The Man Behind Instagram’s ‘filmhowyalike’ With 19,000 Followers

Publishing date: January 9, 2023

Richmond District photographer Yameen has basically lived his entire life in pursuit of creativity. His passion for creative expression began at the tender age of 6 or 7 with a Fisher-Price 110mm film camera, a hobby that would eventually develop into his music and video production in his teen years  and into adulthood.

In high school he learned how to roll, develop and make his own prints. He continued to shoot film into his adult years and in 1998 purchased his first digital point-and-shoot camera.

Yameen is originally from Philadelphia. He first moved to Oakland in 2001 after building a website for his favorite band, the Hieroglyphics, based in Oakland. The group spotted the website and asked him to make it official. Over time, he also went on to play music with the group. 

"Back in 1995 that was not common, and we ended up getting  a lot of media attention because of that", Yameen said. "So at the age of 16, I became like a professional in the music industry. 

In fact, as a young adult, Yameen dropped out of college after one semester to pursue music professionally, he made the Bay Area his permanent home. He bounced between Oakland and San Francisco until settling in the Richmond District in 2008 where he and his partner currently reside. 

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The Man Behind Instagram’s ‘filmhowyalike’ With 19,000 Followers