Creating Enhanced Realities With Photographer Gavin Goodman
Creating Enhanced Realities With Photographer Gavin Goodman
Delsey Paris x VISUALPLEASURE
NEW HORIZONS - WORLD TOUR 2024
South African Artist of the week - Gavin Goodman
Name:
Delsey Paris x VISUALPLEASURE
NEW HORIZONS - WORLD TOUR 2024
South African Artist of the week - Gavin Goodman
Photography:
Gavin Goodman
Words:
Erica Nichols
Born and raised in Cape Town, photographer Gavin Goodman was endlessly captivated by the vibrant beauty that surrounded him. From the country’s panoramic mountain views and shining coastlines to the tapestry of traditions in South African culture, Goodman translates his perspective into a multi-faceted approach across film, photo, and AI-generated art. We talked with the photographer on how he works with this emerging technology to create elevated works inspired by his own photos, as well as what he created for our DELSEY Paris collaboration.
How did you develop your approach to photography?
Gavin Goodman: After film school, I spent seven years as a cinematographer in the South African film industry, mainly shooting TV commercials. This period was crucial for me, as it was where I truly began to understand how lighting, color, composition, and camera movement come together to define a story or image.
Eventually, I transitioned to still photography. I explored various genres — still life, cars, portraiture, lifestyle, advertising, and fashion — experimenting with different formats and aesthetics. By consistently shooting and prioritizing personal projects between jobs, I gradually developed my creative perspective. My style is influenced by a minimalist aesthetic, combining soft, crafted light with a complementary pastel color palette.
What are the most important elements to you to capture a great photo?
There are many technical variables that can make a good photo, but I’ve reached a point where I’m not as interested in what camera, lens, or lighting setup was used. For me, a great photo comes from a photographer with a defined point of view and a deep understanding of their craft. It’s about having a clear idea or concept in mind that comes across in the image.
Your work features a lot of texture, colors, and contrast — how do you strike a balance between it all and find that ‘harmony’ among all these different elements?
It really comes down to taste. After creating enough work, you begin to trust your instincts and know when an image looks good or when it still needs something. Good taste is something that develops over time, it takes years to refine and learn to trust.
How does place/location influence your perspective?
Hugely! Most of the work I create today is inspired by the African culture I was surrounded by growing up in South Africa.
How does travel influence your work and world view as an artist? Any specific travel stories that have stayed with you or informed your work?
Before getting married, I spent about five years traveling for 4-5 months each year. Stepping out of my routine and social circles, and traveling solo for months at a time, really opened my eyes and broadened my perspective on culture, people, and places. It became a truly inspiring process as a creative. There are too many stories to pick just one!
AI is such a hot topic in the art world, but you’ve recently explored different ways of creating art with it. What’s your perspective on it and how do you approach using it with your work?
I became fascinated with AI when it first emerged, and this technology completely re-inspired me to continue creating. I was in a bit of a creative rut at the time and found the results I was getting with AI incredibly exciting. My approach when using this tech is to create imagery grounded in reality — images that I could create as a photographer, or have always wanted to create but couldn’t due to logistical or budget constraints. With AI, I can now bring those visions to life. I’m very conscious of infusing my AI work with my style as a visual artist, and almost always use my own images as a starting point. Just because I can now create anything doesn't mean that I should! Having restraint and a clear vision is very important to me when I’m creating with AI.
“Most of the work I create today is inspired by the African culture I was surrounded by growing up in South Africa”
You’ve also pursued projects with social commentary, like ‘The Cult of Couture.’ Talk to us about how you developed that series.
I created this series while on vacation at the end of last year. I wanted to do something tongue-in-cheek and have always been fascinated by the strange world of luxury goods and consumerism. So, I decided to create a series of images that resemble a fashion campaign, but with a satirical commentary on the almost cult-like following many luxury brands have with their consumers. With my deep understanding of AI, I’m now able to bring these concepts to life in a relatively short amount of time.
Talk to us about what you’re creating DELSEY.
This has been a super interesting process for me. My concept was to showcase my interpretation of a modern, trendy African couple. Their wardrobe is inspired by their culture and history, but done with a modern minimalist aesthetic. They are traveling through the beautiful African landscape, showcased in a fashion photography style.
Initially, I wanted to create two images entirely in-camera. However, due to budget constraints, I had to rethink my approach. I could either allocate the entire budget to the production without using models, which felt risky due to the uncertainty of finding the right subjects and how they would perform in front of the camera. Or, I could use AI to create the environments and outfits, then shoot the subjects and luggage in the studio, compositing them into the images in post. I chose the latter approach as it allowed me to maintain my vision and create images that I truly love.
Essentially, both my images are 100% AI-generated except for the DELSEY bags and the subjects’ faces and hands, which I shot in the studio using my AI images as a reference for perspective and lighting.
From a selfish and creative point of view, I absolutely loved being in full control of the outcome and executing the final images with way less stress and resources. But I also realize that, eventually, this workflow will inevitably make certain roles redundant for some future jobs. Despite this, I have fully embraced this incredible technology and am excited for the opportunities that lie ahead.
