Gina Marie Canavan shoots in 35mm and develops it herself. Some may consider analog to be a “lost art,” but Gina’s photos display a level of precision that’s uncommon even in digital photographs. Gina’s knowledge of light, space, and time is apparent in her prints, and in her technique. In a matter of seconds, she calculates, adjusts, and shoots her subject with confidence. When she walks into a shoot, it is evident that she knows exactly what the she’s doing.
Self-taught from an early age, Gina is the epitome of “starving artist” — this girl has been spending her lunch money on film development since high school. Even now, our suspicions tell us that visuals and cigarettes may very well still be her primary diet.
Gina describes herself as “an analog girl living in a digital world.” Her professional journey began as a photo assistant for Dirty Snapshots, a documentary crew who specialized in 35mm hand-processed film. Dirty Snapshot’s primary objective was to photograph the weekly Los Angeles underground event Part Time Punks. After three years of covering Part Time Punks, Gina moved on to an internship at Milk Studios — she worked in the photography division of Milk media company dealing with the fashion, music, photography and film worlds.
Since then Gina has successfully launched a solo career, she also does freelance assisting for several noted photographers, and is currently in the process of building her live-work studio in Silver Lake. Gina pulls inspiration from cinematic lighting techniques, psychedelia, various textures, and haute couture. Most recently, she established a relationship with fashion duo Del Hacienda and often features their designs in her work. Gina has also been published in numerous publications — NVRMNDUS, Voyage LA, COOPH, Amadeus Magazine, Glamour Girl Issue 4, INDIE Issue No. 54 Spring 2017, Flaunt Magazine, Missguided, Bullett I, Bullett II, Bullett III, and Dazed and Confused Magazine.
Though her modus operandi is analog photography, Gina has recently taken an interest in digital media. She’s actively taking classes in After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Virtual Reality while applying her new knowledge to projects for the Ayzenberg Group, a leading ad agency for tech and gaming.
Gina joined SOVO// MAGAZINE as a contributing photographer and her work will be featured in Issues 1 and 2 to be released consecutively in February and May 2018.
— Written by Farida Amar
“It started at 5 years old when I was baffled by my great grandfather’s collection of vintage large format cameras.” — Gina Canavan