BEHIND THE LENS: FERNS FRANCOIS

Ferns Francois, who has lived in Lynn for 33 years, is a local business owner and community leader who was recognized as Local Black Excellence by the North Shore Juneteenth Association in February. 

“I pride myself on speaking on behalf of the people who most need it. The children of immigrants, immigrants that need asylum, immigrants that need jobs, need a safe place to raise their family, the homeless, that’s what I’m proud of,” Francois told The Item at the association’s Local Black Excellence event in February. “Black people always need a platform… Sometimes we have to make platforms, we have to create space because we have to represent ourselves.”

Francois came to Lynn in 1990 at the age of 4 with his parents. More than 30 years later, he is raising a family of his own in the city with his wife, Danielle, as they welcomed a baby boy in 2023. Not only do the couple make time to take care of their growing infant — they also make time to take care of their growing photography business. 

For the past five years, Ferns and Danielle have worked together in the fields of photography and filmmaking, which eventually led them to open up their own business, Francois Studios, just two years ago. From that point on, the couple has produced work displaying the beauty and art of people and life. The studio offers a range of services that can cater to a variety of different events, branding, headshots, engagement, boudoir, and even filmmaking services including music videos, Instagram reels, and more.

Ferns is also no stranger to the other side of the camera. Since 2013, the photographer has modeled for an agency, Maggie Inc. Through the agency, he had booked gigs for brands such as Puma, Converse, Reebok, and New Balance. Advertisements featuring him have been on buildings and companies’ social-media platforms. As of late, he has put his modeling on hold to raise his son and focus on the business full time.

GETTING STARTED

One thing Ferns loves to do is travel. His adventures are documented on Travel Bugsss, an Instagram account he shares with his wife. The account features them traveling to places such as Italy, Thailand, London, and New York and capturing their time spent at these locations. That’s where the journey to Francois Studios took off. 

“My wife and I wanted to travel, and for us it was a new adventure that we were going into together. I had done some traveling with family, but this was an us thing, so immediately I wanted to document it,” Ferns said. “iPhones and Instagram were already a thing at the time, so I decided to buy a camera. I invested in my first camera, which was a Canon Rebel 26, and that started our joint journey into photography. We really couldn’t put it down.”

HONING HIS CRAFT

Ferns said that he has always had an interest in photography, adding that his mom was one of the reasons he got interested in the first place. His dad had recording equipment such as camcorders, and his mom adopted that interest. A Sony Minicam was one of the cameras that she owned and he would take that when he went on vacation. With these things around him, he found a way to utilize them and eventually started to refine his craft.

“You probably don’t remember the square or rectangular Sony cameras. They were always available at Best Buy for $400 or something like that. They were about 10 megapixels, and this was before the smartphone and so it could fit in your pocket,” Ferns recalled. “So I would take them to clubs, to friends’ events, and I had a friend who had a wedding when I was about 20 and I took photos not thinking I was gonna be a photographer, but something I picked up just because it was there. Eventually people start asking you, ‘Hey, can you do this for me?’”

HIS INFLUENCES

When asked about photographers that he admires, there were two who came to Ferns’ mind.

“My Tom Bradys or Michael Jordans are James Felix and Prince Meyson. If my work were at that level, I’d be good,” Ferns said. “(Felix’s) work now is more risque, it’s in the boudoir realm. It’s not even so much the content for me, it’s the lighting and the finishing. It’s got this warmth, and it’s very consistent. He uses sunlight a lot. I think he’s somewhere… like Arizona, so he gets tons of sun. It’s that golden hour kind of sun and he uses it to his advantage. The photos are just dreamy and warm. I don’t mind modifiers, you can do so many creative things with them, but shooting in natural light and having a beautiful product in my mind is every photographer’s dream. Prince Meyson is one I watch on YouTube. His work is so great, and he also gives great tutorials. I’ve learned a lot from his work, and his tutorials.”

Local artists inspire him as well. He mentioned that he sees a lot of them on his timeline and respects the work they put out. 

“We’re all doing something similar, but also taking very different approaches to it,” Ferns said.

FAVORITE SUBJECT MATTER

“If I boil it down to where I’m having the most fun, it’s probably fun events,” Ferns said, describing his favorite subject to photograph. “Capturing beautiful candid moments for me is the most satisfying.” 

