Without any exaggeration, it is safe to say that New Zealand-born, New York-based photographer Tom Gould, is one of the most offhandedly hilarious guys you will ever meet. His stories of rat baggism and rascalism as a youngster – told with wide eyes and raised brows – will have you laughing so hard you may actually snort in public.

But it’s not just the stories Gould tells, but the ways in which he tells them. Take, for example, the time he recounted his fear of rats by telling me of his dread upon hearing “the trickling of light feet”, a description so on point I wish I’d made it up myself. And if you come across him in person, ask him to tell you about the time when sleep talking got him into serious trouble.

The funny thing about the stories of Gould’s earlier days is that they’re not likely to change very much over the next ten years (at least). Like the previously MOOKS Report-profiled photographer Anna Delany, Gould is fearless, which lands him in both good and bad situations. Mainly the good though. And if they are bad situations, Gould is sure to turn them into gold anyway.

How did you get into taking photos?
I was initially introduced to photography by my Moms. She was an artist and was always pushing me to be creative and to explore whichever path I chose. I later met a man who was a huge influence on me. Hal Osborne was a watercolor painter and photographer who taught me about cameras, lighting and film, but the main thing he taught me was the importance of documentation. From that I started to photograph things more seriously, mainly being the things that interested me, the places I liked to go, and the people I liked to be around. This naturally happened to be graffiti, the train-tracks and ratbag friends… along with any situation that involved a healthy dose of mischief. And I guess I am more or less documenting the same thing today… old habits.

Word has it you have explored inside the New York subway system. Tell me about some of your adventures.
Tunnels are an amazing place. They are hard to explain in words. The feeling you get down there is so airy, so distant from society, especially when you are by yourself. That is until you encounter the real tunnel dwellers, the people who call the tunnels their homes, that’s when the real stories begin… and the pipes come out…

Tell me about the crew you roll with.
Basically they are a bunch of… Dirty Mak Nasty Skitzophrenic Maggots All Rolling Together…

What is it about New York that interests you visually?
Bricks, Bums, Boobies, Bridges, Cats, Rats, Baseball Caps, Pizza, Signs, Stickers, Graff, Tattoos, Midgets, Cabs, Trash, Projects, Beggars, Hookers, Pigeons, Hustlers, Filth, Grime and Smack… But all in all it’s really the people. New York not only interests me visually, its fascinates me culturally. The different people I can meet just blocks away from each other is amazing. I love the streets, I love the subways and I love the conversations I encounter in all of these places.

Tell me about your current projects.
I am currently working on a project documenting people and their own interpretations of self expression. It is a work in progress and something that I can see will take a while, as it is focused on various types of people from all walks of life. I enjoy contrast, juxtaposition and awkwardness so conveying these elements through the people expressed in this project is what I am aiming for. Good things take time.

What’s next in the adventures of Tom?
For now I’m just planning on making my own adventures around New York, documenting aspects of life and society that interest me, and meeting people that have something to share.

Where can we visit you on the internet?
www.tomgouldshoots.com






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