Walking Lensman - Allan Florendo

Allan Florendo used to be a marketing professional in the Philippines, where, as a teenager, he was “fascinated with black-and-white photos as well as the darkroom.”

Lucky to be at the right place and at the right time when digital photography came, he was able to shoot professional for some of the top magazines in the country.

Now, he is based in Vancouver, Canada, where he continues to shoot what he sees while walking in the streets. Although he doesn’t consider himself a street photographer—”I’m just someone who likes to walk, explore, and capture,” he says— his work has won competitions and has been featured globally. He has even published a coffee table book of his photographs. Let’s walk with him and follow his journey.

Are you a full-time photographer now?

Nope. I am not a full time photographer. Photography is my passion and not a profession. I always have my mirrorless camera with me wherever I go (or sometimes I use my mobile phone). But normally, my weekend is a mix between spending some time with the family and just walking the streets to take photos.

How did you get into street photography?

I have done advertising and commercial photography. Since shooting professionally was not really part of my plan, I have always had a day job and some of the companies I’ve worked for require me to travel several times a year. Since I was traveling, why not bring my camera and take some shots of new places or people that I encounter? As a member of Zone V Camera Club (which is one of the oldest clubs in the country), every now and then we invite speakers to share their work. It was during this time that Rommel Bundalian (a Fujifilm X-Photographer) shared some of his works and I was truly amazed, so I decided to join one of his photowalks and the rest was history. That was five years ago. I never looked back and was drawn to capturing those moments in the streets.

How did your work in marketing give way to your photography?