Crafting Context Volume 1: Fromnoon.photo's First Grand Ending
An interview with Fromnoon.Photo aka Phil Kim
It’s a classic San Francisco Spring Day - a layer of cloud coverage, cool, breezy, with blooms in full swing. I walk up 24th street in Noe Valley, noting that the entire street is under construction and parking spaces are non-existent. Phil, also known as Fromnoon.Photo, is running a bit behind, understandably struggling to find parking amidst the drills and cement-busted parking spots.
Phil has requested we do this interview over Indian food and I am happy to oblige. Phil and I have been friends for years, though I honestly do not remember when I met him, only that I met him through my husband Daryn some time ago. Present for me now are the weekend adventures to cool new wine bars, affirmations over unique vintage finds, and late nights cruising the streets of San Francisco, the moody and atmospheric “A Forest” by The Cure drifting out of the windows.
Phil strides into the restaurant. He’s a self described “large lad,” and yet, he walks soft and often just appears. We hug and he sits down, taking large gulps of the glass of water in front of him. The restaurant is empty - the staff mosey around, singing along to what sound like Indian pop songs coming out of the kitchen. No one is in a hurry here.
We take a look at the menu and begin picking out items to order. In the meantime, I ask him how he’s feeling about A Grand Ending, his gallery closing party at Chapel Coffee, where six of his signature “Vibey Landscape” photos—featuring scenic areas in the SF Bay Area and a signature piece from Washington state - are on display. Phil’s photo selection process was intuitive, guided more by feeling than a rigid selection process. Chapel Coffee owner Rafael, friend, and self-described coffee nerd, is hosting A Grand Ending. Chapel Coffee has reopened after a Covid induced hiatus, back and slinging espresso drinks to the people.
I appreciate Phil’s honesty. He’s excited and a bit anxious about the show, not sure that he takes himself seriously in the context of being a “creative” or a “photographer.” Fair, I think to myself, as I reflect on the ways I don’t feel like a “real professional” at times. Usually Phil is the one going to his friend’s shop parties, happy hours, anniversary parties, etc. And now folks are coming together and showing up for his creative endeavors. And yet, there’s a clear incredulity over this identity as a creative.
Phil explains that he “is someone who grew up with a creative streak and was recognized by others for being creative. But I was taught very early that creative endeavors are not viable careers. And since I happened to be pretty sciencey and brainy as a kid anyway, that was okay to me, so I still have a bit of a difficult time. That's kind of why I sometimes resist the label of being a photographer, like, who am I playing in this space? But the more I do it, and the more I'm like, Oh, I know. I think I do the things I think photographers do. So I feel more and more comfortable with that label now, but it's definitely a growing moment for me.”
Ah imposter syndrome, I reflect. Our two chais arrive and I pause to quickly take a sip off the top of the hot liquid, careful not to scorch my mouth. The veggie momos also arrive, plump and steaming - we both dive in.
According to Phil, photography is science, citing “the sheer magic of knowing that silver halide crystals on a gelatin emulsion will expose light in a specific way to create your film negative. I mean, again, like the invention of that - it’s a science knowing how to blast the magnesium powder that was done 150 years ago on a fucking glass plate to expose the image. That's science!” he chants.
Photography is “the interaction of the three pillars” ISO, shutter speed, and focal length,” Phil shares. It’s a balancing act of art, science and inspiration. He shoots both film and digital, first getting into the Android ecosystem and Google phones, then transitioning into actual camera equipment. Now he uses his dad's old Canon AE-1 program for film photography, and Fujifilm XT5 or Ricoh GRIIIx for digital stuff, noting that “It's probably the best point and shoot you've ever used. It's incredibly flexible and very portable.”
Phil hasn’t had any formal training in photography and has relied on his creative community, information online, and “just being out in the world and snapping away,” he explains. “But when I get into a hobby or get into, like, a franchise or something, I really get into it.”
“In college my dad gave me a Canon PowerShot600 - six whole megapixels! But I loved just taking that thing around to like parties or events, just taking pictures with it. And I became that guy to my friends.”
He stumbles as he says, “I'm a photographer” and not wanting to sound cliché, but he “loves capturing a moment.”
“Like seeing the way, the light hits a tree and the way the shadows dapple on the ground with flowers waving in the wind or something like,” speaking in his normal poetic, yet assured way. “And I'm glad I have the acumen now to be able to frame it in the way I want to and capture the way I want to.”
