We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Olivier Francois. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Olivier below.

Alright, Olivier thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I do wish I had started a little earlier. Still, at the end of the day, it was meant for me to start when I did because the opportunities I’ve had might not have happened, I started taking photos in 2018-2019, and I started taking it seriously around 2020 after the pandemic. During that time I was going through a lot, so to get away from everything I decided to start doing what I love. Also, my friends kept telling me that I should start posting my work, so I did. If I started my career earlier I probably would have gotten out there sooner and maybe already been doing this at a higher level. Film cameras would have also been cheaper for me to buy. I think it would have been easier just for that reason. Film cameras and equipment were a lot cheaper, Now it’s super expensive to buy certain cameras. I am happy I started when I did because of all the friends I got to make through my art.

Olivier, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been into taking pictures since I was a kid, but I only did that because I found cameras interesting. As I got older and went to high school I pursued cinematography, I was really into shooting short films. After high school, I could not think of any ideas for a short film. I ended up picking up my camera and taking pictures again everywhere I went and also started shooting for friends and family for fun. At the end of 2018, I got into film photography and never looked back since. I’m most proud of how I’ve been growing and enjoying the process. I love this shit, and I enjoy it so much. I do it all for fun and enjoyment. Getting paid for it sometimes is just a bonus. The minute I stop having fun with it, no matter how much money I’m making I will stop. I’m just here to have fun and enjoy the craft!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Stop stealing people’s work. I see a lot of issues where artists get their work stolen by companies and other regular people. I feel like people hate giving credit, and that is where artists get hurt the most. We need people to learn and know how to support artist.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The final product. Seeing what I can create after doubting myself so many times. The thought of “damn I really did this shit”. That’s the best feeling in the world to me. I love seeing what I create, Sometimes I don’t even care for other people to see it. At the same time, I always get surprised that people actually like my art. I don’t think I’m remotely great at this but I still love seeing things I create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oli1ou.com
• Instagram: @oli1ou
• Twitter: @oli1ou

Image Credits
Models are: @geemfjohnson, @egoOOO (the last three are zeros ), @d.c.alixte, @saadboiant, @nOrahswOrld (the O’s are zeros), @lordmello