Today we’d like to introduce you to Gina Gizella Manning.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a kid I wanted to be a forensic photographer lol but I started my career in nightlife photography. I was obsessed with shooting in a room where the lighting and poses were constantly changing – plus drinking for free at clubs before I was 21 was a big draw. I shot events every day, back-to-back on the same night to teach myself how to use my camera gear. Once I felt confident and craved more – I moved into journalistic photography and fashion editorials and campaigns!
My work has so heavily been influenced by my upbringing in a fast-paced environment and that ability and permission to really explore and play around with my surroundings create the world I wanted to capture. This fascination has stuck with me as the inspiration that led me to start my company GIZELLA.
GIZELLA is a new approach to artist & brand collaboration. We focus on creating worlds whether through creative direction, photography, motion or otherwise. We made a pact to only work with clients and collaborators who really want to explore and build something new, gorgeous and authentic to themselves. We’re rooted in that believe that you can make anything, and we don’t settle for less. Our clients have ranged from Robert Pattinson to Vogue, to Introscope Records, to Amazon.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
My biggest struggle starting out was fighting imposter syndrome because my art didn’t look like everyone else’s. It took years to really hone in on my craft and exactly what I wanted to make and say. On that road, I learned that staying true to my unique style actually made me more marketable and profitable because I was the only person doing it, and every year I spent staying true to my style, the better it got.
Everyone at some point will fight the urge to fit in, especially when you’re starting out. Being in a field where everything you make is a representation of yourself in some way and rejection is hard – and frequent will do that to you haha. But, you’ll be happier and on a track with real progress if you keep hunting for what makes creating truly enjoyable to you.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a creative director, photographer and director. I specialize in creating worlds with my subjects and clients. My fascination and obsession has always lay in the emotional impact of my creations. Answering questions like, how I could visually create an emotion, what impacts the perception of an image, how to make a viewer fall in love with the subject and the moment they’re in. The second obsession is collaboration, working and creating atmospheres on sets that are fun, creative and leave everyone free to explore!
We are probably currently most known for the DV work we’ve been doing from 2020-2022, bringing the medium to the forefront with our pieces with Robert Pattinson for GQ and Lil Nas X for GQ, and our ongoing creations with one of my favorite humans and artists Bea Miller.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Life is short and my path in this industry is making the work I want to create with the people I want to make it with. Helping others create the worlds they want to live in brings me the most joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gzlla.com
- Instagram: @_gzlla_
- Twitter: @gina_gizella
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user118003269
