Meet Francisco De La Cruz of Bydelax in South Bay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Francisco De La Cruz.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Francisco. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started around my sophomore year of high school. I had just quit soccer and I was going through a tough time where I had lost someone close to me. I was at home a lot after that and would start being more active on social media where I started taking really low- quality photos of street photography but on my iPhone 4s but it was always a mixture of beach photos and palms trees as well as photos of just people living daily lives while I was out with my parents. I came across a photographer one day by the name of @13thwitness and he inspired me a lot to the point where I just kept shooting photos on the daily. I had then saved enough money from washing neighbor’s cars and taking care of dogs as well as birthday money which took almost a year to save to buy my first camera which was a Nikon D3200. I ended up shooting auto for half a year, as well as joining a photo class my junior year in high school. During school, I ended up learning a lot more about photography itself with the nine elements and all that, after going out to shoot I started to play with manual and taught myself how to use manual without knowing much of what aperture or shutter speed did I kinda of just clicked and if it was too bright I rose the number up and if it was too dark, I tried lowering it to where it looks good for a photo. I did struggle for a good amount of time until I learned by reading what each did and how the f-stop affected it.

During all this time, I started getting involved with what were call “photo meets” created by other photographers to involve the community to networking that’s where I usually would go to meet new people and network as well as take photos of people or the location. Well time passed for me where I started to do it for graduations and weddings and I never left the street photography scene that’s honestly why I always carry my camera with me to this day just to capture what I usually see is def most interesting I just now mix up more with streetwear fashion where I’m trying to get more involved in! I recently just upgraded to a Sony a7ii as well as shooting on my point and shoot film cameras and I been enjoying going out to explore all the places that aren’t usually visited by tourist but more by locals and try to input my vision into it and post it on social media where I continue to show my work.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a smooth road at times, photography for me is an escape and a way to show my art! My captions usually go with my mood or what’s going on in life around me or around the world. The only struggles is feeling a bit uncreative at times but what usually helps me a lot through this is that I’m showing my work and my art there’s isn’t a need of competition or yet along comparison between art because everyone who does photography has a different vision as well as an eye for capturing things!

Please tell us about Bydelax.
(Bydelax) was created by my last name and my cousins and I all have the same last name so we created a name last name where we could use it for short length since ours are long ahah I’m happy to say we created that and most of us go by the first name and Delax and for my I just go Bydelax for my @.

I’m usually known for my street photography and my portraits! I recently been getting more and more involved in the streetwear scene where I want to work with brands and shoot for their streetwear as a small gig and I’m just getting experience to shoot so I can later shoot my own clothing brand myself. I guess what sets me apart from others is my eye for things, everyone who does photography knows you have to have an eye for it because not everyone has it. I try many different types of creative ideas that come up and try to bring them to life and usually I find one that works for me.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be camping in Fresno, CA where it was my first time camping and getting involved with nature as well as seeing such views of mountains and wildlife just all around me. I would def have to go do that again sometime it’s been since this memory since I last camped out.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @bydelax

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