We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sam Gold. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sam below.

Sam, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

The fashion industry has long been criticized for its lack of inclusivity, perpetuating narrow standards of beauty and marginalizing individuals who don’t fit within these predefined norms. In the early stages of my career, while assisting renowned photographers, I frequently found myself as one of the few women on set, alongside the models. As I transitioned to creating my own work, my commitment to fostering diversity within my team intensified. I actively contribute to casting decisions, ensuring a broad representation. It has always struck me as paradoxical that the fashion and beauty industry predominantly targets women as its primary customers, yet many of the decision-makers shaping marketing strategies and setting standards are men.

Sam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

From the outset of my career, I’ve been deeply passionate about photography and storytelling. I initially found my way into photography through photojournalism. As a child, I was obsessed with nature and geography and dreamed of working for National Geographic. In my teenage years, my focus shifted to music. I worked with a lot of local bands in high school and dreamed of working with Rolling Stone (which I recently accomplished!). As an adult, I began to realize my proclivity towards beauty and creating environments where my subjects feel at ease was well suited for fashion and beauty clients especially. I have had the privilege of working with many celebrity and commercial clients around the world that enable me to fund my personal, more documentary oriented personal projects.

In my work, I specialize in providing a safe and comfortable environment for my models. Being a woman myself, I believe my relatability fosters a sense of ease among my models, particularly evident in collaborations with swim and lingerie clients. Being in front of a camera is a vulnerable place to be and the most important aspect in creating a successful photo is making sure your subject trusts you enough to represent them how they’d like to be seen. I think a lot of people tend to forget that models are people with emotions and lives outside of work. I always make a point of chatting with my models beforehand to learn what they’re all about so that we can create a compelling character together for whoever our client might be that day. This emphasis on human connection is at the core of my approach, ensuring that the stories we tell through imagery are authentic and resonate on a personal level.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Social media has no doubt forced me to reevaluate not just my approach to work but also my self-marketing strategies. If not for instagram’s algorithm favoring moving image, I might not have delved into video content creation as extensively as I do now. My first love will always be still photography, but I’m really starting to enjoy working on more motion projects. Directing video isn’t too unlike how I direct my models for stills. I generally like to give my models an action or character to get a more genuine expression, which has translated well into working with actors. To enhance my directorial skills, I’ve taken acting classes, aiming to establish a better connection and provide more effective instructions on set. Embracing this career pivot has not only broadened my skill set but has also introduced me to incredibly rewarding and exciting opportunities that I might not have encountered otherwise.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to connect and collaborate with so many different types of people who would otherwise be inaccessible. I’ve been lucky enough to work around the world and have met everyone from renegade bikers in Ghana to British royalty–literally! I’ve been on set with Princess Kate Middleton. Even in challenging times, I’m still able to remind myself that I have my dream job.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.samgold.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samgoldiloxx/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-gold-7b226753/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/samgold

Image Credits
All photos © Sam Gold