Influenced by the film, he purchased his first camera and began taking night classes in photography at the School of Visual Arts of New York.
Fascinated with people on the street and the idea of visual spontaneity, Gilden turned to a career in photography.
He has worked in black and white most of his life, but he began shooting in color and digital when he was introduced to the Leica S camera as part of Magnum's Postcards From America project.
[8] Sean O'Hagan, reviewing Gilden's Face (2015) in The Guardian wrote that "his style seems to work against any intention to humanise his subjects.
"[8] Contemporary American photographer Joel Meyerowitz has this to say about Gilden: “He’s a fucking bully.