Dina Shirin's portraits are striking and intimate. The confidence and power she captures in her subjects offers a little ripple of ecstatic energy for the viewer. It's that tingle of witnessing something awesome—where the artist and their subject have cultivated an equilibrium and trust within their shared vision. The collaborative process that imbues Dina's images is something I think we can all strive for as creatives who work with the images and stories of our fellow human beings.
The core of Dina's approach to art and life seems to be generosity and curiosity. She is a voracious reader and listener of podcasts and thus a great sharer of her inspirations. As a result on meeting and getting to know Dina, I've become much better furnished with insightful, inspiring creative resources and references for my own practice. Without intending to, Dina regularly reinvigorates my hungry curiosity with her own. And for all of us, knowing someone like that is essential for staying active, agile and open to learning in our creative practices and in life.
I was so pleased to get to shoot my questions Dina's way and learn more about the ingredients of her life—the people, places and experiences that have infused her. As always, reading back over the interview, I am reminded that while it's important to make your work, you are also tasked with sending it into the world. Dina especially inspires me on this point.
While Covid has stopped many of the exhibitions and events for creatives to share their works through the traditional avenues, the agility to redefine the process of making and presenting our work is something I already see Dina approaching with vigor. Go jump into this interview and I hope you come away with a belly full of inspiration and a mind brimming with ideas.
Hey mate, can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
Thanks so much for including me in this interview series! I’m originally from Riga, Latvia and I’ve been living in New York since ‘91. Photography has been a part of my life since I was very young because my father was also a photographer. I would accompany him on photoshoots when I could and assist him in our darkroom.
Early on, I was using disposable cameras and a cheap analog camera. In 2005, my mom gifted me a digital camera and I stuck with that format ever since.
In the past, my main focus was street photography and documenting the places I visited. However, since 2016, I shifted my focus to mainly portraits.
I'm always curious to know, what did you think being an artist was when you were a little kid?
I never really thought about the career of an artist in my younger years, as I did not connect my father’s work to that of an artist. I was surrounded by musicians growing up—my father performed in bands for different events, outside of his photographic business. I also spent a lot of my time drawing and that was something that brought me a lot of joy up until my teenage years.
As an adult, if there is such a thing, what do you think being an artist means now?
Being an artist means using the creative medium to express my vision.
I see it as a spiritual and cathartic act for the sole purpose of releasing an emotion or manifesting a vision that I have, and then creating that with the model that I am working with.
Can you walk us through your current photography set up? Do you work digitally, in analog, or both and why?
I no longer work in analog but I am very interested in exploring alternate processes like photograms and chemigrams. I am intrigued by this process because it’s akin to painting with light and you control the entire composition.
If I am working outdoors, I will scout several locations and keep my equipment very light—I carry props, reflectors and a camera. If I am using my home studio, then I work with several coloured backdrops, an umbrella with a flash trigger and additional light sources to create the mood I am looking for. I make sure to have props and fabrics on hand.
Your photographs transport me to a different era. They feel cinematic and theatrical in the classical sense—that your subjects are suspended and immortalised outside of time. What inspires you and feeds the growth of your process?
Thank you! I am influenced by the photographers who inspire me from both the past and present, along with music, theatre and cinema. When I plan for a shoot, I always do my research, create a moodboard and gather references for the type of work I want to create—everything from the makeup to the colours and clothing, while also getting input from the model. During the actual shoot, the session evolves organically. I serve the role of the art director but also allow for the magic to happen which is very organic between the subject and I. Most of the models I’ve worked with more than once and we developed friendships over time which allowed for the development of a deeper connection, trust and an understanding for the vision we want to create.
Have you ever worked on a project that was a real game changer? Can you tell us a little about it and some of the lessons you learnt?
Last Summer, I was invited to participate in a project with my friend and artist Ryder Cooley from Hudson Valley. I was very excited about this collaboration with a creative I greatly admire.
In this collaboration, I was working as a photographer and also a participant in the performance art piece which was a very unique experience.
We also had a team helping out to make this come together, including a videographer, electronic music musician and makeup artist. The first part of the project required us to travel to Catskill town to create the footage and photography for the Leech House installation. Then we spent a few weeks editing the photos and selecting the works for the installation. Showing our work and performing at the Hudson Eye arts festival was an incredible experience for me and seeing Ryder’s vision come to fruition. Plus, getting to meet other artists from the Hudson arts community was so valuable. It’s one of my favourite towns in Hudson Valley and I make sure to visit every year.
I really admire the vigour with which you approach exhibiting your work. What have been some of the most interesting and exciting exhibitions you have been involved in over the years and why?
I’ve been exhibiting my work since 2016 in group shows. I am a part of CMC, a New York based photography collective founded by the photographer and educator Erica Reade. I’ve exhibited with the collective four times since 2018 and looking forward to participating in more shows in the coming years.I was also invited to participate in other gallery events around the city which has been an incredible opportunity to get my work seen. I was also very honoured to be a part of a Chelsea gallery show twice for international women’s day! I also got to work with an artist in Hudson last Summer for the Hudson Eye festival which was an incredible experience working with a team of creatives.
It’s now been 4 months since quarantine and April photo shoots were cancelled along with two exhibitions. It was very challenging at first but I am using this as a period to take a break, review old work, edit and focus my attention elsewhere.
