Today we’d like to introduce you to Karinna Gylfphe.
Hi Karinna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I remember getting started with a digital video camera, because it’s all I had. It had a button that would let me take stills. So, I would wander around the house or go out into the woods taking stills of a bug, a flower, or my own feet. Those were the first intentional pictures I took.
In high school, I remember getting a digital point and shoot camera. I brought my camera everywhere with me and I kept taking photos. My High School didn’t have a photo department, so I just taught myself. I also dabbled slowly with my Nana’s Minolta SRT 101, a 35 mm film camera. I learned how to take exposure because it was completely manual. It had an internal light meter, and I would just make the exposure adjust to that. I didn’t know what I was doing but there was this curiosity inside of me that I wanted to pursue until I was satisfied. And I’m still not satisfied!
I attended Chester College of Art because it was close to home, and they had some photography classes. I took classes in Black and White Film Development and Black and White Darkroom. I advanced to learning technical color prints in the darkroom. I started to learn about F-stop and shutter speed and how to use them in tandem to capture and image intentionally. I learned some lighting and video editing. But then I hit a wall. I realized; this is as much as they can teach me. I had the basics down. But I wanted to learn more beyond the basics, more advanced techniques. Even though I had no idea what that meant.
I decided to apply to the Hallmark Institute of Photography because it was a reputable school that focused intensely on photography and business. Although the school catered to people interested in becoming wedding or family portrait photographers, I had this itch for something more. I was attracted to fashion magazines and more artistic photography… I wanted something else. It was incredible, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.
From there, some school friends were moving to New York City, and they asked if I wanted to come along. And so, I thought, why not!? I worked at a computer store and interned at a photography studio. I learned a lot about studio equipment and the care and maintenance of a photo studio. I got hands-on experience with more advanced equipment options than school had, beyond just C-stands. I worked with the grip, rigging gear, and camera equipment.
At the same time, I was slowly collecting photographers’ names and information. I really wanted to go freelance. I needed to get more hands-on set experience. I knew that in order to make that happen, I had to quit my job and go 100% freelance.
I was working at Adorama and my manager discouraged me, “You’ll never make it freelance. You’ll be back in a couple months.”
Well, that lit a fire in me! I had to prove him wrong. I decided I had to make it work even though I had no idea how.
I started photo-assisting full-time at the end of 2010. Within a couple of years, I found myself working on celebrity photo shoots and movie posters, working for big-name photographers, and traveling to foreign countries. I worked on set with athletes, models, celebrities, and comedians. I also started working as a digi tech and getting experience working more hands-on with the photographer, clients, and art directors.
From there, I started to phase out photo-assisting/digi teching. I decided to start shooting for myself. To build my own portfolio. The problem was, I needed a studio. I met a photographer with a photo studio in Dumbo, NY. He said, “Hey, you can use my studio.” I started to contact modeling agencies and started to establish relationships and doing model tests. A friend hired me to photograph clothes for an outdoor shoot. I also started to get a few clients by word of mouth.
I wanted to be closer to nature, so I made the decision to move to Portland. It took me a moment to get settled. I was a little delusional, thinking I could just arrive on that scene and reach out and get jobs. My book wasn’t enough. Even though I had put in a lot of time and work in NYC, it didn’t transfer over to a new city. I knew I had to do more work on my portfolio.
I met an amazing couple who needed help in their studio. I worked there freelance and also got to use the studio space. It was an opportunity to put my book together. I took on paying models. Things were starting to happen, but Portland wasn’t enough for the market; it didn’t feel right. I needed a city, but not New York City. So, I thought, why not try L.A.? Being freelance, you can go anywhere!
I made the decision to move to L.A., and it’s been great. Right now, I’m shooting models, and I photograph band portraits, clothing companies, and BTS (behind-the-scenes) photography. I have met lots of great people. I’m doing what I love!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course, there has been hard work all along the way. I left Hallmark on an invitation from some friends to move to New York. I had no plan. I thought I could just show up and get work. No one hired me. I was like, Oh…this is the Big Leagues. This isn’t school anymore. It was a wake-up call. I was going to have to work hard to establish myself. So, I got a regular job and started interning at a photo studio for no pay, but lots of experiences and connections I still have to this day.
In New York, as a photo assistant, I worked my ass off to prove myself. That I could do it just as well as a male assistant. I would lift heavy equipment, just like the boys. I would drag lights over there, just like the boys. I gave it my all every time, even though it wasn’t my set. I did a lot of work for other photographers and learned a lot while waiting to have the opportunity to show the world what I could do.
The biggest obstacle I encountered was actually a personal one that caused me to leave Portland unexpectedly, and it felt like all the hard work I had put in there unraveled. The rug was pulled out from under me, and I was so disheartened. I moved to Colorado and really questioned whether I even wanted to be a photographer. I put my camera down for 2 whole years… It was a dark time, and I explored other hobbies and work. And then, I came to see my path again. I was like, you know what? I do want to be a photographer. And I packed up and moved to L.A.
L.A. has been a great stepping stone, and I have quickly made progress right back to the point I was at in Portland, in a very short time. I’ve met a bunch of really amazing creatives. I’m establishing myself, and I’m so glad that I’m following my calling in photography.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I mainly photograph people. I take photos of models and actors; I do band and celebrity portraits. My work has been described as timeless, classic, and clean. Even when I shoot in L.A. I bring New York style to each photo. New York is definitely in my blood!
As a side project, I do self-portraits. This is something that I’ve been doing since day 1, as that little kid who first picked up a digital point-and-shoot camera. It’s a time capsule for me. It feels like diary entries, and looking at past self-portraits, I can remember exactly what was going on in my life at that moment.
Why do I take photos? I don’t feel like I have the best memory. But I feel memories are encapsulated in photos. I can go back to a specific moment in time when I look at them, and everything is there.
The best thing people say about my work? I once spent a week on a cod fishing boat in Iceland. After working 4 nights straight and coming back into port, the men were exhausted. Before they left the boat to return to shore, I took their individual portraits.
“Wow, I’ve never seen him looking so happy. So peaceful. You captured him so perfectly.” These were the words the tired fishermen had.
When I’m photographing models, I always strive to make them feel very comfortable. I ask their permission. I’ve learned A LOT from watching other photographers. Especially what not to do! I feel proud of how I act on set with people. I leave the complaints and the drama on the sidelines and love having a fun and comfortable set. People leave saying, “That was great! That was really fun!”
I work hard to portray people accurately and respectfully. It’s not about me. It’s all about my subject, and that’s what makes my work gold.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
As a child, I remember taking family vacations where we would all pile into the back of our van – my mom, my dad, and my two sisters. We would take a family drive through the White Mountains or along Route 1 by the Atlantic Ocean. I remember having this little disposable camera, and I would twist around in my seat, pointing the cardboard camera out the back window and looking through the viewfinder. I would watch the road go by, the tall grass on the sides of the highway, the telephone poles. I didn’t even take photos; I just looked. Watching the most mundane things but seeing them through this tiny square viewfinder, I was fascinated. I became separated from myself, an impartial observer who is taking in the world through that little box. It didn’t feel like me, looking with my own eyes. It felt like something else. That was the first spark for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gylfphephoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinnagylfphe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GylfphePhoto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinnagylfphe/
Image Credits
Karinna Gylfphe Photo
