Born in Spokane, Washington to parents of Hawaiian and German descent. Francis tuned in to his artistic voice in an advanced high school art class that required students to develop their own curriculum. Delighted by the possibility of expressing his vision of nature and the world around him through color and composition he soon felt limited by the pens and paints offered. Sensing there could be an even deeper, richer and more connected way for him to best articulate his unique inner lens, he asked his counselor, "What if people could see exactly what I see. Exactly? Is there a career for that?" "Yes," she answered. "Ophthalmology." Francis picked up a camera instead.
At the University of Washington in Seattle, his fascination with nature and landscape evolved into course study rooted in the theory and perception of geography and architecture. Here he developed and honed his eye even more, deepening his understanding of man's relationship to his environment. Francis graduated with a B.A. in Geography and Urban Planning.
After graduation Francis moved to Los Angeles and landed a job as Camera Loader for commercial director/cameraman, Danny Ducovny, quickly working his way up to 2nd Camera Assistant. With his impressive portfolio of pictorials, Francis aided Ducovny in winning several pitches to national advertisers such as Chevy, IBM, and Wrigley's Gum. He was soon promoted to lead Locations Photographer.
Award winning commercial director Sean Thonson (MJZ) soon handpicked Francis to become his permanent Locations Photographer. Having started out in stills himself, Sean proved an inspiring, discerning and dedicated mentor to Francis for nearly a decade. They continue working closely together, completing major jobs for every auto company in the U.S.
In 2003, Francis was the Second Unit Director for the feature film Americano starring Dennis Hopper and Joshua Jackson. He continues to shoot Second Unit for commercials such as Yamaha, Lincoln and Dunlop. Currently, Francis is working as Locations Photographer for two-time Academy Award Winning Cinematographer and Commercials Director, Janusz Kaminski.
Francis is renowned for his incisive understanding of light. He knows where to place the camera and when to take the shot to capture the most captivating image. It is this understanding, as well over a decade of experience anticipating and trouble shooting the unique challenges of large scale production that makes him the best choice for agencies and advertisers. Francis works tirelessly to realize the client's vision, instinctively pushing beyond all expectations and always arriving at the unexpected.
Francis resides in Los Angeles.
Photographer in Los Angeles, Photography.