Amelie Trimpl: Kindness and clarity make the best work happen

Anne Marie
Sep 20
4 min read

What first drew you to photography and creative direction, and how has your vision evolved since those early days? 

I’ve always been fascinated by storytelling. As a child, I was captivated by musicals, the way they blended visuals, music, and emotion into something larger than life. When I first picked up a camera, I didn’t have a clear direction; I just practiced relentlessly, trying to capture what I felt rather than just what I saw. Over time, those experiments evolved into a defined style, cinematic, detailed, and emotionally grounded, though I still approach every project with the curiosity of those early days.

Your work is often described as cinematic and emotionally evocative. How do you approach translating a narrative into a single frame or sequence? 

For me, it’s about distilling the essence of a story into one visual gesture. I start by asking, “What’s the emotional truth here?” That might be tension, vulnerability, power, or stillness. Then I use composition, light, and texture as tools to heighten that emotion. Sometimes it’s about restraint, suggesting just enough for the viewer to feel something without spelling it all out.

You seamlessly move between intimate portraits, expansive environments, and cinematic compositions. How do you adapt your approach to such diverse formats while maintaining a recognizable style?

 Each format is like a different dialect of the same language. With portraits, I focus on intimacy, small gestures, micro-expressions, closeness. With environments, it’s scale, atmosphere, and mood. What unifies them is a consistency of tone and detail. No matter the format, I always aim for a balance of elegance, clarity, and emotional resonance.

As both photographer and creative director, you guide entire teams. What’s your philosophy for leading collaborators—stylists, crew, and editors—toward a unified artistic outcome?

 I believe in leading with kindness, but also with clarity. Everyone on set brings their own expertise, so my role is to create structure while leaving space for their creativity to flourish. I like to be efficient and professional, but I also want people to feel energized and valued, that’s when the best work happens.

Could you walk us through your process from the spark of an idea to the final deliverable? What stage excites you most? 

It often starts with a spark, sometimes a piece of music, a film still, or even a fleeting memory. From there, I sketch mood boards, scout locations, and build a visual language for the project. On set, it’s about translating that vision into something tangible while staying open to the unexpected. The stage I love most is the shoot itself, those moments when everything aligns and the energy is undeniable.

You’ve worked with both editorial publications and commercial brands. How do you balance artistic expression with client messaging in these different contexts? 

Editorial gives more space for experimentation and artistic freedom, while commercial projects demand a sharper focus on brand identity and storytelling. I see it as a dialogue: how can I express my vision in a way that also amplifies the client’s voice? The challenge is exciting, and I often find that limitations push me toward more creative solutions.

Your imagery often contrasts natural and urban elements. What artistic or cultural influences most shape this exploration of texture, tone, and setting? 

Minimalism is a huge influence for me, the idea that less can say more. I’m drawn to elegance and the details that others might overlook: the way light hits concrete, or how fabric moves in the wind. Those contrasts, organic vs. industrial, soft vs. hard, allow me to build tension and beauty in the frame.

How do you create an atmosphere on set that allows for authentic emotion and connection to come through in the final images?

 I try to foster an environment where people feel both comfortable and focused. Kindness goes a long way, checking in with people, listening, but so does structure. When everyone knows the vision and the rhythm of the day, they can relax into their roles, which allows authentic emotion to surface naturally.

What role does experimentation, whether with lighting, staging, or post-production, play in keeping your work fresh and forward-looking?

 Experimentation was everything when I was developing my style. I tried everything, different lighting setups, unconventional staging, heavy post-production, to understand what resonated with me. Now that I’ve refined my aesthetic, experimentation is more subtle but still essential. It’s about pushing details, testing limits, and making sure I don’t get too comfortable.

What has been one of your most challenging projects, and how did it push you to grow as an artist and director?

 Creative directing a live performance was a major challenge, the pace, the unpredictability, the need to think on my feet while guiding a team. Another was creatively directing and organizing an artist’s archive, where I had to balance organization with creative presentation. Both taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of trusting my instincts.

Are there new mediums or creative territories you’re eager to explore—perhaps in moving image, immersive experiences, or emerging technologies?

 Definitely. I’m curious about moving image and immersive environments, and I think AI will inevitably become part of our industry. It’s still a bit daunting, but I’m interested in how we can adopt it responsibly and creatively, using it as a tool rather than letting it dictate the work.

What guidance would you share with young photographers or creative directors who aspire to develop both technical skill and artistic vision? 

Practice relentlessly, but don’t get lost in technical perfection. Learn your tools well enough that they become second nature, then focus on what you want to say. Your vision is what sets you apart. Be open to collaboration, be kind, and remember that developing a style is less about speed and more about patience and persistence.