“I think I'm a very observational person,” he adds, and “I like to look at something and try to get all the corners of it. This is, I think this relates a lot to my professional career in biotech, where I try to figure out the whole borders of a problem, and avoid scope creep. Same with photography - I try to capture the borders and the contours of an image in front of me. This moment is in front of me.”
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I’ve been in front of Phil’s lens many times—including when Daryn (now my husband), Phil, and I jetted to a winery to catch golden hour for our engagement photos. Phil’s eyes constantly scan the environment as he guides you on how to engage with the space, the people around you, the light, shadows, and every detail in between.
“I do tend to prefer more vibey landscapes and that sort of thing. But I do love capturing people. A moment - like genuine care or love or tenderness or humor, and this expressiveness between two people or crowds, this energy. I think the same is certainly applicable to landscapes. The way the sun is setting over a mountain and the fog is rolling in and everything is this color, or the way you see the reflecting sunlight off of an office building onto some bricks in the way it casts everything in this color that's magical. I'm not trying to say I want to capture magic. But it's that type of ephemeral quality that I really like about photography -I saw that and I want to capture it,” he expounds.
Our Butter Chicken Masala and Lamb Korma curries arrive in two white mini casserole dishes, then comes a basket of garlic naan, the edges of the flatbread overflowing out of the wicker basket. The basmati rice arrives as well, savory and aromatic. Our order is complete and we dive in, the comfort between two friends as we smack on the food and continue on in our conversation.
When I ask him how he sees context relating to photography he quotes, half joking that “Context is for Kings,” and continues, “context is one of the most important things in our lives…Photography, to me, is about composition. You’re trying to capture a moment, express motion, levity, a sense of majesty, or preserve a journalistic moment in time. By their very nature, these do not convey any context outside of what fills the frame, which could lead to misinterpretation, etc. But in the interest of artistic expression, all the context you want to convey is in the image itself, framed by the composition. Therefore, photography is always shaped by context.” The full story or scenario is not there. Phil warns that it’s our responsibility to consider the intent and the message in the photo.
Speaking to the editing process, Phil mentions that the editing process is also part of the artistic expression and, “editing can be applied incorrectly to alter an image against the original intent.”
The idea of examining the message and intent of a creative work - photography, music, art, etc harkens back to the idea of media literacy. I know this too well - I used to teach media literacy as part of a Critical Thinking class I taught at San Francisco State University. We worked to recognize that there is always a message or an intention to anything produced. With critical thinking and media literacy skills on the decline nationally, and especially with AI entering the space of art and photography, this feels like a good and timely reminder for all of us.
Phil’s friendship began during a pivotal time—amid the upheaval of Covid—and has deepened as San Francisco and the Bay Area experience a creative resurgence. We both feel it: people aren’t waiting for institutions or big business to lead. Small business owners, artists, and community groups are taking initiative, building collectively with abundance at the center.
While San Francisco has faced one of the slowest post-pandemic recoveries—marked by business closures, empty office spaces, and dwindling tourism—the mainstream media has painted the city as a “zombie city” or “Gotham.” Major retailers like Macy’s and Nordstrom have left Westfield Mall, and tech giants like Uber and Meta are downsizing their downtown footprints. Yet in this disruption lies an opportunity—to reimagine San Francisco, especially downtown, beyond the grip of big tech and corporate control. Phil, myself and others I talk to in The City are witnessing something big happening - we’ve been calling it “Friends Doing Cool Shit.” It’s about authentic, values-aligned collaboration.
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On the way to Phil’s car we come across a beautiful white/pink cherry blossom tree in full bloom, with profuse clusters of white flowers. He whips out his camera and instructs me to stand in front of the tree as a lighting test. He breaks off a flower cluster and vows to put it in a small vase when he gets home. He offers to give me a ride back home. As I hop in the car he puts on Flamingosis’ Mood Provider 11, an example of the type of uplifting electronic beats Phil typically goes for as he works.
We drive off to a track with a sample of Kel from the sitcom Kenan and Kel declaring his love for orange soda sandwiched in between chill beats and slick instrumentation.
Who loves orange soda? Kel loves orange soda… Is it true?…
Sunglasses on and arms hanging out of the window, we peel away. Another sweet hang with Phil for the books.
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Come support Phil Kim’s First Grand Ending on Saturday, April 19 at Chapel Coffee from 4-6pm. Wine selected by Snail Bar to complement the landscapes and moods in Phil’s photos, along with the opportunity to purchase photos on display, as well as other small works.
blessed - thank you for the opportunity to speak to you about all this!