"Every place is a place to shoot"
Photo by Joseph Jagos taken at Knick Studios
Amina Gingold is a pop culture photographer based in NYC. She hustles all day as an intern at The Fader while working as a full time student at the School of Visual Arts. Then at night Amina explores the city, capturing personal moments with her friends or taking portraits of young creatives and celebrities at high fashion events. Her work is very experimental, using a variety of media including film to capture original personalities with unique looks and styles.
Female Hercules: How would you describe the work you do?
Amina Gingold: A lot of the work that I do involves watching and being around people. I like to do this because I can catch moments right before my eyes. I like to bring at least one camera with me wherever I go, to document my interactions with life. Shooting feels more authentic that way. I also like to just collect old cameras and experiment with them to see what I can produce. I feel like that’s where my best work comes from
FH: What is your daily NYC hustle?
A: My NYC daily hustle always changes day to day. I love living here because of this. I always find myself doing something other than I planned. But mainly my hustle during the summer includes interning at The Fader, shooting clients and friends, experimenting with different films, and exploring the city by going to museums and spots I haven’t been to.
BELOW ARE PHOTOS TAKEN BY AMINA BELLA
Do you have favorite spots to shoot in NYC or is it all spontaneous?
I don’t know if I have any particular favorite spots in the city to shoot. I think thats one of the best/unique things about NYC. Every place is a place to shoot. Many times I’ll go on walks with friends and even clients, and shoot along the way.
Photo by Joseph Jagos taken at Knick Studios
Is Photography your full time job, what else do you do?
Although photography seems like it is my full time job, I actually have more going on in my life besides that. I am a full time student at School of Visual Arts. I major in photography and video. So even though I go to school, I’m always taking photos and learning new ways to perfect my craft. It’s cool because I study all these aspects of photography and video in school and get to implement those tools in real life when I’m shooting for people in the city! But besides all those things, I also like to relax and chill with my friends.
Where do you find inspiration?
I get my inspiration from photographers and artists before me. A favorite of mine is Duane Michals. He captures his subjects in photo sequences and uses text to elevate the emotion he is presenting. A lot of his photography is spontaneous like mine and mixes media. Other artists and photographers that I look up to include Ryan Mcginley, Eric Chakeen, Rebekah Campbell, and especially Guy Bourdin
Photo by Joseph Jagos taken at Knick Studios
What are you looking for and thinking when you are shooting?
I look for inspiration in the places I am or from the people I am surrounded by. In a perfect moment, I can capture the image of the feelings and thoughts within that image. It takes a split second. There is no thinking. The thought interpretation follows once the image is created and the story unfolds. This is what photography represents. It captures a thought in time.
What’s to come for you?
I am open to experiences and challenges within my industry. Being a part of pop culture is an amazing and exciting opportunity as there is always advancement and growth within an always changing industry.
KNICK STUDIOS INSTAGRAM