NINA ZIMOLONG: THE TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHER WHO BRACED A SANDSTORM TO CAPTURE A WARRIOR WOMAN
International photographer and Capitec client, Nina Zimolong takes us behind the scenes on how she creates photographic campaigns that explode virally.
Fashion and fine art photographer, Nina Zimolong, may have just turned 30 years old, but her achievements in the field of photography speak of a passion and talent way beyond her years. She was first handed a professional camera while working in the corporate world in Berlin and that changed the course of her life.
Nina has since moved back to South Africa, where she’s thriving and conceptualising shoots that she’s passionate about, including her ‘I AM WOMAN’ series. She invited us to spend a day in her world.
“Today we are location scouting… I’m shooting an absolutely stunning model who’ll be wearing an all-white look so I need to make sure the location that I shoot at is going to make the clothing stand out,” shares the Cape Town-based photographer.
For Nina, a variety of colours and textures are strong considerations when choosing a location, along with her choice of areas to stage a model in order to capture that perfect image.
Some of her greatest achievements include shooting for Vogue Germany, and going viral on TikTok with a behind the scenes video that reached over 2.8 million views.
“I was doing my fine art shoot and when we arrived at Tankwa we were greeted by this incredible sandstorm. Of course, I decided that we needed to shoot in it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I put a little video together and then posted it and it just started going viral,” says Nina, who got a huge organic reach because of the unique locations and styling that she does.
Nina, however, knows too well that you’re only as good as your last job and that future planning is important for any successful entrepreneur.
“I joined Capitec this year and I feel like it’s a total game-changer with my savings. The most important thing about saving is that you can use some of it to invest in yourself. I think it’s very important to have a savings account so that you can actually follow your dreams. I have a Global One account and used some of the money that I had saved up towards my fine art shoot that went viral on TikTok. In fact, some people wanted to buy my fine art prints, so I actually made money from that shoot,” says Nina.
She added, “I really like Capitec because it’s super user-friendly. I love the app and how quickly you can do payments from it, and that there’s literally a Capitec branch everywhere I go. This makes my life so much easier!”
She is frank about the challenges of going for it on your own, but with a determined spirit, Nina pushes through.
“My journey as a young creative in South Africa is up and down. People always say it’s so easy, when in fact it really is not. So many people have said ‘no’ to me, and I always tell myself that ‘every no that I get is a yes in the future,’. I then work even harder. That’s my motivation.”
Nina Zimolong continues to chase her dreams and eat, sleep and breathe photography. All the while creating new content and making women look strong and powerful through her African warrior woman theme.
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