is usually not encouraged by people in my community, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by family members who always stood behind by life choices. However, the only support they could offer was moral so like many immigrant (and non-immigrant) students coming from lower-income families, the only way to get a higher education is by working to cover tuition and material expenses.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a portraiture photographer. I mainly work with other artists such as musicians, dancers and martial artists. Being a lover of music, dance, and martial arts myself, I find the experience of capturing the subject’s essence fascinating. My photographic style incorporates aspects of cinematography, which is a big influence for me. I always aim to portray my clients as main characters of a film unfolding in front of me.
What are your plans for the future?
I look forward to continue working with driven-talented individuals. I am also very excited about a personal project that is in the works for stopped motion portraiture with some of my friends, clients and new talents.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @franslafoto
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