I've been taking inspiration from watching movies, listening to talks, podcasts, reading and cooking a lot! Now that summer is here in New York, I am looking forward to going to the beach and riding my bike around my neighbourhood and other neighbourhoods in the city.
As we speak, the entire world is in varying states of lockdown. In New York, the situation around the Covid-19 pandemic seems very extreme. Can you share a little about how the last few weeks have been for you?
Although I’ve taken pause with my creative projects, I’ve been very fortunate to be able to continue working at my full-time job at Shillington. It’s been a very disruptive period emotionally with so much happening both locally and globally, it’s a lot to take in and process.
Now New York is slowly entering a new stage with many establishments opening up as the city is entering the “new normal”.
Many creatives are without income as so many people have lost jobs or opportunities as their incomes literally disappearing overnight. How are you and your community being affected by the Covid-19 situation? How has it affected your art practice and work in particular?
Some of the photographers I know were directly affected because their photographic business was their primary source of income. While others have steady jobs. Some were able to get unemployment and financial support for artists. But overall this has been such a tough time for creatives as you can imagine. Although I have not been actively working on any photo shoots since March, I do plan on starting a remote project to see what is possible. I think it’s an exciting challenge to tackle!
With every set back also comes opportunity. In the time of lock down, what are some new creative practices or processes that you begun to explore that you would like to share?
As a creative I think it’s important to take a break sometimes when necessary. I haven’t worked on any new projects since March. I’ve used this time to have meetings with my models to review images from past shoots and focus on editing my work.
Because of the current limitations I am looking at other opportunities of working with other creatives remotely. I know there have been many photographers doing portrait shoots over FaceTime and Zoom, which is something I am going to explore very soon.
Currently in the initial planning stages with my friend and longtime collaborator about the concept and setup. Very excited for this new challenge and I hope to turn this into a new remote portrait series.
Perhaps an odd question while global human movement is currently at a historically unprecedented standstill—I'm curious to know more about your family's move to New York City from Latvia in 1991. How old were you when you arrived? What was your experience of immigrating to the United States as a young person?
I arrived in New York when I was 8 and have been living here for 29 years! I haven’t lived anywhere else aside from different parts of New York since then.
It was a culture shock and I was able to learn the language and adjust to the new language very quickly. I had the opportunity to live in the Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn. But what ties all the different boroughs together is the incredible diversity all over New York and an abundance of delicious cuisines to savour from every part of the world which is really special.
Additionally, what was your perception of NYC when you arrived in the early 90s? Can you share a particular memory which stands out from your early experience of the city, its places and peoples and how this has influenced you?
I spent the majority of my life in New York living in different parts of the Bronx, which is a very multicultural borough! Coming from Riga to a city like New York was truly incredible and life changing! As a child, I never experienced anything quite like it. I really enjoyed being part of the art and culture of New York in the 90s.
I’ve witnessed the progression and changes to what it has become almost 30 years later. Although it’s a very different city compared to what it was in ‘91, I still appreciate the access to so many museums, theatres, music and a diverse culinary scene.
I always loved the lively art and music scene here—there’s something here for everyone and that is special. I believe this is a great city for a creative to start and launch their career, there are many opportunities here.
How have you sought out mentorship in your life? Who are the mentors who have offered—either directly or indirectly—the inspiration and guidance for where you're going creatively and professionally?
My dear friend Zito has been really pivotal in my growth as a photographer. He’s a wonderful portrait painter from CT/NY and understands my vision—he served as a mentor to me who gave me the confidence to keep creating and pushed me to show my work. It’s wonderful to have the support of someone with a creative eye who's also artistically trained to help you edit your work. We even exhibited together at the Hartford Art Studios in CT along with a few other friends back in 2017!
And finally, how are you staying entertained and enlivened in isolation? What are some podcasts, blogs, and creatives getting you through everything right now? Any shout outs you would like to share?
It’s been really great to take the time to dive into more podcasts, movies and reading. Here are some favourites:
Podcasts: Hurry Slowly, Emergence Magazine, Invisibilia, The Hidden Brain, Lovelink, Routines and Ruts, Ten Percent Happier, Tim Ferriss, Revisionist History
Blogs: The Great Discontent, The Observers, British Journal of Photography, Aesthetica, Aperture, Featureshoot, Doubleblind, NYT Lens, Hyperallergic, Don’t Take Pictures, Quoted, Dazed & Confused, AnOther Mag
Photographers: There are so many! I am very inspired by the photography from the past and present. Here are a few: Shae De Tar, Mamadi, Ruven Afanador, Alex Prager, Miles Aldridge, Alex Webb, Pierre et Gilles, David LaChapelle, Rose Callahan, Zanele Muholi, Robert Mapplethorpe, Marilyn Minter, Inez & Vinoodh, Joshua Kissi, Tyler Mitchell, Carly Zavala
A huge thank you to Dina for her amazing responses to our questions and sharing all of these tasty inspirations for our senses and spirits! If you’re excited to learn more about Dina and explore her creative work, you can head to her website and follow her on Instagram.
Like what you read? You should sign up for the Hey Boofhead e-newsletter to keep up to date with what’s coming next.