We were lucky to catch up with Dina Goldstein recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

The concepts are intuitive, the narratives inspired by personal experiences and observations . I am most interested in inherent belief systems, the common imagination, and the human condition. My methodology follows a pre to post production schedule. I begin with a great deal of research before embarking on a project, which often takes up to two years to complete. I work with series so most of my collections include at least ten pieces per series. I approach each piece at a time. However, I am collecting props and thinking about casting, locations for the ones to come. I work with a skeleton crew, a group of up to ten people doing various jobs on set like set dec, costumes, hair, makeup, bts. I focus on the lighting and working with closely with the actors. The details of the large scale shoots are thought out carefully, but don’t alway go as planned! There is usually a lot of problem solving and creative solutions to be implemented.

Fallen Princesses, 2007-2009
I was a new mother and my toddler daughter Jordan was showing an unexpected interest in Disney Princesses. At the same time my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The concept for Fallen Princesses was inspired by these events, and the realization of the saccharin, gender skewed storytelling we were fed, and now passing it on to other young minds. I knew these messages were outdated. I wanted for my art to reflect real life, and the challenges we all face.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an independent photographer and visual artist based in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. My studio is near the busting Commercial Drive East Side neighbourhood. I started out as a photojournalist in the early 90s. I photographed for newspapers and magazines around the world. At the start of the 2000s I began to experiment with staged photography. I was setting up lights, and creating concepts for editorial assignments, commercial gigs and personal work. So the transition to an art practice focused on tableau in the mid 2000s felt natural. The technical elements of the shoots became more complex, and the narratives more personal, subversive and ironic. Today I am a full time artist producing large scale photography and TV projects.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I followed in the footsteps of Margret Bourke White and Dorothea Lange, women photographers that pioneered documentary photography. Like them I forged my own path within the male dominated profession of photography ( now less so! yay) I have a great partner who supported my journey, and all of my ups and downs. Because of him I was able to be a mother and a photographer, able to give attention to both important roles. I can get very absorbed by my work. Sometimes its hard to balance it all!
Art is important; but so are friends, family and community.
I always try to remember that a well rounded life is the most gratifying.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

My only regret is that I didn’t go away to study after post secondly. Instead I remained in Vancouver with many limitations, as there was no official photojournalism program. Instead I selected Arts courses that I believed were beneficial like Sociology, Art History and Political science. I also enrolled in a photography program. Looking back now I could have found a program somewhere in the world. That experience could have been life changing. Today I encourage young people to travel as much as possible, to experience different cultures and ways of living.

Contact Info:

• Website: dinagoldstein.com
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