BRI Featured Artist
Dixie Dixon
Check out Dixie's Behind-the-Scenes video of a photo shoot!
How long have you been shooting pro?
3.5 years
Describe your education & training in photography.
I always knew I wanted to be a photographer.... so I started out shooting for yearbook staff in high school. In college I majored in Entrepreneurship and assisted a variety of different photographers from portrait to event to commercial to learn the art and business side of photography. My junior year I studied abroad in London with a world-renowned fashion photographer, Jeff Licata, who shot iconic campaigns for clients such as Valentino, Armani, and Calvin Klein. I also spent some time in Los Angeles assisting celebrity beauty photographer, Matthew Jordan Smith. It was during these 2 assistantships that I fell in L-O-V-E with fashion photography.
What challenges did you face early in your career?
Oh man, too many to name...but in the beginning I used to find it difficult to ask people to pay a premium for what I would honestly do for free. Photography is my passion, but its also a business so you have to charge for what you create. People will respect you even more if you do.
What is your secret to balancing your
photography business and your personal life?
My photography business is my personal life... haha just kidding! But if someone knows the secret please tell me! Seriously, this is the single hardest part about owning a photography business and something I am making a point to work on this year. (Hellooo, Interns!) And, as if I wasn't already busy enough, I just started a new lil' company that sells camera necklaces (www.cameracrush.com). It's a fun side project/creative outlet.
Define your photography style.
I love images with soul; images that not only highlight the models and the fashion, but that also elicit a spontaneous emotional response and connection. How did I find and develop it? Shooting a LOT!!! One thing that has helped a lot is creating vision boards of pictures, places, and things that inspire me photographically. In fact, I do one for every shoot. I take a concept and expand the idea via posting inspiration pictures on a corkboard. It gets my whole team inspired and on the same page during a shoot!
What inspires you artistically (a person, place, movie,
you name it!)?
People, vintage cameras, old classic movies, the beach, the sun, books, fashion magazines, dogs, vivid colors, moody scenes, wine, love, etc. But most of all, it's Beauty. As Confucious says, "Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it."
When going into a session, what motivates you?
The drive to tell a story with beautiful imagery. Fashion photography depicts an imaginary world in which romance, love and dreams come to life. As a fashion photographer, you have the power to create anything your mind can imagine. That’s what I truly love about it—there are no rules, no boundaries, no restrictions—just pure self-expression.
When working with your clients, how do you evoke the
perfect expression
and pose?
By creating an Experience with music, mood, lighting, location, food and good energy/enthusiasm. I try to create an environment in which my client is completely comfortable so they can be exactly who they are. This helps me bring out that connection on film. Before most shoots, I like to research my clients. I find out their hobbies, favorite tunes, likes, dislikes etc, so we have something to chat about while shooting.
What business tip would you give the new photographer?
Bill Cosby says, “I don’t know the secret to success, but the secret to failure is trying to please everybody.” Not everyone is going to love your work, and that’s okay. Don’t take if personally! That’s the thing about photography, its pure self-expression and completely subjective. So shoot what you love and only surround yourself with positive people who love your work!