We recently connected with Bryan Baquiran and have shared our conversation below.

Bryan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

Freshly graduated with a video production degree from college and moved to Orlando, I was constantly thinking of ways to save money between student loan debt and entry-level salary. One day while reviewing monthly expenses, I realized I spent a ton of money on food and eating out. This caused me to concoct an idea of service-for-service collaborations with restaurants that could help dissolve this monthly expense, where I’d trade photos and videos for complimentary meals. Upon executing this idea and becoming a food blogger, I serendipitously fell in love with culinary culture and the vibrant passion in local chefs. I resonated with chef stories because they, too, are trying to incorporate their creative passions into a business. Though my blog has grown to earn money today, my purpose with blogging has gotten bigger than money or a monthly expense.

Bryan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I knew I was going to be a videographer since the day I picked up my parents’ camcorder at 9 years old. I would constantly produce music videos with my cousins using camcorders and tapes, getting detailed with production like designing a set using blankets and pillows as a safety net for an “action” scene. I grew up with technology, graduating from a camcorder to a digital camera.

Today, I specialize in food photography and realtime event coverage for recap videos. Unlike other videographers who constantly have elaborate camera set-ups, my videography philosophy is more focused on efficiency. Though I’ll whip out a drone or gimbal that require more set-up, my general run-and-gun process of filming is light-weight with two cameras and compact lenses. This allows me to be more nimble through a crowd, and even interact with them in a friendlier way without obnoxious camera gear that disrupts the vibe of their energy. I’m great at being a fly-on-the-wall and capturing moments that matter.

I aspire to become a nature photographer later in life, while meeting beautiful souls along the way.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Resources I wish I tapped into at an earlier age are the elders who helped carve my journey. Through my career, I was guided by leadership at each job who valued me at a human level. They were investing in my growth without me even knowing, and I’ve only come to realize it later in life. I wish I asked them more questions and listened more, as their knowledge and advice probably could have saved me so much time and money.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Through food blogging in particular, I hope to give a voice to local chefs in Orlando’s culinary landscape. Good chefs are both artists and scientists, and are normally put into a box when they’re constantly making food to the customers demands. When I food blog, I’m open to eating anything, from cricket tacos to gator wings, as long as its what the chef wants to showcase.

Through my collaborations with restaurants, I also hope to uplift store owners with media coverage that could help bring more business to them. I’m inspired by the passion and hustle of operators in the restaurant industry because it’s a demanding business, especially recovering from the global pandemic.

Contact Info:

• Website: trendingfoodspots.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orlandofoodspots/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@orlandofoodiespots

Image Credits
Bryan Baquiran (trendingfoodspots.com)