At age 9, Francesco picked up his parents’ camera, sparking a lifelong passion for photography.

Represented by Getty Images for several decades, Francesco’s images have appeared in Time, Newsweek, Harper’s Bazaar (UK), Cosmopolitan, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and LIFE Magazine.

Francesco started working professionally in 1980. His backstory includes photographing countless celebrities, musicians, fashion models, athletes, and 5 presidents. His all-time favorite portrait shoot was photographing the first human on the Moon, astronaut Neil Armstrong. The session led to a friendship between Armstrong and Da Vinci that spanned over 20 years.

His work outside of photography also includes his memoir about his peace activism and conscientious objection to war - I Refuse to Kill. Currently, the memoir is being developed into a documentary film: www.irefusetokill.com

In 2023, Da Vinci was nominated for the U.S. Peace Award, and that same year, received a nomination for a Pulitzer Prize in photography.

Now, for the first time, Francesco’s iconic fine art images are being released for purchase.

Francesco lives and works in Los Angeles, where he mentors aspiring photographers with his mantra: “Dream, Believe the Dream, and Make It Happen.”