Meet Gabriela Toth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Toth.

Gabriela, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I guess if I had to think back to my very first few moments exploring photography, it would be going absolutely nuts with those Kodak disposable cameras, taking pictures of the textures of the rock formations at the Grand Canyon. I was about ten years old at the time and thought this was absolutely revolutionary. I realized I didn’t have to take a picture of exactly the way things were, I could focus on what stands out to me, and create my reality in some way.

I experimented with point + shoot cameras until I got my first DSLR around 15, and started teaching myself how to shoot manually and editing my own questionable photoshop adventures. I was also constantly in dance as a kid, and then theatre as a teenager, so I have a bit in me that likes performing and being way too much. I would come up with silly little ideas for music videos and sketches and become a one woman show back in the early YouTube days. I was also constantly styling my sister and doing photoshoots with her and my friends since I’m blessed to be surrounded by fashionable and lovely people. Once senior year rolled around, I started taking people’s senior photos and that’s when I really wanted to grow as a photographer and keep capturing life around me.

I began college at CSUSB as a psychology major, mostly because I didn’t think it was realistic to have a career in photography full-time. I still squeezed in as many photography classes as I could in my two years at Cal State, and being in that collaborative and creative environment really fed my soul. I didn’t know how much I needed a community of creatives around me. I grew so much just in those two years, especially in the darkroom. I’m right at that age where film began fading out and digital was the new hot thing. But having a chance to create and develop my own negatives and process them start to finish was simply magical and so meditative. It’s a slow process and you don’t really have the luxury digital has in taking a thousand, unintentional photos. Analog photography helped me be a more conscious creator.

Though I found psychology fascinating, I just intrinsically needed to do things with my hands and keep creating. I wanted to completely focus on photography, film productions, live productions, I knew I belonged in arts/entertainment and wanted to stop suppressing myself and go for it. I moved to Denver, Colorado on a whim to attend the Colorado Film School. As a cinematography major, I learned and experienced cameras, lenses, lighting, and art direction in much more depth. Film school was a blast for me because it took the world-building aspect I liked about photography but to a much larger scale. I’m a very hands-on learner, and I’m thankful I had somewhere to collaborate and be a part of student productions, indie projects, and commercials. I feel a lot more well-rounded as an artist in general after five years of working in both the camera departments and art departments on different scales of productions and leadership.

After graduating, I began freelancing and photographing weddings, portraits, and concerts. I began missing California, and I just moved back before the pandemic hit to grow my business where my roots are.

Has it been a smooth road?
It’s no secret that both film and photography is male-dominated. I’ve definitely had plenty of moments where I felt like I had to prove myself to my male peers, especially when I was in classes and productions where I was the only female. I had a hard time speaking up at the beginning, especially while you’re learning, and especially when it’s something technical. And then not getting taken seriously at first too. I’ve had men offer to carry large light fixtures for me, mansplain things they assumed I didn’t understand, things like that. In a way, my own experiences with sexism have given me more confidence after proving to myself that I know and love what I’m doing.

I felt so excited moving back to California and motivated to start booking up my 2020 calendar with gigs, and then a global pandemic happened which canceled most of my work. I know most of us artists are in a similar boat right now, but we’re definitely the types that can adapt to anything. I’ve been using this time of social distancing to collaborate with my sister I’m quarantined with to model, style and shoot, plus experiment with my own self-portraiture.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Gabriela Toth Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’ve been doing professional photography since 2016. I shoot portraits, concerts, and weddings, mostly, but I’ve covered an array of different types of events and commercial photography for businesses. I have a variety in my photography, where I am either capturing realism/real-life/priceless moments I feel honored to be apart of and then the more creative/styled/abstract realm of my photos. I’ve developed my own chromatic and vibrant aesthetic by using prisms and in-camera effects for unique shots I could never recreate even if I tried. I’ve experimented with long-exposure photography for years and years, and now light-painting for my photos is one of my favorite and cathartic ways to use my camera. I’m working on opening up a print shop right now of all of my unique long-exposure and prism photography!

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Southern California really just feels like home. It’s soft and mellow yet bursting with life and culture. I feel relaxed here but can turn the corner to magical chaos at any second.

The main thing I dislike out here is the vanity. Ego and vanity exist everywhere, but it’s just extra prevalent here. It’s key not to get caught up and stay grounded.

Contact Info:

• Website: gabrielatoth.com
• Email: media@gabrielatoth.com
• Instagram: gabriielatoth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabrielatothphoto

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.