If you ask Gary Fong, he’ll claim that the path to success for him has been both “zig zaggy” and accidental. Renowned wedding photographer, intuitive inventor, savvy businessman, diverse writer, real estate investor, humorist and industry educator, investment trend analyst, his professions run the gamut. His nature is to be open to the course life and business, so answering the question, “Gary Fong, Photographer?” proved too narrow a scope.
He was certainly able to tell me what he wanted to be when he grew up…Gary Fong, “Musician” and followed it with an infectious laugh. The only child of first generation Asian parents, Gary embarked on a career in Pharmacology en route to Med School but found the environment bleakly entrapping and decided he “wanted to be around happy people.” “What I wanted to be was different from what my parents wanted me to be,” he said. (Jamming guitar photo by Jessica Claire)
After he randomly reunited with a family friend, a leading wedding photographer, Gary put aside his medical aspirations, sold his two guitars and purchased his first camera. In a reactionary stance his mother disowned him and Gary put a business plan in action to make a living as a wedding photographer working out of his parents’ home. That refusal to live his life in the “boot print” of others before him remains intact still 25 years later.
It became clear early in our conversation that Gary feels guided by destiny, fate and is receptive to its curvy path. When Gary looked up Rocky Gunn a musician friend of his mother’s, he was invited to join him on Redondo Beach Pier to play their guitars. “Someone walked by and dropped a dollar in his camera bag so we went to get coffee and doughnuts and became great friends. At the time I knew nothing about photography.”
Rocky Gunn taught him the tricks of the trade while encouraging Gary’s to develop his own photographic style. Rocky suddenly died of a heart attack soon after, intensifying Gary’s urgency to break out on his own. During his 20 years in the photography industry, he’s most often regarded as transforming the wedding photo album into personal photojournalistic storytelling with “The Storybook Concept”. After that he became known as Gary Fong, “The Montage Guy.”
Receptive to inspiration in all forms, Gary credits inventor, Enzo, who encouraged him to question everything by asking “How can I improve on this design.” That’s when he became Gary Fong, “The Question Asker.” Keeping an open eye for the need for change, designing that change, and changing the future is his keen ability. He began to look at common items like luggage, parking meter, photography equipment, newspapers as items for improvement. In his words “It’s not hard to look at an object and say ‘Why didn’t anybody do it this way?’ and answer ‘Because nobody did.’ That’s why I became an inventor.” He also quickly adds that taking action on an idea is key. With roughly 6 patents with 3 pending including the new Flip•Pod, we can safely add “Gary Fong, Inventor.”
I asked him what advice he had for the readers of Pay It Forward, many of which are new wedding photographers like he once was. Here’s a summary of what he recommended:
- Practice your tail off, log thousands of hours with your camera, shoot stuffed animals (lol) if you have to so that when the critical moment occurs, you are skilled and ready. Because in order to become a great photographer with a great reputation it all comes down to whether you nailed it (caught the real moment) when it counted.
- With the onslaught of new digital photographers it is critical for your success to “Hyperspecialize,” by knowing what you bring to the party, and be patient that your market will find just you. Don’t waste your time trying to be like everyone else.
- Focus on cultivating your photography business with great word of mouth referrals rather than target marketing. You’ll fuel a self propelling motor and the bookings will keep replacing themselves. Recommended reading: Marketing Without Advertising by Michael Phillips / Salli Rasberry
Next on Gary’s plate is the publishing of his memoirs due out in October entitled The Accidental Millionaire and a second book is in the works called Church of the Happy Sky. He is grateful to share peace of mind and ample free time with his wife, photographer, Melissa Carl. Because of his success, Gary has realized a dream that most of us share… the ability to spend quality time with his wife traveling between his many homes all over the world. In reflection of his “Zig-Zaggy” path to this point in his life he says, “I don’t regret anything and feel super lucky that doors have closed and opened for me.” And in between the lines I think I heard a yearning that he’d someday be “Gary Fong, Dad.”
I am grateful for the opportunity I had to speak with Gary at length and feel lucky to pass on his interesting tale and message to you all.
Leigh Caraccioli
PIF Blogger and Social Networking Guru
by Leigh
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