Meet Wayne Ford of West Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wayne Ford.

Hi Wayne, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Bend, Oregon, and moved to Los Angeles when I was 18 to pursue acting. I spent the next five years working as an actor in Hollywood, guest-starring on shows like Boston Public, Angel, and Bette, and appearing in national commercials for brands including Target, Walgreens, Nike, and Milk. Not a bad way to spend my early twenties.

Eventually, I found myself more interested in what was happening behind the camera. I transitioned into digital entertainment, working for websites like Buzznet and Teen.com, where I focused primarily on video production but also had opportunities to develop my photography skills.

After several years, I decided I wanted to build something of my own. I started a photography business specializing in real estate, which gradually evolved into more architecture, interior design, hospitality, and commercial photography. That’s been the foundation of my professional career for many years now.

Throughout all of this, my love of photography has continued to grow, particularly the more personal side of it. Lately, I’ve been spending more time exploring street photography, traveling whenever I can, and simply getting out with my camera to see what I discover.

That brings me to where I am today. Alongside my commercial photography work, I’ve recently relaunched Wayne Ford Studio (waynefordstudio.com), a project dedicated to sharing my personal photography through prints, curated collections, and independent publications. It’s something I’ve wanted to build for a long time, and I’m excited to finally give it the attention it deserves.

I’ve also developed a real love for traveling with a camera. I’ve enjoyed photographing places like Mexico City, Belize, and London, but my list of places I still want to explore is considerably longer than the places I’ve been! One of my biggest goals moving forward is to spend more time traveling, making photographs, and bringing those experiences back into the Studio.”

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but I also wouldn’t change much about it. I’ve had to reinvent myself professionally a few times over the years, sometimes out of curiosity and sometimes simply because I needed to pay the bills. Going from acting to digital entertainment to running my own photography business wasn’t exactly a traditional career path, but I’ve always been comfortable figuring things out as I go. I’ve learned to adapt to different industries, pick up new skills, and find opportunities where I might not have expected them.

Running your own creative business also comes with challenges that aren’t always obvious from the outside. Real estate photography, in particular, can be incredibly demanding. There’s a constant cycle of scheduling, shooting, editing, delivering, and then doing it all over again. When you’re busy, it’s easy to find yourself working seven days a week without much time or energy left for anything else. Over the years, I’ve had to develop better systems, streamline my workflow, and outsource certain parts of the business to make it more sustainable.

One of the bigger challenges has been finding the balance between photography as a business and photography as something I genuinely love doing. When you spend so much of your time behind a camera for clients, it can be surprisingly difficult to find the motivation to pick one up for yourself.

That’s something I’ve been making a conscious effort to change. Building Wayne Ford Studio is a big part of that. I want to create more space in my life for personal work, travel, and the kind of photography that originally made me fall in love with it. I still enjoy the commercial side of what I do, but I’m learning that being busy and being creatively fulfilled aren’t necessarily the same thing.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My professional work has primarily focused on architecture, interior design, hospitality, and commercial photography, along with filmmaking. Through my commercial business, Wayne Ford Photography (wayneford.com), I’ve spent years photographing everything from private residences to commercial spaces. I really enjoy working with architects, designers, and other creative professionals to capture the details, atmosphere, and thought that go into their projects.

But the work I’m most excited about right now is Wayne Ford Studio (https://waynefordstudio.com), which I recently relaunched as an independent photographic publishing studio and home for my personal photography. It’s something I’ve been developing for quite a while, and it brings together several things I’m passionate about: photography, art, travel, design, and publishing.

The Studio offers original photography prints, framed photography prints, small print sets, curated pairings, posters, and independent publications. I recently released my first photography zine, LA / FRAGMENTS No. 1, a collection of photographs made while exploring Los Angeles over the past several years. I’m particularly interested in street photography and finding interesting compositions in everyday life, whether that’s an unexpected moment between strangers, an unusual detail, or a combination of light, shadows and colors that catches my eye.

One thing I’ve become increasingly passionate about is encouraging other photographers to print their work. We live in a time when we’re taking more photographs than ever, but so many of those images never make it beyond a screen. I’m a bit of a photography book addict myself, and there’s something about sitting down with a beautifully printed book or holding an actual print that makes you slow down and appreciate the work differently. I think every photographer should experience that with their own images, even if they’re just making prints for themselves and to show friends.

As for what sets my work apart, I don’t know that I’m the best person to answer that! I try to approach photography with curiosity and an open mind rather than sticking too closely to one subject or style. I’m just as interested in an ordinary street corner as I am in an incredible piece of architecture. For me, it’s often something harder to define, a feeling or an instinct that draws me to a scene, even when I can’t quite explain why.

One thing that hasn’t changed after all these years of working professionally is how much I genuinely love photography. I still get excited about heading out with a camera, discovering a new photographer or photo book, or coming home from a day of wandering with a few images I’m really happy with. And with Wayne Ford Studio, I’m finally building something that gives those personal photographs a life beyond my hard drive.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I’ve lived in West Hollywood for about 20 years now, and I genuinely love Los Angeles. It’s such a sprawling, diverse, sometimes chaotic city, but I think that’s part of what makes it so interesting. Even after all these years, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of everything there is to explore.

One of my favorite things about LA is the incredible mix of people, cultures, and communities. There’s always something happening, whether it’s a street festival, a cultural celebration, an art event, or some gathering I didn’t even know existed until I stumbled across it. As someone who loves street photography, it’s a pretty incredible place to have in your backyard.

Something I’ve come to appreciate even more while photographing these events is how Los Angeles seems to have a space for just about everyone. I was recently photographing an anime marketplace event, and I loved seeing how much joy people got from dressing up, performing, and sharing their enthusiasm with others. It got me thinking about how important these communities are. People who might feel a little out of place in their everyday lives can find somewhere they completely belong, surrounded by others who share their interests and passions. I think that’s a really special thing about LA. Whatever you’re into, chances are there’s an entire community of people here who are just as passionate about it as you are.

And from a photographer’s perspective, I love that I can spend one afternoon wandering around Chinatown, another at Venice Beach, and another exploring a neighborhood I’ve never visited before. Every part of the city has its own personality, and there’s always something new to discover.

I think what I love most about Los Angeles is that there isn’t just one version of the city. In a way, everyone creates their own LA, shaped by the people, places, and communities they’re part of. There are so many different worlds existing alongside one another, often without ever intersecting. Having a camera gives me a reason to step outside my own version of the city and experience some of those other worlds, even if it’s just for an afternoon. And as a photographer, I find that incredibly rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://waynefordstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waynefordstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waynefordstudio/
• Other: https://www.wayneford.com