His appreciation for fashion shoots doesn’t go unnoticed either.

“Sure, when I’m doing fashion and I get a great edit that I’m really proud of, if the client is also very proud of it, I get a kick out of that. But that’s a longer payoff. That payoff comes way at the end, when you deliver the final image,” Ferns said. 

Capturing candid moments that will live on forever in people’s lives is also something Ferns is keen on. 

“When you’re in the moment and you’re photographing and people are having so much fun, and there’s so much joy, and you know no matter what you do to these images you’ve captured amazing moments that are gonna be appreciated,” Ferns said.

With a laugh, Ferns went on to share some moments that made him jubilant. 

“I’ve caught some crazy stuff on camera. You know how some friends will have some unique daps, I’ve seen people with unique dances. I’m like, ‘You greet each other that way? That’s so dope!’” he said.

THE MAN ON THE WALL

If you’re not familiar with Ferns, or Francois Studios’ work, perhaps you’ve seen him in Downtown Lynn. If you’ve driven, or walked by, 23 Central Ave. in the last four years, you’ve most likely seen a larger-than-life mural of a man painted on the side of the building. Who is that man? Ferns himself. It is one of many murals around the city that were created through a collaboration between Beyond Walls and a group of artists found locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Although humbled and honored, he said he finds it to be a difficult thing to embrace all the time.

“I’ve seen Lynn go from a bit of a slum. It really earned its reputation ‘Lynn, Lynn, city of sin.’ Drug busts every month on the street over from me starting from 1997 to 2003. On our street police routinely, every two hours, would patrol that zone, they had to. I’ve seen it go from that to what it is today, which is a thriving community, both in its people and its economy. Education is still faltering, but everywhere else I’ve seen vast improvements, and I’m very proud of that.” Ferns said. “Lynn is somewhere to be proud of. The strides they’ve made, the people that live here, this is where I’m from.”

Feeling inspired and invigorated, Ferns wanted to get more involved in the community. Using their travel vlog brand, Ferns and Danielle talked about Beyond Walls and what they’ve been doing for the community. They then created a video displaying where the new murals would be for a festival. Beyond Walls caught wind of the video and loved it, establishing a friendly business relationship with Francois Studios. Beyond Walls played a big role in Francois Studios becoming a profitable business. It was the studio’s first big client, even though it is a nonprofit.

“He is committed to painting someone local to the community that brought him in,” Ferns said about Smug. “He brings in his immense talent and he honors someone within that community.” 

When it came down to choosing who to paint for his mural in Lynn, Ferns was one of the names that came to mind. 

“Fate had it, when he was doing research about Lynn after they made contact with him, he came upon one of the videos I made on behalf of Beyond Walls. Before he even got on a plane to come over here, he was already acquainted with me, with my work. Then he asked Beyond Walls, ‘Who should I consider?’ and I’m one of the names they put forth. I guess it was so serendipitous to him that he was like, ‘This has got to be the guy, right?’” Ferns said.

He went on to say that he knows there are people who do not agree with the decision. 

“I don’t want to make that mural just about me. I don’t post about it all the time, sometimes I will repost it when people post it because I am grateful and I want to share his work and I want to honor his work and the work Beyond Walls has done, but it’s definitely a point of contention for me because I don’t wanna come across as arrogant because I’m on a mural. I’m not that person. I’m just someone who’s extremely proud of Lynn, Massachusetts who hadn’t been in the past, and wants to be a part of its resurrection, or its revolution,” he said.

KIDS WITH A VISION

Through LEAP for Education, which Ferns was referred to by John Andrews at Creative Collective, Ferns was brought in to speak and present to Marshall Middle School’s photography class. The goals of his visit were to inspire the kids, to educate them on the potential pitfalls of owning a photography business, and to show them pathways for success. 

“Kids really are the future. I wish I could give back more, so why not give back to kids who are interested in a field that I’m pretty good at,” Ferns said. 

He spent the class providing his expertise, answering questions, giving some guidance, and taking interest in the students’ work. 

“Some of their work was pretty awesome, and I’m glad they were proud to share it with me,” he said.