James Gustin

CEO // Co-Founder // Creative Director

Meet an authentic pioneer. A true renaissance talent who works and thrives across multiple art forms, James Gustin has photographed, filmed, and DJed his way across the planet for more than 30 years. His work was an Official Selection at the 2019 International Social Change Film Festival. To date, he’s won 10 Telly Awards for excellence in television and film. In business, James is a dynamic team-builder whose distinctive energy changes the course of meetings. Ever the cosmopolitan student of life, he lived in six countries before the age of 30.

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James Gustin - Fete Lifestyle Magazine

 The X-Factor

James graduated with honors from the University of Houston, where he wrote for the student newspaper, and he studied film with Gorinda Chowdury at the British Film Institute. Around that time, he walked into Whole Foods in Houston, Texas, and decided Michele was “The One.” After he and Michele settled in Chicago, he tried his hand at improvisational comedy with Second City and later explored Meisner-style method acting. (In other words, he’s trained to think on his feet.) A proud father and the husband of Fig’s other cofounder, Michele Gustin, James spends his free time finding ways to make his 9T Scrambler seem like motocross, cooking things at 500 degrees and boosting his creative juices with playlists as diverse as James Brown and Girl in Red.

In the News

James is honored to be the featured photographer for Fete Lifestyle Magazine’s May 2022 issue. This issue highlights the Power Moms who are inspiring and redefining motherhood

As seen on ABC7 and FOX32

 PHOTO AND FILM AWARDS/RECOGNITION:

  • 10 x TELLY AWARD Winning Director/Producer: Trailers, Editing, Cinematography, Writing, Storytelling, etc..

  • Director of Photography for Fete Magazine

  • Staff Photographer/Filmmaker: SOPHISTICATED LIVING CHICAGO/SLMAG.NET

  • Staff Photographer: ABC Communications

  • Official Selection - International Social Change Film Festival 2019

  • 3 x Illinois Meeting and Events Award-Winning Photo and Video

  • 10 MGMT Model

 Clients

 Praise

Wow - James you did an amazing job! Thank you, thank you. The pictures turned out amazing! I need you for all of my events!!!

– Joanna

Wow! We couldn't be happier and more grateful. Working with Codi, James and the rest of the Fig team provided an experience that was personal, creative, and thoughtful. Our goal was to capture the faces and voices of our loved ones on our special day, and the final video does just that in a truly artistic way! We look forward to watching these moments for years to come.

– Matt R.