Log In Register
Lost your password?
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Internationally renowned and celebrated American fashion photographer and G-Technology ambassador Dixie Dixon held a presentation at the Apple Store in Covent Gardens on Tuesday evening.  She gave visitors pro tips on capturing images of perfection as well as unveiling her story about how she built up her legacy, snapping the likes of model Arianna Carde and working with major clientele including Virgin.
Not only is her portfolio of iconic images impressive as they cater from fashion to editorial and advertising, she started from humble beginnings.


Born in Texas, she was given her first Nikon Camera, the Nikon FG by her father at the tender age of 12. From there, it resulted in her being celebrated as an internationally acclaimed photographer in the fashion world.  Dixie spoke of her first big moment being when her photos were proudly featured as the cover of her college yearbook. It was evident that she was destined for great things. After receiving that camera, her passion and style came to fruition from snapping almost anything and everything. 


Dixie came to London to study alongside world-class photographers after researching on the internet; it was there the passion for fashion photography beckoned.  She did not put all of her images online but instead publicly displayed images that would define her as a bona fide fashion photographer, she advised to “only show the type of work that you want to shoot” in order to get into the niche. Thus it began. She projected what she wanted and the rest became history. Dixie stressed the importance of backing up work as she no longer uses ordinary storage but G-Technology as the devastating moment of losing work when “People are investing in you to shoot their campaign or magazine editorial, “They’re putting a lot of money into that day of shooting, so I’m really anal about backing up, because I never want to lose data again”.


In every single frame, her idealistic vision of the world is reflected in it; romance, soul, colour, life and energy are intertwined through all of her images. Her passion for photography has landed her projects in Miami to Toronto to Barcelona. This year she was entitled as one of the sixteen Nikon Ambassadors of America. Dixie also revealed what equipment she used, it’s always handy to know what photographers use in their work as you can see how they create their images! Dixie appeared to have a faithful love for Nikon as her equipment kit can be found here.
Her expert tips on the night included:

1.    Creating a vision board for every shoot you do, to get a feel of what look you are going for. For example with a romantic shot, think hearts,  vibrant splatterings of pinks, reds and red lips.
2.   It’s always a great idea to get to know the person before the shoot as they instantly become more comfortable with you as the shoot progresses. For example, Dixie said she’d have a stalk of their Facebook. Instagram or Twitter to see what they are like and what they like. She found out one of her clients liked John Mayer and so put the radio onto his song and instantly as they walked into the room they felt relaxed and more comfortable to bring more to the shoot.
3.   To find out what your style of photography is, just go out there and shoot what you like, the more you make it personal and all about what your preferences are, your niche will come to you. Shoot what you LOVE, not what pays the bills. Even if you are tempted to take on any photography jobs to pay the bills, by sticking to your niche,  this will eventually attract the kind of clients you want and land you all those dream jobs.
4.   Don’t underestimate the importance of production value, if you want to become a wedding photographer, only show wedding photography on your portfolios.
5.   You don’t need expensive equipment when you start out, just start creating images with what you have, you can use Iphones, Ipads, anything to capture great photos.
    6. Develop your style. This comes from shooting A LOT. Set up your own shoots that illustrate your vision and keep building upon that. Inspiration is everywhere.
7. Build your team. This includes a creative team and a business team. You need a group of creative people to make your shoots happen. Obviously at first, this will not happen but when your work develops you will meet the right people along the way.
8. Create a portfolio of your strongest work. Your body of work should illustrate the unique way you see the world and show consistency in the way you shoot. That is so clients will have a better understanding of what kind of images they will end up with when they hire you.
9. ‘Network yo booty off’. Photography is all about creating experiences and building a relationship between the photographer and people. The more you spread the word about your work, the more people are likely to remember you for your work.
An audience member quipped to ask if she could shoot for any publication what would it be? Of course, with a beaming smile and a quick answer, Dixie replied “Sports Illustrated”. It’s plainly clear to see that this is a young woman destined to go far in life armed with her camera.

Zohra Khan

Click here to see Dixie Dixon’s portfolio.