1. What’s your favourite Amsterdam neighbourhood to shoot?
I always start my walk in my street in Oud-West and choose a direction depending on my mood. I like the Kinkerstraat because it's nearby and offers a colorful mix of people. I also like the Jewish quarter. I tend to avoid the city center, although that, of course, provides a lot of material. I don’t really have a preferred neighborhood. I’m not on the hunt either. I pick. I collect. I gather.
2. Which secret spot would you recommend (now not secret anymore)?
Are there still secret spots in Amsterdam? :-)
What I see less often in the work of Amsterdam street photographers are districts like Nieuw-West or De Bijlmer. Maybe there are some spots to explore.
3. What’s your most memorable streetphotography experience from the past year?
A crow without a lower body. It was walking along Haarlemmerdijk. Its entire backside was missing. No tail feathers, no rear end… and I was amazed that it was even capable of living. The bird walked among the passengers on search for food.
4. Which type of images are you currently shooting?
Good question! It hits exactly on my weak spot.
Since I belong to the group of ambivalent people, I struggle with committing to a specific type or style. I don’t have a signature... sometimes I think I be would bored to have one anyway. Maybe I just haven’t arrived at myself yet. I fluctuate between colorful calmness, black-and-white liveliness and vice versa. It's a journey. And work in progress till the very end.
5. Which (street)photographer inspires you?
Of course, I like the classics like Diane Arbus, Vivian Maier, Helen Levitt, Saul Leiter, Mary Ellen Mark, Jill Freedman, and so on. Their images appeal to me, especially because a completely different aesthetic prevailed in their time compared to today.
I also really enjoy the work of Helga Paris, Sabine Weiss, Martin Langer, Holger Biermann, or the good old August Sander. I find works like those of the late photographer Dimitry Markov very impressive. Oh, there are so many outstanding photographers, and each leaves a small, delicate trace in me that surely influences my own work. But the greatest inspiration is the street itself, the outdoors.
Anna is featured in the 4th edition of State of Amsterdam
Copyright of each photo featured belongs to Anna Gilg
