Today we’d like to introduce you to Francis Gum.
Francis, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always been into arts, but I didn’t think it will lead me into photography. I do remember back in grade school and high school (in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines) I would often bring a point and shoot camera in school and take photos of my classmates. When I moved to Manila for college, I would go to magazine stands and bookstores and scan through the magazines and photo books.
I think that’s when my interest in fashion and portraits started. That time, I didn’t see it to be developing into a career; it was more of appreciating the images rather than wanting to create them. One time, my brother who was working at a post-production company had installed his photo and video editing software on my computer, so I started learning how to use them. That’s when I gained more interest in photography.
When I moved to Los Angeles, I bought my first DSLR camera and started shooting portraits. I would go to an online networking site for creatives and invite people from there to shoot with. Later on, a wardrobe stylist approached me to do a photoshoot with his team. That was my first fashion editorial shoot which happens to be my first published magazine work.
I considered it as a validation of my capabilities as a photographer. That gave me a push to have the courage to go out and pursue portrait and fashion photography. Fast forward to 2019, I feel blessed with the opportunities that I have experienced in my photography career.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think one of the challenges at the beginning of my photography career was on the business side of it. I am an artist, to begin with; that said, I would focus so much on the creative aspect of my craft. But I had to be in different roles. I had to be the photographer, the manager, and to be the marketer for my business.
On the production side of it, one of the challenges is to always stay totally calm and be in control on set. It’s like I’m the main conductor. The vibe, the energy and how the team would work together would be drawn from me as the photographer.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Specializing in portrait and fashion photography, my projects are comprised of portraits, artist covers, campaigns & lookbooks, and editorial works.
Since I started up to this day, my images appeared locally and internationally in a variety of media ranging from magazines/publications such as British Vogue, Vogue Italia Photovogue, Mega Magazine, Yahoo! Philippines to name a few.
My goal in every shoot/project is to demonstrate a strong storyline while making sure that all the aspects of the image/s work together.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles is definitely a great place for photographers. The city is full of creatives that share the same passion in image making. Having said that, for someone who is starting out, this is a city that will push your creativity.
The people that you will get to work with will contribute to your journey in learning something new, adopting new perspectives, and becoming stronger and wiser through your experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.francisgum.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @francisgum
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